Winter Workshops
Join Sheryl and I at Bill and Susan Muncaster's Diamond M Ranch, near Gainsville, Texas, for some intensive workshops on colt starting and halter breaking, horsemanship, ranch roping, and cow working.
The Diamond M is the ranch where Ray and Carolyn Hunt conducted their winter workshops for the last several years. Bill has invited Sheryl and I to continue this tradition. We consider it quite a compliment and responsibility to carry on this great work. We promise to do our best to make this one of the most enjoyable, challenging,and educational experiences you've ever had.
These workshops are designed to help you develop skills and better understand how to prepare your horse for whatever might be in his future. We intend to build confidence in you both by exposing you to some new and challenging experiences in real life ranch situations.
It doesn't matter if you will go on to do dressage, team rope, run barrels, or trail ride after you leave here. We will work to build a solid foundation based on mutual understanding, trust, confidence, and communication. We want to develop a "can do" attitude in you and your horse.
Ray once said, "Confidence is knowing you have the skills to handle whatever comes along." That's where we're headed.
The January workshop is for the serious minded individual, with some previous experience, who would like to learn more about starting, handling, and using young horses. There will be some colts to halter break, some two-year-olds to start, and some three-year-olds, that have a few rides on them and need a job.
The Diamond M is a real working ranch. There will be fences and water to check, cattle to prowl and work, and calves to brand. You will be encouraged to learn to think ahead and do what it takes to prepare your horse, so that we can get these jobs done on our young horses.
In February we are offering two, two-week horsemanship classes. We encourage you to bring your own horse (no stallions) and ride and use him here on the ranch. We'll help you work though any little trouble spots you have with your horse and understand why the two of you had that trouble, so that you can head it off in the future.
Most of the riding will be done out in the pasture, and will NOT be a nose-to-tail trail ride. When we leave the corrals, there will be a real job to do. As in the January workshop, there are fences and water holes to check, cattle to prowl and work, and calves to brand.
Oh! You don't rope? We'll work on that. You've never worked cattle? Well, you can't start to learn any younger. You ride English? Great! Come on! You've never ridden up and down hills, through brush, or across creeks and canyons? Well, 2010 looks like a great year to get started on all this.
We hope that you will leave with a greater appreciation and understanding of the horse, of ranching, and, maybe, of life.
January 2010 Workshops
Dates: 4-29
Cost: $2500 (includes lodging and all the horse tracks you can make in one month)
Participants must furnish their own transportation, meals, tack, bedding, and toiletries.
Participants should plan on arriving on Sunday, January 3, and departing on Saturday, January 30.
February 2010 Workshops
Dates: 1-12 and 15-26
Cost: $1600 (includes lodging, hay for your horse, and all the horse tracks you can make while you're here)
Participants must furnish their own transportation, meals, tack, bedding, and toiletries.
Participants for the first two weeks should plan on arriving Sunday, January 31, and departing on Saturday, February 13.
Participants for the second two weeks should plan on arriving on Sunday, February 14, and departing on Saturday, February 27.
During all workshops, we will work on Monday through Friday. On the weekends, you are free to do as you please — rest, ride, ....
Each workshop is limited to a maximum of 8 participants.
If you are interested in applying to ride in one of these workshops, you must send in a short resume about your experience with horses and a least 3 references. Please include your address and phone number. Mail your resumes to: PO Box 105, Paducha, TX 79248 or call 806-492-2711 for more information.