Olive is Starting Training with Heather Snow-Flamer

Horses require the services of a rescue because of a need - frequently neglect, abuse, or an owner who can no longer provide for their horse's care.  It is rare that a young or middle-aged, well-trained horse is given to Heart of the Redwoods Hores Rescue.  Locally such horses are usually easy to sell, even in these times of economic "downturn".  If they are sound, HRHR tends to see horses that fall into the following categories:

• the ground work is done and is the horse is ready for saddle;
• there were too many horses and someone didn't have the time to work with this horse;
• very green, just needs a few more rides;
• or the heart-breaking, "this horse has helped me raise my children and now I want to find them a good retirement home".

For the first three categories rehabilitation means training, often from the ground up.  For a horse to finally be "safe" - from all the bad things that happen to unridable horses (sold for meat) and for potential adopters, that horse simply must be able to accept and carry a rider.  Few potential adopters have the interest or skills to take a horse with an unknown history and invest the time and/or money required for a solid training foundation.

HRHR is committed to providing the training necessary to help give our horses every chance at getting a good forever home.  Olive has just started in training with Heather Snow-Flamer.  Heather has already donated several months of free training for Quincy, who is now in a long term rehab foster home in Washington (check out his blog).  Our BOD agreed that the work required for Olive would be paid for.  We are starting a "targeted" fundraising campaign to help fund three months of training.  With Jerry Boots providing free board at his Hillcrest Stables, Heather was able to charge us a very reasonable $400. per month for training Olive.

Olive has been with HRHR since the Elsie Smith hoarding case.  She was one of the 40 horses that lived in horrible conditions on Mrs. Smith's property in Southern Humboldt.  It is believed that Olive was once a riding horse, but neglect and disuse eroded whatever training she once had.  Our volunteers have been working with Olive on the ground, it is time for Heather take her the rest of the way.

If you would like to donate to Olive's training fund, just click on the picture of Charlie (in training with Jerry Boots) and you will be able to make an online donation via paypal.  

Our Horses Help Teach Our Volunteers Some Lessons About Safety

We want to thank Dutch, Fancy, Angel, Olive, Raz, and Flora - six "dedicated volunteers" who assisted HRHR volunteer and trainer Heather Snow-Flamer and board member Thommie Haskins in teaching our "Safety on the Ground" clinic for our volunteers.

The clinic was designed to teach volunteers the following skills:

1. safe horse handling skills on the ground and working in-hand
2. a safe and complete grooming protocol
3. how to tie two kinds of quick release knots and how to use the Blocher Tie Ring to safely tie horses
4. hand walking a horse through an unpredictable environment

Heather Snow-Flamer demonstrated how to safely enter a horse's space, halter, and lead.

One of our volunteers shows perfect form, combining focus and intention to lead her . . . ah, well . . . first we had to practice on two legged volunteers before graduating to the four legged assistants.

Angel helped Christy practice her haltering skills.

Thommie and 14 year old Dutch watch volunteers practice their newly learned grooming skills.

Raz is a Trakehner gelding who was slaughter bound before being rescued by HRHR board member Becky McBain. He decided that the grooming part of the clinic was definitely his favorite.

Carey and Amy work on Dutch.

Volunteers learned how to tie a quick release knot.

While ever-patient, Angel let us know that she is really tired of teaching volunteers year after year and longs for a home of her own.

We are fortunate to have donated facilities at Redwood Acres Fairground. The final skill set of the day focused on leading a horse through an unpredictable environment.

Flora, Marie, Sarah, and Heather make the return loop, nearing the end of the clinic.

Our volunteers and horses may encounter race cars, a carnival, BMX riders, or 4-H pigs. It is important to be prepared for the unexpected.

Board member Kira Hawk shows how to "helicoptor" the lead rope to define a preferred space when a horse is rushing when being led.

Part of the mission of Heart of the Redwoods Horse Rescue is to provide education for humans working with horses to increase the safety of both and strengthen the equine/human partnership. Our volunteers start with different levels of experience and knowledge of working with equines. This Saturday clinic provided an opportunity for us to learn together while enjoying one another's company.

Hillcrest Stables Riding Clinic with Heather Snow-Flamer

Equine clinician Heather Snow-Flamer is a Humboldt County treasure! This talented,

eloquent equestrian donated her time to present a six hour clinic to benefit

Heart of the Redwoods Horse Rescue on Saturday, November 20th at Hillcrest Stables.

Jerry Boots, owner of Hillcrest Stables, donated the use of his beautiful facility for the event.

Throughout the morning we practiced ways to center and balance our emotions

and bodies so we might encourage reciprocal balance in our horses.

Taking time to complete a rider's self-evaluation helped each clinic participant set personal

goals for the day. Setting our intention this way helped synthesize the morning's theory and physical exercised with the afternoon's application of concepts while on the ground and mounted.

Balanced riding calls for a centered body. Jennifer Walts shows her Xtreme balance.

And THAT is exactly why she is our evaluation rider at HRHR!

For the first part of the clinic, participants got to experience many exercises to increase body awareness. Working on this board helped to focus attention of our seat bones and how to move.

The concept of "neutral spine" was useful and let us experience how the alignment of hips,

back, and shoulders could create a shock absorbing pillar or collapse and direct force onto the backs of our horses. I loved the image of lights shining from the ends of our seat bone,

shining those lights straight down helps to promote a neutral spine.

Centered, focused, and aware, HRHR volunteer Carey Call is ready to use her newly

learned strategies to support Angel has they negotiate a series of obstacles.

At the end of the day Heather brought out her devious "Tunnel of Doom".

Red Horse is letting me know he is not overly impressed by of the idea of my "gradually increasing pressure" to build his confidence. Gotta tell ya Red, that concept was my favorite "lesson" and one we will use over and over as we prepare for the next season of Trail Trials.

Angel moved through the tunnel and every obstacle with steady grace.

This little Arab mare is waiting for her forever home.

Jessica White and her coming three year old Diego build their partnership skills.

While Angel waits to change partners, she enjoys a few scritches in her favorite itchy places.

Robert and Angel. They adore each other.

Jennifer and Vida take on the tunnel.

Vida is an HRHR sponsored horse that is ready for her new home.

Kira Hawk, HRHR board member, sharing a few words of

encouragement with an equine participant in the clinic.

This was SO cool. I was thrilled that Red had gained the confidence to stand

steadily while I spun the rainbow umbrella. Red not so much.

Throughout the afternoon, riders practiced the strategies they learned during

the morning. We paid close attention to how we used our bodies to help our horses

calmly and confidently move through a series of obstacles.

Here is Jessica excelling at one of the hardest trials of all - the "pie-eating while your

horse watches" obstacle. HRHR volunteer Mary Urbach made the most

amazing, mouth-watering apple pies for clinic human participants.

Part two of the "pie-eating" obstacle is defending your pie while horses

team up to try to take the cinnamon apple delight away from you.

Even though the weather was very cold for Humboldt, with rain

and wind, the clinic was so absorbing and full of rich information that

I wished we were able to spend another week or so working with Heather.

Jerry, Heather, and the HRHR volunteers who provided dessert, thank you SO much

for a day I'll long remember as Red and I move down the trail.