My Kind of Horse

This picture is a great example of my kind of horse, this four year has good bone, great athletic ability, and doesn't get rattled when you apply pressure.  The number one thing that matters to me is that the horse has to be a great thinker, and stay's quite while he is learning, the second thing that matters to me is his ability to step out and travel, the third thing is conformation.  I like a horse with thoroughbred on the bottom of his pedigree in the second or third dam, this gives them the ability to travel and helps them with their size.  We only raise horses that we can use, in many cases we have several generation's of the same bloodlines because they have been great horses for us.  My favorite bloodlines are Sun Frost, Two Eyed Jack, Mr. San Peppy and Northern Dancer.    

There is only one way for struggling teens to learn about themselves and I believe that it is threw hard work.  The kids I work with at Ashcreek Ranch Academy build confidence while working with horses and cattle.  Nobody improves their lives without believing there is hope, horses give the best feedback possible to these students.  People are drawn to healthy relationships with boundaries, love and responsibility.  I have seen hundreds of young people change their lives with REAL HORSEPOWER.  This is a great picture of Terry teaching some students how to brand calves.

A few of the Ashcreek Ranch Academy boy's on their way to a service project working at the Enterprise High School Rodeo.  At Ashcreek Ranch Academy helping boy's find joy in serving others is a key component to finding their own happiness.    

I wish everyday folks knew the value of "Riding For The Brand".  Riding for the brand is one of the key components we teach at Ashcreek Ranch Academy.

Jake and I above Hop Valley, helping the Lee family fall gather their cows, it was awesome.

Professional Hatter Chaz Mitchell, the son of World Famous Cowboy Poet Waddie Mitchell, spent the day teaching the young men at Ashcreek Ranch Academy to design and shape their own hats.  It was a great way to spend the day learning from one of the best.

My daughter Baylee riding Queen in her wedding dress for her bridal pictures.

Ashcreek Ranch Academy Wranglers in Hurricane, Utah in the winter of 2013.  One of the few times the snow actually stuck to the ground so we had to hurry with the camera to snap this photo before the snow melted.

AES Equine Center

AES Equine Center in Hurricane, Utah

equine therapy news

check out this news letter on line http://www.eapreport.com/ and sign up

New Web Page www.shoalcreekhorses.com

We now have our horse herd on a new web site http://www.shoalcreekhorses.com/  We have our stallions Truckee, Sables Dashing Guy, Rainbow Blues, ID Country Bartender & Wings Leo Peppy Bars.  We also have a great pen of horses for sale, on the sale page.  WE have some really nice Frenchmans Guy breed prospects for sale.  Check it out and let me know what you think.  Thanks, Mike

Spring time is for starting colts

I'm a Spring & Fall man.  I enjoy the spring because it's always fun when the mares are foaling and the 2 year olds need to be started.  We use all our colts for equine assisted psychotherapy, I think it can become a real powerful experience for the client when the horses are a little green and unsure of themselves.  Many of the clients we work with enjoy the round pen and working with the young horses, don't be afraid to mix things up for the client.  

Random photos of Kolob & Jake Team Sorting

Equine Activity of the Day

Boundary Challenge


Population

This exercise is well suited to individuals, small groups and families.

Objective

The objective is to enable clients to recognize and protect a boundary. Each group or family will work in several different boundaries with their horse or horses.

Area Needed

This exercise works very well in a large arena.

Set up and execution of the exercise

Place a minimum of nine different boundaries in the arena. Some of the boundaries need to be small only accommodating one horse, some need to be larger so that the boundary will accommodate more than one horse, some of the boundaries need to be well defined and some need to be small and undefined. A variety of objects can be used to define the boundaries, a rope placed on the floor of the arena, hay bales placed in a circle, cones placed in a pattern, tarp placed on the floor of the arena, poles with solid wall structures and other similar objects.

Options

Place some temptations at various places in the arena, such as grain, apples or hay.
Have some people who are designated as resources or negative influences located at various places in the arena.

Basic Rules

Once the horse is comfortable in the boundary then the group or family will step out of the boundary and walk around the horse in every widening circles. After the participants step out of the boundary they may not touch the horse.
Participants have the responsibility to keep themselves and their team member’s safe at all times.
Maintain a safe distance from the other groups and be aware of the others horses, especially when changing boundaries.

Possible Discussion Questions

Did you work as a team to respect and protect your boundaries?
How or when did the horse first start to violate the boundary?
When did you recognize that your boundary was violated?
How did you feel about your boundary being violated and what did you do about it?
What was the horse’s boundary and how did the horse communicate its boundary?
Which boundary did you choose and why?
Who did the horse remind you of?

Things for the team to observe

What type of boundaries did the family or group select?
Was there a pattern to the boundaries they selected such as always a large boundary or always a well defined boundary?
Who were the leaders?
Who were the followers?
Who tried to disengage?
Who was most involved in the discussion after the session?
What did the boundary remind you of?

Equine Activity of the Day

Problem Box


Population

This exercise is well suited to individuals, small groups and families.

Objective

The objective is to engage students in the process of assessing the reasons they are in treatment.

Area Needed

This exercise works well in an arena. A smaller area can be used if the activity involves only one student.

Set Up and Execution of the Exercise

The student is asked to build a box using cones of various sizes. The box needs to be large enough to hold both the student and the horse. Next, the student is asked to choose a horse from a previously selected group of horses. The horses are already haltered with a lead rope. Next, the student will take the horse into the box and stand in the box with the horse. The student is asked to talk to the horse about “how I got into this box of problems”. The student will be asked to describe their thoughts and feelings about being in “the box of problems”. The student will explain to the horse the consequences they now face as a result of being in their box of problems. After completing their discussion with the horse, the student will be given a bucket of grain and the horse will be allowed to eat some of the grain. The student then places the bucket of grain outside the box and works to get the horse to stay comfortably in the box without the grain. The student then leaves the box and shakes the bucket of grain while keeping the horse in the problem box. The student is then asked to discuss with the horse “what temptations are keeping me in my box of problems”. After the completion of the activity the student is asked to feed the remaining grain to the horse and work on building a relationship with the horse.

Basic Rules

Students must treat the horse with care and concern.

Students have the responsibility to keep themselves safe at all times.

Students need to maintain a safe distance from other groups.

Students need to respect confidentiality of any information that is discussed by others.

Possible Discussion Questions

Did your horse listen to you?

What did your horse do that made you feel the horse was or was not listening to you?

Things for the team to observe

The team should observe the interaction between the student and the horse. Does the student appear to be talking to the horse? What is the horse doing? Does the horse seem to be responding to the student discussion?

Enterprise Rodeo

Check out the new Enterprise Rodeo web site http://www.enterpriserodeo.com/

Sable Babies

New Sable Colt

One of our bay roan mares had a Sable colt this morning.  I am in Virginia Beach with Drew Mills at senior nationals, so my wife & Baylee had to take care of him. 

Qualities of a good Equine Assisted Psychotherapy Activity

Qualities of a good Equine Assisted Psychotherapy Activity


1) A good activity maximizes the power of the horse and keeps everyone engaged in the process

2) A good activity allows the equine team to increase the intensity of the activity or decrease the intensity of the activity based on the needs to the clients

3) A good activity is adaptable to a wide range of clients and can be used with individuals, families or groups

4) A good activity will create the opportunity for emotional growth

5) A good activity is simple and safe

6) A good activity uses a metaphor throughout the activity

7) A good activity is beneficial to both the client and the horse

Our Horse Herd

Our horse herd starts with two AQHA stallions, Sables Dashing Guy and ID Country Bartender. The broodmare band stays around 10 or 12 mares, is made up of mostly race breed mares that are proven winners and black type producers. The focus of our herd is to raise ranch, rodeo and using horses. We want only the top bloodlines with the best minds and conformation. We also use our horses for the Equine Therapy Program for CARE. All of our babies are handled a lot, they all have solid foundations so they can go any direction from trail or ranch horses, then into 4H or the rodeo arena.