April Update – While Waiting to Hit The Road!

Dear Friends,

I am supposed to be headed to Poway, CA this morning, hauling horses out and teach a clinic….but the weather had other ideas for me.  All we have gotten is wind, hope you all have had some moisture in your area.  I will be heading out as soon as the roads open!

Just a reminder of the Cow working I (green horse or green rider or needing a tune up) & II (need to have ridden in 2 cow clinics with us before) clinic, April 4th & 5th.

Friday, April 10th in Boulder giving individual lessons.  Call 303-247-0667 or email patjarvis@river.com to check on availability.

Saturday, April 18th , in Longmont @ Windy Creek Ranch doing a horsemanship and problem solving clinic.

Saturday, April 25th, in Elbert @ Kim Heavey’s doing a horsemanship and problem solving clinic.

The tack shop is over flowing with new arrivals for spring, new hats from Sunbody, new Dorman Burns t-shirts, Reata Brannaman collection halters by Double Diamond, Body Wash for your horse or pet, beautiful new headstalls, and more bangles from Silver King.  The latest Dave Stamey CD came in yesterday!  Clinic participants get an automatic 10% discount for that weekend.

Thanks to all of you who rode in the Spring Tune up clinic!  Couldn’t have asked for better weather or a nicer group of folks to work with!

See you when I get back!

Amy

Ray Hunt, Our Friend and Teacher

The fall of 1981, Dad and I were headed to watch a guy named Ray Hunt start some colts off the area ranches near Wheatland, WY.  I had no idea how that day would change the rest of my life…..

Ray Hunt died this past Thursday, March 12, leaving a HUGE legacy of helping the horse by helping its human.  I knew the day would come but there is always a shock factor of losing someone who has had such a big impact on your life.  My dad passed away 10 years ago this month and he is the one who passed on a passion for horses that will be there until the day I die.  Ray instilled a hunger to be right by the horse that will be there until that day also.  What I saw Ray do with horses, that first clinic of his I watched, wow….   I had no idea what he was doing, but I wanted my horses to look like his, and so my journey began.

I talk a lot about Ray and use his “Rayisms” when I teach that….until you all are probably sick of hearing it over and over.  Ray had  a way of saying things that made you “think” and sets you up to find “it”, and when that happens it will stick forever.  I joke about “Ray Hunting” my kids, but jokes aside….my kids, Liz and Ben are 2 of the nicest young adults you will ever meet, outgoing, kind, respectful and thoughtful.  That simple principal of “make the right thing easy and the wrong thing difficult” applies to more than just working with horses.  What Ray taught was how to be a better person so you could look yourself in the “glass”, with your family, friends and your horses.

Tom and Bill Dorrance were exceptional horseman but it was Ray that brought this horsemanship, from the horse’s perspective, to the general public. Thanks aren’t nearly enough…just not sure how to put in word the incredible gratitude I have for Ray and what he did for me.

Ray is back in the saddle again…in the King’s stable…..

•     “Notice the smallest changes and the slightest tries.”
•    “You direct the life in the horse’s body through the legs to the feet to the mind.”
•    “Slow down so you can hurry up. In the end, it’s a good way. Speed ahead of accuracy is no good.”
•    “You think you’ve got to hold the horse, but you don’t have to. You’ve got to have a feel – a feel following a feel, not pressure against pressure. That’s what happens in the starting gate, pressure against pressure. We don’t really think about it in that manner, but the horse does because he learns what he lives. He learned it the way he lived it.”
•    “There has to be firmness and discipline. I’m responsible for running the show, and the horse is going to work for me. He’s going to go where I want him, but he’s not a slave. You make him want to do it. First thing you know, he’s your partner.”
•    Hunt compared the human-equine relationship to a dance between a man and a woman: “If I was going to dance with a lady, I wouldn’t just grab her and say ‘We’re going.’ I’d get slapped,” Hunt said. “A lot of people don’t understand that you are trying to get the horse to turn loose in the same way. There’s a place in there where he turns loose and then you give. I feel of him, I feel for him, and we both feel together.”
•    “I’m trying to get my idea to become the horse’s idea. It’s not like turning a dial that is going to work today. It’s what led up to today that you need to change. It’s the little things that make the difference.”
•    ”Keep in mind what you are working toward,” Hunt said. “You might not get him in (the starting gate) today, but when you feel he tries – which is a plus toward that – you can put him away. Quit on pluses, don’t quit on minuses. That’s negative; always quit on positives. He will never forget it. Build on positive things. When he finally wants to do things for you, that’s building confidence in him. By doing too much, you can take that confidence out. You’ve got to work from the horse’s point of view.”

– Amy

Merry Christmas & Happy New Years!

 

Berry's In The Snow - Copyright © 2008 by Jeffrey L. Ott

 

 

Dear Friends,
 
Hoping your Christmas was wonderful and that your New Year begins with good health and lots of time to ride!
 
The tack shop is having a storewide clearance sale on January 2 (Friday) and 3 (Saturday) from 10-6 each day.  40% off regular priced items and the clearance table is 50-75% off.  All the used tack is “best offer”, including saddles.  Let me know if there is anything in particular you want me to look for when I make my trek down to Denver for the big WESA mart in January….I have a list started already with special requests from many of you, thanks!  This sale weekend will be your last chance to buy Bridle Bit Bucks (good toward the tack shop, lessons and clinics for 2009) at 10% off.
 
I am working on the clinic schedule for 2009.  If any of you would like to host a clinic, please give me a call or email and we can get that scheduled also!  The Tuesday and Thursday group lessons will start back on schedule the week of January 5th. If you are interested in joining the group lessons let me know and I will get you on the “list” for updates and information on those as well.  

Thanks to all of you for your referrals for training, lessons and clinics this past year, I really, really appreciate your support and confidence.  For 2009 any referrals made by you that for lessons, clinics or training entitle you to Bridle Bit Bucks.
 
Congratulations to Marty Marten and Jody Marken on their purchase of BridleBit Brown Girl!  I really have had second thoughts on selling this mare, she is so incredibly talented and I just love her personality but I couldn’t have hand picked a better home for her and am so pleased I will continue to get to see her often….and Jody and Marty too! And congratulations to Sheri Gulley on picking out the best of the weanlings colts too….our first colt our of our Lena (Doc O’Lena and Wyoming Doc) mare and by Chappo (double bred Peppy San Badger, Doc O’Lena and Handle Bar Doc)….Sheri has a great eye for a really nice horse!  Steve was disappointed she picked him because he was his (and mine) personal favorite but we know Ace will have a great home and we can raise another one, just like him!   I still have a couple of really, really nice mares for sale, one yearling (coming 2 year old) gelding and 3 other super nice weanlings (coming yearlings).  Call or email for more details and pictures on these nice horses.
 
We am looking forward to the New Year, lots of riding with old and new friends.  Look forward to seeing you all soon!
 
Steve and Amy 

Tack Shop Hours This Holiday Season

Dear Friends,

I know it is cold when you have to bundle up the dachshund in her coat, wild rag (yes, she has her own wild rag!) and blanket and carry her to the barn to do her “business”. When the weather station quit reading the wind chill after it fell below minus 40….I just quit looking…gave me “brain freeze”….  Hope you and your four legged critters survived the first blast of “winter” weather and winter doesn’t officially start until next week!

Congratulations to this week’s winner of the $25.00 in Bridle Bit Bucks – Kristi Batka.  And good luck to Kristi and John as they look forward to their daughter’s birth in a few weeks!

The tack shop hours for this week are:

Monday, Dec 15 – 12 p.m. – 5 p.m. –
Tuesday, Dec 16 – 2 p.m. – 6 p.m. –
Wednesday, Dec 17 – 12 p.m.- 5 p.m.
Friday, Dec 19 – 12 p.m.- 5 p.m.
Saturday, Dec 20 – 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Monday, Dec 22 – 12 p.m. – 5 p.m. (Special orders must be picked up by this date)
CLOSED Dec 23 – Jan 1  Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!

We have a new shipment of Wyoming Trader Wool vests for men and women, wild rags (new smaller size for those smaller necks!) and wool caps.  We will be running sales on select products all week (jewelry, tack, gifts, Chugwater Chili, clothes, etc…), including the “pick your discount” off the tree, plus an additional 5% off whatever discount you pick off the tree.  Yes, the 50% tag is still on the tree….just waiting for you to be the lucky one to pick it! 

Thanks for your time and stay warm!

Amy and Steve

Winners and Pony Tail Tangles

Thanks to all of you that were able to make it to the Christmas Sale at the tack shop!  Congratulations to the winners of the daily drawings of $25.00 of Bridle Bit Bucks (redeemable towards the tack shop, clinics or lessons). Friday’s winner was Leanne Schaffner, Saturday’s winner was Mary Lafferty and Sunday’s winner was Marty Marten!  And congratulations to the ‘big loop prize’ of $100.00 of Bridle Bit Bucks, Jim Newcomb! 

 

We are going to extend the sale through Dec 23rd with the discount tree (the 50% tag hasn’t been picked yet!) and 3 more drawings for Bridle Bit bucks (Dec 8th, 15th and 23rd). Each week we will have “surprise” discounts on items through out the store (up to 50% off).  We don’t have “normal” store hours, since the store keeper does lessons and rides horses too, so be sure to give us a call or email and we can set up a time that works for you to stop by and take advantage of the big discounts and drawings!

 

Yesterdays horsemanship and trail clinic at Eldorado Springs was great!  Huge thanks to Heidi for hosting and riding, you made a great trail boss!  And thanks to Pam, Janie, Sue, Leanne, Sabrina and Nicholas for riding and “cowboy/girling up” in in the wonderful cleansing Boulder breezes, HA!  Still trying to untangle the knots out of my pony tail……

 

Thanks so much again and have a great week!

– Amy

Thankful for Horses

Finally Get To Ride One of My Own!!!

Dear Friends,

Can it really be November?  And can Christmas really be 5 weeks away?  It was a wonderful day to ride today….got to go out to the Pawnee with Tuesday’s group lesson and actually rode one of my own horses (see the above photo.  She is for sale!…not me, the horse)!  It just doesn’t get better than a day like today!

The Christmas Open House and Sale flier for the tack shop Is below.  Download and save!!!  November 28-30 are the dates, good food, good friends and good time to “swap lies”!  Hope to see you then!

Monday, December 1^st, I will be in Boulder doing a horsemanship/trail clinic (Eldorado Springs).  Let me know if you could join us that day from 10-3 and I will send you details.  Space is limited and the cost is $125.00 for the day.

And may you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving day next week!

cmas_flier_2008-1

November, Already?!!

Dear Friends,

Aren’t you glad you don’t live in Deadwood, SD today?  With almost 4 feet of snow, 60-70 mph winds and twenty foot drifts it made our “cleansing breezes” here yesterday seem not so bad!

Thanks to Kim Heavey for a hosting such a wonderful clinic in Elbert at her beautiful facility last Saturday!  We worked on everything from ground work to flying lead changes, whew! Sure kept my brain working!  Was a great day for Steve and I, thank you Kim and Lon!

With the days getting shorter and nights getting longer it gives us an opportunity to catch up on some reading or watching those DVD’s and videos that the great horseman/woman have put out for us.  Bridle Bit Tack shop was the fortunate recipient of a life time collection of equine books and tapes from Connie and Bob Brown which we have put into a “lending library”.  The list of books and tapes is too long to list here but if you are interested give us a call or email and we can let you know what we have.  Bob and Connie have also put on consignment their life time of tack and gear they accumulated on their ranch in Wyoming.  There are three very nice saddles, 2 from King’s Saddlery in Sheridan, along with everything else you can think of for your horse and barn.  Again, too much to list so give us an email or call!

We have openings on Saturdays for private lessons or half day clinics on the following dates;

• November 8 and 15
• December 6, 13 and 20

Give us a call or email if you would like to schedule either a lesson or a clinic.

Mark your calendar for our 13th Annual Christmas Open House on November 28 (9-5), 29th (9-5) and 30th (1-5).  There will be big discounts on selected items and back by popular demand the “pick your discount” off the tree!!  Refreshments and time to catch up on your year’s happenings is our favorite part, look forward to seeing you!  I (Steve has asked me to leave him out of this category!) am glad to be your “personal shopper” so call me for gift ideas and I can ship it to you.  We are also discounting special orders, so if we don’t have it in stock we can order it for you….just don’t wait too long, there are only 7 more weeks until Christmas!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Bridle-Bit Horsemanship Clinic in Elbert, CO

Fallen Leaves Prepare the Earth For Spring Seeds

Dear Friends,

What a great weekend to ride!  Great weather, good friends, beautiful horses and gorgeous country….doesn’t get better than that!

I will be in Elbert this Saturday giving a horsemanship clinic hosted by Kim Heavey.   Kim’s place is near Prairie Canyon Ranch on Hwy 83.  If there is anyone from this area that would like to go and “trailer pool” with me, that would be great!  There are a few spots left so call or email if you can join us this Saturday or email Kim at Kim(dot)Heavey(at)firstdata.com.

The cattle will be headed off to the sale barn soon so if you are interested in a private lesson or clinic (public or private) with cattle let me know right away.

We are trail riding with our Tuesday and Thursday group lessons this week so if you are interested in joining us for those rides this week (and maybe next week, weather permitting) give me a call for information and directions.

Have a great week!