Programs | GVDS

GVDS Programs

Not all our events require being mounted - or even having a horse! Our educational programs take a holistic approach to our journey in this sport and recognize our members benefit from a wide range of learning opportunities, mental and physical, for ourselves and our horses. Through Zoom, we have been able to keep the schedule full for you!

Keep watching this space - more programs will be coming throughout the year. Post-event, we'll post related materials and videos in the members-only area of the site.

GVDS Programs

CAMP ISN’T JUST FOR KIDS

This year’s GVDS pony camp was approached with all the enthusiasm of a Kentucky Derby and then started with all the confidence of a demolition derby. There were so many uncertainties and challenges. Coming off a 3 day recognized show brought us only 2 weeks in which to make the final plans for camp. But if this club is anything it IS resilient. Members, mothers and trainers all stepped up to ensure that Grand Valley Dressage Society had one more fantastic camp. The hard-working and over-committed Fairgrounds crew made sure that the facilities were ready for us at the last minute The Fruita Copy shop fixed an issue and then some of the campers helped create the binders the night before camp started. These binders have a record and pictures of all the lecture portion of camp. They will come in handy as reference material when they go home.

Welocome

As organizer I am SO PROUD of these kids. They stayed focused, they stayed brave in the mounted games and they stayed respectful and hard working.

Rest interval with essential parental help.

Bill Hefflin

On Monday June 17th the sun rose to a flurry of excited activity with children and horses getting settled into their stalls. There is such a thrill of anticipation in the first hours of camp that mitigates any doubt of success. This was the second camp for most of the kids and they learned resourcefulness from the last one. Stalls were bedded and saddle racks were in place along with brush boxes and hay bags within minutes of arrival.

Due to the extreme heat we decided to move the riding portion of each day to the mornings and have the horse-management portion in the afternoon under the misters in the stabling area. The first morning started with the kids tacking up and getting safety inspections (something that is required before every ride). The kids then participated in games and obstacles to asses their abilities. After a Subway lunch then Kim Bair, a B-Pony Club graduate, directed the bandaging portion of camp. The kids learned how to properly apply a standing wrap as well as an exercise bandage. Both are necessary for wound care and riding. This year we have an excellent Certified Journeyman farrier on hand, Bill Hefflin, to give the kids a crash course on what to Look for in a good shoeing job and what to teach your horse to make a farrier’s job easier. Toward the end of the day .Krista Nobilo (Equine Performance Massage) introduced some general massage techniques that all the kids will be able to practice in order to keep their partners happy and fit.

Bandaging practice.

Braiding with Jemma.

One of the much anticipated sessions of each of our camps is the brilliance that Donna DuBois brings with her knowledge of taking vital signs so the kids can be prepared for a vet visit. She also covers parts of the horse, colors and general care and she does it with games. The kids always ask when is “Donna Day” . Assisting Donna was our own 14 year old member, Jemma Bair, in teaching braiding techniques.

Our last day is always reserved for learning about the show riding attire rules. Karen Harkin always manages to round up a beautiful model. In this case it was Carrie Washburn a Western World competitor who demonstrated AQHA rules for western dressage riders. Karen supplied her ideas for English riders with 4 complete outfits showing various color combinations. But no camp is complete without a tack cleaning session. The kids are given lots of tools to take home and Karen donated a bag of complete saddle care items for each child to take home. They also received a complete braiding kit ,as well as gifts from the final Quiz on Thursday.

GVDS has a wealth of talent who are willing to donate their time and experience to educate newbies and guide them along their horse journey. Some of these volunteers travel hours to be a part of this camp. These summer camps are dedicated to teaching horse management skills but also includes basic riding techniques. This year we had 2 very talented and successful trainers donate a morning towards instruction in basic knowledge of riding that is needed in all disciplines – western or English. Julie Burt and Tammy Fagan led group lessons through riding a dressage pattern. This is no small feat since riders vary in ages from 9-14 and abilities from very beginner to intermediate. Yet they were able to not only teach riding techniques but also coping techniques when things go wrong. All the kids left with more confidence than when they started.

Cleaning Tack

The organizer, Barbara Progess, uses mounted games to asses abilities and also to teach basic control. She feels that having fun while learning takes the anxiety away from “doing it right”. When a child is playing their bodies just respond naturally to what the horse is doing. With this in mind Inka Spatafora developed a directional course for her groundwork then asked the kids to lead their ponies through it. They learned how to direct a horse’s hind quarters, shoulders and bending in order to get through the course. All the while they also had to maintain the horse’s focus, the handler’s bubble and develop “peaceful persistence”. Barbara’s goal with these games and activities is to familiarize the horses and kids to working in close quarters and as a team. The horses need to be comfortable with environments that they will encounter in warm-up arenas and the kids need to learn how to communicate and stay calm for their horses.

All of the mounted work came to fruition in their graduation ceremony of a quadrille of 6 horses and riders on Thursday. All the members were able to work as a Team and build a drill-team performance that culminated in a row of smiling kids executing a perfect line of trotting horses working side-by-side down the arena to C!