Heart of the Horse Expo & Trainers Challenge: Empowering Communities

It is with great excitement that we introduce to you Tricia Miller. She has a passion for horsemanship and unwavering faith. Tricia is best described as a self-taught horse trainer who has honed her skills through dedication, perseverance, and a genuine love for horses. While following the principles of the Downunder Horsemanship method, Tricia has developed a unique approach that combines her training techniques with a strong foundation in faith. This powerful combination allows her to connect with horses and humans on a profound level. Tricia’s goal is to foster trust and respect in every interaction. Tricia’s journey is a testament to the belief that with faith, determination, and the right methods, anything is possible. Tricia is a true inspiration to all who seek to build a foundation of trust and confidence with their equine partners.

Preparation:   

One day is simply not enough time to cover all we hope to so attendees are asked to commit to learning and practicing the DUH Philosophy and Fundamentals exercises before the clinic (some links are below).  Attendees will also receive a copy of “Faith in Training” devotional which relates our training journey with our Christian one.  Registered attendees will be invited to join our Facebook group where we can meet, encourage, and share our pre and post-clinic experiences.  Preparation will allow us all to progress further before and after, and together.  

Oct 12th Clinic Day:  

We want everyone to achieve and learn as much as possible, so plan on a long but fruitful day.  

· Arrive and prep your horse (without saddle) no later than 8:00

• Start at 8:30 with introductions and fellowship (while horses wait at your trailers).  
• Horse trainer and Pastor Chad Roberson will lead us with a devotion to prepare our hearts and minds.       
• Round Pen - we will demonstrate  and discuss round penning with hot (reactive) and cold (lazy) horses, creating draw, respect, etc.  We will also discuss how this process reflects our Christian Walk…. We encourage everyone to participate and share. 

· Groundwork:  Most of the day will include practicing desensitizing, yielding HQ/FQ, backing, lunging, lateral flexion and more ground exercises that help gain respect and trust, timing and feel.  

· Riding:  Later in the afternoon, we will move on to riding exercises that the rider to create an emergency stop, a good brake, and willing gas pedal on your horse.

· Time and interest permitting, we can demonstrate more advanced skills to motivate others to strive ahead after the clinic to continue to achieve more advanced goals.  

Resources:

· Premium No Worries Club Membership – Downunder Horsemanship

· Or search YouTube for Downunder Horsemanship / Clinton Anderson videos which summarize his method.  It doesn’t have as much detail as the DUH training videos available through the membership but is still helpful.  Example is “Clinton Anderson Train a Rescue” (a series of 13 videos)   https://youtu.be/B4o_eXHsUbc 

A few important things to bring:

· Proof of Current, Negative Coggins is required for all horses/ponies

· Proper Equipment:  

 - 4 knot rope training halter, 14 foot lead line (yacht rope preferred), Stick & string (stiff for proper timing and feel).  

 - These are available thru DUH or Amazon, etc. Example links,

- https://shop.downunderhorsemanship.com/product/adult-training-essentials-bundle/  (members get a discount)

 - or on examples on Amazon… search… - 

 - Knotty Girlz Horse Rope Training Halter – 4 knot 

 - Knotty Girlz Yacht Horse Lead Rope with snap 14 ft

 - Tough 1 Training Wipe with popper

 - Snaffle bit or hackamore for riding horses.  

· Drinks, water, snacks, and lunch (no restaurants are nearby).  

· Lawn chair

· Hay, water bucket, manure fork to clean around your trailer