Leslie Desmond

Does your horse feel like a Square Peg in a Round Pen? The Judd's and Leslie Desmond will help you to put a float in your rope. Internationally known horsemanship clinicians Leslie Desmond and Len Judd will be working with five horses demonstrating presentation of feel to the horse, and it’s application in riding with a feel between horse and rider. From the horse's perspective, one can see just how unnatural some of this work can be. While the natural horsemanship and horse whispering movement has opened up the world of equine edification to the masses, the practice comes with varying opinions of conjecture and definitions for gentling and learning. This prolific influx of information short-cuts the novice rider into believing the myths while unwittingly putting themselves at peril by leaving out important steps to prevent injury. Reality speaks that this information means nothing until one has an understanding of and has practiced feel, timing and balance. These three things enable one to safely integrate knowledge with their horse. Practical success is achieved by spending time with the horse - observing, carefully listening to, and reading the horse; slowing down the movements, defining and refining a feel for the horse... developing an understanding. At the end of the day, the horses we work with are the judges and show us what we have learned. If we are watching and listening, we learn communication from our equine pedagogues. The Instructors: For more than 30 years Leslie has coached children and adults in the basics of horse handling, riding and health care. Known internationally since 1996 as a coach's coach, riding instructors, professional trainers and drivers, breeders, cowboys, mounted police units, veterinarians and farriers retain her for help with their horses and their customer's stock as well. "When a horse is clearly understood and adjustments are made to accommodate both his natural instincts as well as his particular mental and physical character, he very likely to succeed in the tasks that we have assigned to him." Len has never referred to his work as natural. Len lives and breathes his art, walking the walk, as well as talking the talk...and for him, it comes naturally. If Len's knowledge about the relationship between you and your horse is to mean anything, it has to go beyond concepts and ideas and move into practice. And the only practice with horses that Len recommends is to stay in the moment and to be aware of the possibilities. Bring an open mind of what is possible. *Please note: the list of riders for this event is full at this time. Call to be placed on the waiting list.*