Our Approach
We take our name horsemen very seriously around here, without the horses we are nothing, ours is a working bond that runs deep and defines our company, without it we couldn't do what we do.
"First you go with the horse, then the horse goes with you, and then you go together." _ Tom Dorrance
Our favorite students are the one who are addicted to a better way, a better path for both themselves and their horses.
Horses and people of all levels and disciplines are welcome.
It doesn’t matter which horse you have, which breed he is, what sort of saddle you ride, or who made it. You can wear a hard hat, a flat hat, or a ball cap. All that really matters is your desire to learn to be a true partner with your horse.
Although we offer several different types of programs, horsemanship is always the foundation for all of our programs. The fundamentals of horsemanship apply across ages, disciplines, skill levels and goals.
Through horsemanship we can help any horse and rider whether their goal is showing, develop the physical athleticism, finding a job to do or improve the one you do, and having fun doing it.
Where our horsemanship comes from: the vaquero
As horses were brought back to the Americas by Columbus a new chapter in the history of man and horse was begun. America could be a tough and merciless landscape for man and beast
alike. Many Irish and European immigrants ended up finding their living here with the Spanish speaking settlers of the areas and the populations mixed, learning from each other, taking the
Spanish name vaquero, meaning cowboy.
These vaquero raised and herded millions of cattle over the American west and became famous for their horse skills. Men capable of training the more difficult horses and riding them with the
lightest touch.
A Legacy of Legends
In the early 20th century it became clear that the ways of the old American West were fading and with them much of it's knowledge and traditions. A few men decided to take it upon themselves to share the vaquero horsemanship tradition with the world before it faded into a distant memory. They saw a need for the knowledge that the old cowboys had passed down.
Men like Bill and Tom Dorrance and Ray Hunt began travelling the US giving clinics helping people start their colts and helping them with problem horses, or as they more correctly referred to them "horses with problem people". Each clinic paying just enough for the gas money to the next town. Their work paid off and they built a following. Soon more commercially minded people began to learn how to package and sell their teaching as natural horsemanship and Tom, Bill, Ray and the others kept working and teaching the traditional forms of vaquero horsemanship putting the horse first. In recent years the tradition has gained more attention again from Ray and Bill's student Buck Brannaman and the Legacy of Legends program set up after the death of Bill, Thom and Ray.
Horsemanship Lessons and Coaching
Whether you want to compete, have a new challenge, get a specific “issue” sorted, or just improve your horsemanship, this program gives an individual attention to horse and rider, alway geared toward improving the relationship between them.
The emphasis is on horse and rider teamwork in all its different forms.
For some their goal is safety and confidence with their horse. Many students come looking to learn a job with their horse that they can have fun doing whether jumping, polo, cow working, roping, mounted archery or sword fighting on horseback.
Some people come for private lessons with the goal of improving their horse’s athleticism and working on maneuvers. Whatever your goal is, it’s about you and the horse together and that’s what we love.
We work on exposing our students to different situations so they will develop their feel in order to understand the deeper mechanics, in a way that allows them to present their ideas to the horse in a consistent and reliable manner so that both horse and rider feel confident and successful.
Colt starting and Problem solving
A program for horses that haven’t been started or may have been started with an approach that might be giving problems now down the road.
Starting is very important: the first impressions last a lifetime and how a colt is started defines him for the rest of his life. That’s why a strong foundation is highly important during this program; when young horses are trained in a fair, consistent way they maintain their soundness and confident outlook.
Alessia’s philosophy in colt starting (and problem solving) is to treat that horse like he’s going to go to the top of his field, whether Grand Prix dressage, vaquero Bridle Horse or Olympic jumper, whatever the horse’s future Alessia’s metichilous approach gives the horse the foundations that he can go there.
“Treat your horse like a genius and he’ll believe it” Buck Brannaman
The ultimate goal is for each horse to be moving freely with a rider so that they leave with a solid foundation on which to continue further improving.
Colt Starting 1 month
1 Month daily training with the horse including stabling and feeding, working on problem solving and refinement moving at the horse's pace, starting the basis for groundwork, riding and behaviour.
€600.00
Final price
Colt Starting 3 Months
We find lasting results take time so we prefer to take colts in for longer periods to lay good foundations that last a lifetime and speed up the process of getting an athletic and sound minded companion.
€1,500.00
Final price, free shipping to selected countries
Free shipping to the following countries: Ireland
- Available
- Please Email us to confirm lesson times