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News Letters
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News @ SSET
January 2004
It is a busy time of year for working with horses here in the
Southwest. Many of us are just getting over the rush of the holidays and
enjoying the warmer than normal temperatures (my sincere apologies to those
of you in the East). As we start to get ready to move into spring we should
take some time to evaluate where are horses are both mentally and
physically. I work with a lot of horses that have not been working through
that holidays-or longer-due to a lack of time or the lack of knowledge as to
what to do about a problem that you may have been having but did not know
how to correct.
Now that we are beginning to ride more we want to be sure to
warm our horses up well before we ask too much of them. Spend some time at
the walk and then go to a slow trot. By warming your horse up well he will
be more comfortable and will help him relax back into working. Since many
horses have been standing they may not have the muscle tone that they
normally would so try not to over stress and be sure to cool them out well.
If at all possible get your horse out the day after working them and warm
them up again to help them work out any soreness they may have.
Mentally our horse may still be on vacation from the
holidays. Some good ground work and some one rein stops as you climb back
into the saddle will help get their minds in order.
If you have been having some sort of difficulty with your
horse now is the time to take care of it. Attend a clinic or schedule a
private lesson to get the answers you need. If you want a super boost, our
Apprenticeship Program may be just what you have been looking for. It is a
complete ground up program for the novice or experienced horseperson.
Above all be safe and enjoy these wonderful animals.
If you have any questions for me please write and I will
answer as many as possible. There are no dumb questions and I can assure you
that if you have a question, someone else is wondering the same thing too.
Ride safe,
Steve Sikora
News @ SSET
February 2004
It is February and many of us due to
weather are not able to spend as much time with our horses as we would like.
In many parts of the country bitter cold and snow make riding impossible for
us at this time. I think an important thing to remember when we are not able
to ride our horses is that we are always training something. We make a
difference in our horses every time that we are in contact with them.
Hopefully we are making a positive
difference in our horses behavior. Each time we feed, groom, lead or just
ask our horse to move out of our way we are training something. By asking a
little better response from our horse, we can build an even better equine
partner that we had just moments ago. Through our consistency our horse will
continue to improve each and every time we interact with him. So just
because you are not riding your horse much due to weather or lameness look
to see how you can build an even better partnership with your horse.
Ride Safe!
Steve Sikora
News @ SSETMarch 2004
I hope this finds all of you well and happy with your horses.
This has been a busy month here at SSET. I've had a trip to southern Arizona,
challenging horses to work and the first session of the apprenticeship program
as well as this month's clinic in Tucson. I am also looking forward to being
in Temecula, CA for the weekend of March 20,21 for a horsemanship clinic.
I have enjoyed this month's more memorable horses. I had
a wide variety of interesting horses from a stallion who would rather buck
(who now rides nicely) to a frightened little filly that was terrified of
being clipped. These are a couple of nice horses I had the privilege to work
with and help along to a better life. I enjoy helping horses and their owners
establish a bond of trust and respect.
The biggest news at SSET this month is the establishment of
the weekend apprenticeship program. This program is designed for those that
would like to learn how to train, either for their own horses or for those
looking to train as a profession. The program will take place one weekend per
month and will have the same content as the regular apprenticeship program.
This program is perfect for those that only have a weekend (instead of 2 solid
weeks) to devote to learning the secrets to the trade. The program will take
12 months to complete as opposed to the six week course of the standard
program. You may also apply for the certification program upon completion of
the apprenticeship program. If you are interested in this program please
contact Steve at
info@ssequinetraining.com or at 602-625-1961.
There are still a few open weekends for the "Build Your Own
Responsive Horse" weekend clinics.
News @ SSET
July, 2004
Payson Horsemanship Clinic
July 24,2004 8:ooAM to 1:00PM
This clinic will be held at the Payson
Multi-event Center located just west of highway 87 (Beeline Hwy.) on the South
end of town. It is straight across from the casino. We will be working in this
beautiful facility in Cool and scenic Payson on a lot of great skills. Among
the topics being covered are: one rein stop and backup, safety stopping your
horse, moving your horse's shoulders for power steering, the "calm down cue,"
teaching the horse that walks off to stand for mounting, as well as other fun
stuff. Only ten riders will be allowed in this clinic, Get out of the heat and
into the pines, sign up now at
www.ssequinetraining.com/Schedule.htm. The cost of
this clinic is $100.00 for riders, $25.00 for auditors.
Evening @ Rice Quarter Horses
August 21, 2001 6:30PM to 10:00pm
Rice Quarter Horses is located in
Chandler, AZ. Just off the 101 fwy. Will be covering a host of topics from
getting a proper "give" from your horse to improving the stop with hind end
engagement. This is a clinic for anyone that would like their horse to be
softer easier to maneuver and more responsive. Whether you are riding a young
colt or a seasoned veteran, this clinic will help you improve your skills and
those of your horse! You may register for this clinic by calling Steve
@602-625-1961 or on the web site at
www.ssequinetraining.com/Schedule.htm
Weekend Apprentice Program
September 2004
Steve will be offering a new Session of
his Weekend Apprentice Program. This program has all of the material covered
in his regular Apprenticeship Program, only it is held on weekends over a
twelve month period so that participants can work a regular job while
attending. Some of the material covered in this program which is geared for
the person looking either to become a trainer or those who would just like a
deep understanding of their horse and how to improve it. There are only two
spots left for this program so contact Steve now to enroll at
info@ssequiinetraing.com
Watch for Steve's October Trail Clinic
Date to be announced
Steve will be joined by Matt Gable of
Moorseville, NC. for this three day event that includes work in the
arena, trail safety and preparation for both horse and rider, Maneuvering
through and over obstacles and actual time on trail. This clinic will fill up
fast so watch for more info.
Be sure to read Steve's articles each month in
AZ Horse Connection Magazine.
News At SSET
Steve Sikora Equine Training
What Has been happening:
October 2004
Over the last several months a lot of good things have been
going on. In August I spoke at the NARHA (North American Riding for the
Handicapped) Region 10 conference. If was a good time held at Turf Paradise I
was able to spend time with these very hard working dedicated people. I am
always amazed at what NARHA is able to accomplish. My thanks to them for
letting me share in the conference.
September I started the a new group in the Weekend
Apprenticeship Program. The Program consists of twelve weekends, one per month
for a year. The group that just started is a pleasure to work with and I can
see a lot of progress already. We will be meeting for our next session on
October 29,30,31 here at my place in Chandler. There is one opening that I
only will offer this month, the next time I will start the weekend program
will be next September.
Coming Events:
Payson, AZ
October 22,23,24
Trail and Obstacle Clinic
This clinic is a three day clinic that will be covering trail safety,
planning your trip, making sure that your horse is ready, maneuvering
through and over obstacles, how to open and shut gates while
mounted, working your horse over bridges, how to calm your horse on the
trail, keeping your horse's attention on the trail and off, and much more.
There are still spaces left for this clinic. Stalls are available at the
arena as well as dry camping. The clinic will be held starting at 9:00AM
Friday, Saturday and Sunday. We will be riding until about 4:00pm Friday and
Saturday and until 3:00 on Sunday. If you would like to attend, riders are
$300.00 for all three days! Payment can be Cash, check Visa or MasterCard.
You may observe for $25.00 per day. Contact Steve @602-625-1961 or at
info@ssequinetraining.com
November 1 through 12
Certification Program
This program is only open to those that have completed the Apprenticeship
Program, either the weekend or standard program. In this program you must
bring an unbroke horse that is of sufficient age to ride. During the course
you will break it to ride and take through flying lead changes. The course
is made up of three two week sessions.
January 2005
Apprenticeship Program
In January the 2005 Apprenticeship Program is starting. This
program consists of three two week sessions and cover everything from round
pen training to leading to canter departures with the proper lead. There is
a lot of problem solving covered in this course. If you have been looking
for a way to learn about training horses in depth, this is for you. The
course is fun and challenging. You may bring two horses to this program. You
must have one horse that can be ridden safely, the other horse may be at any
stage of training, under saddle or not. We will not be breaking horses in
this program, but you will learn that ground work to get them ready to
break. You may bring someone else's horse and help offset your expenses by
charging them for work done on their horse. The cost of this program is
$6000.00. There is a $1000.00 deposit due with your application. Payment
terms are available.
What else:
Articles
Please remember to check out the web site each month for new articles.
There will be at least one new article per month. Also if you have a
question for Steve or would like to see an article on a particular subject
please email Steve at
info@ssequinetraining.com
Clinics
Steve still has some openings for clinics in 2005. If you would like to
have Steve do a clinic in your area, Please write to him and it can be set
up.
Thank you
I would like to thank all of the wonderful people that I have had the
pleasure to work with this past year. It has been a great year so far and
2005 looks even better. I have been blessed to be able to do what I love for
a living. I would not be able to do it without your support and the help and
caring of my wife Julie. I know of no one that has been as blessed in life
as I have.
All my best,
Steve Sikora
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