Clinics - Incentives are offered to clinic hosts. Please contact Kris Graef (BrentGraef@yahoo.com) if you're interested in hosting a clinic.
Brent limits his horsemanship clinics to approximately 12 riders per class. It's imperative that each person in the class gets plenty of personal attention. Each class is different because it's based on the needs of the students and horses in each individual class. Regardless of which class you ride in, Brent will give you as much information as he possibly can. Bring a notebook, and an open mind, and enjoy the journey!
In an effort to more efficiently help his students and friends attain their horsemanship goals, Brent offers several different types of classes:
- Foundation Class
- Advancing Class
- Horsemanship with Cows
- Young Horse Handling Class
- Canyon Class - Horsemanship on the Trails
Foundation Class -- 9:00 AM to noon each day for 3 days
This class is a great confidence booster for you and your horse. It's perfect for young horses, greener riders, or serious students of horsemanship who understand the value of getting the foundation more solid and want to refine their groundwork!
"I believe this has been the most significant, thought provoking,
thought CHANGING, clinic or instruction I've ever been involved in
during my entire horsemanship journey beginning in the mid- to
late-90's. To give a short rational one word answer, the clinic was
phenomenal."
~ Tami
~ Tami
Learn the basics of understanding your horse... how to earn his trust and respect, and how to offer softness, fairness, and clarity to your horse.
We are working to develop a good foundation of understanding for the horses and students.
This class is about half groundwork and half riding. Working from the ground is a great opportunity to learn to recognize your horse's expressions, see brace, and see correctness in his movements without the interference of a rider. Riding will be done at the walk and trot. We'll be working on softness and accuracy, smooth transitions, and recognizing and fixing up brace.
Colts are welcome to be in the groundwork portion of the class, but the horses who participate in the riding portion need to already be going under saddle.
Advancing Class -- 1:30 PM to 4:30 PM each day for 3 days
Although there will be some groundwork, this class is mostly riding (walk, trot, canter). We'll explore soft feel, softness through transitions, cadence (how to get in time with the feet), control of the horse's hindquarters and frontquarters. We'll work to recognizing and fixing up brace from the saddle. You'll learn to direct your horse's mind and take the concept of "feel" to a deeper level.
"I can't tell you in words what the Brent Graef clinic did for me as a
person and as a horseperson. In Brent and his training methods, I saw
"lightness" that I've never seen before. His method of teaching the
horses the basic communication movements was phenomenal, and I might
add, EASY and GRACEFUL for the horse" ~ Betty
Horsemanship with Cows -- 1:30 to 4:30 each day for 3 days
To participate in this class you must be comfortable at the walk, trot, and canter.
The purpose of this class is to use cows as a tool to improve our horsemanship. First, we'll spend time visiting some of the basics of good horsemanship. We'll work to get better stops and crisper turns and then....... BRING ON THE COWS!
Giving yourself and your horse a common focus allows the two of you a
great opportunity to blend together and work as a team. The emphasis in
this class will be on good horsemanship, and low stress cow handling.In this class, we'll learn the basic moves a horse needs to effectively work a cow. You'll develop an understanding of some of the key elements used and the positioning required to work cattle.
Anyone is welcome to participate, whether you ride English or western. You and your horse do not need any previous cow working experience. (We will not be roping in this class.)
Young Horse Handling
This "specialty course" is offered near Brent's home in Canyon, TX. You will not be bringing your own horse to this course.
Many people never have the chance to learn how to handle young horses. In this course, you'll have expert guidance and coaching every step of the way. We'll be working with yearlings that were born and raised in the pasture and have had very little (if any) handling by their owner. These colts are about as pure as it gets!
This course is made available to those who are confident around horses and VERY SERIOUS about their horsemanship. This class is not for the faint of heart. These young horses are, for all intents and purposes, wild animals.
We'll be working with these young horses together and teach them to:
"it's SO difficult to put into words what happens at the Young Horse
Handling clinic. The stuff that you see--the stuff that happens on the
outside, is the easy part. But what changes on the inside of both
horse & human is so special & intimate that it feels almost
sacred." ~ Kathy
- catch
- halter
- lead in the proper position
- follow the feel of the lead rope
- pick up and hold their feet
- tie
- trailer load
- accept wormer
- prepare them to accept a needle for their shots
- accept the saddle blanket and the cinch
- ENJOY having humans in their life!!!
Sorry, spectators are not allowed at this class.
Canyon Class - Horsemanship on the Trails
Treat yourself to a vacation with your horse....and Brent Graef!!! This class is an amazing way to refresh your spirit, re-connect with nature, and improve your horsemanship!
Join us for the special 6-day Horsemanship class based out of Canyon, TX. You can spend 6 VERY FULL days riding with Brent in some of the most beautiful country Texas has to offer, including Palo Duro Canyon, Caprock Canyon, and other places!. Although some time will be spend in the arena, the majority of this class will be spent out on the trails. Learn to use the obstacles nature gave us to improve your horsemanship!
You'll also experience real-life cow working situations. This will be slow, ranch style, low stress cow working. We will NOT be roping any cows during this class.
To participate in this class you must be confident at the walk, trot, canter OUTSIDE THE ARENA and must be at least 18 years of age. This class is 100% OUTDOORS. As is customary, no Stallions please.
(Sorry, we do not have horses for lease.)
