A trail ride on a beautiful day in January to close the week-long PSU/NLH externship.

Hi Everybody,

Well already this year is getting off to a running start and we are so excited about our 2012 schedule!  We hope that all of you will join us at some point through clinics, demonstrations, and/or workshops that will be hosted at NLH^TM throughout the year.  Our schedule commenced this year the week of January 2nd when we hosted two Penn State University students for a week-long training externship.  We have been participating with Penn State to host externship students for three years now.  We typically accept 2 students both on winter break and spring break weeks.  We look forward to working with the students because it is a great way to introduce people to horsemanship like they’ve never known it before!

The NLH^TM Program is very broad based and comprehensive, both for the horses and for handlers.  I know this because I developed the Program through nearly 27 years of working with horses of all breeds and most disciplines.  I’m finding out more and more through talking with people that I’ve trained horses for and those that have participated in our clinics, that most had no idea what was possible with their horses until after they’ve gone through our Program.   I sometimes assume that everybody should be aware of how well trained their horses can be but the reality of it is that many horses are not being ridden at nearly what they are capable of being because they are missing specific elements of training.  And, they stay that way until something prompts their owners to want more from them.

Working with the extern students is a fantastic way to introduce them to what is possible in the training of the horse.  Many of the students have never seen horses do what we teach our horses to do, or they have never witnessed or fully understood what it takes to get horses to a particular level of training.  It truly gives me great pleasure to give them a glimpse of how to develop the Partnership with a horse and pave the way for Performance and Possibilities  on many fronts.

Similarly, we teach many what is possible with their horses when we take our Program on the road.  The weekend of the 19th of January we participated as clinicians at the Maryland Horse World Expo in Timonium, MD where we talked to many about how to build confidence as a rider,how to coach your horse to the Next Level of Performance, and how to stay fit while having fun with your horse.  People had a chance to see what some of our horses are doing and I hope that it motivated them to realize what is Possible for them and their horse as well.

It is always great to get out and about and mingle with people at the expos.  I love talking with passers by at our booth and hearing the stories of their horses and experiences in horsemanship.  This time of year is a perfect time to get people motivated to make a plan for their horse and for themselves for the coming year.  If the department stores are hanging the new line of bikinis for 2012 on the racks already, shouldn’t we be making an action plan for our horses and horsemanship goals for this year now?!

It does pay to plan ahead and this time of year we’re doing just that!  We don’t want to miss out on anything including the chance to work with you all!  We have a lot in store for 2012 and we’re hoping you will join us for fun and an exciting exploration of what is Possible for you and your horse.

Well, it’s been awhile since I’ve chatted with everyone after the Supreme Extreme Mustang Makeover (SEMM) in Fort Worth.  What a rush!  After returning from that event we had a lot of things to do to play “catch-up” back home as you might imagine after having been gone for nearly 10 days. 

The event was fantastic and we had so much fun participating in it.  Both Viggo and Sparrow performed extremely well and Lauren and I were both very proud of them throughout the weekend.  A little too much “cow-work” in this competition kept us out of the finals but we are extremely satisfied knowing how well trained these horses are after only 5 months in training and how thrilled their owners are with their progress.

Sparrow is now in Pittsburgh with her owners helping out in their lesson program and Viggo is back at NLH getting some well deserved R&R intermixed with some trail riding.  He will be continuing his training here for awhile. What a ride it’s been and in the end, two families are fulfilling dreams because of two very special mustangs that have entered their lives.

Viggo continues to be a blessing in my life too as I am continuing to train him for Leslie.  The other day my daughter and I went on a trial ride together and I took Viggo.  On the ride, it occurred to me how important horses are in my life-and in Brooke’s life as well.  We share a very special mother-daughter bond, not unlike other horse enthusiasts may have, but one that continues to grow as she gets older.

Now in middle school, so many things are entering her life and we are starting down a new road where time becomes a commodity not only for me, but now for her as well.  More and more she is being pulled in different directions with the many school related activities that are being added to her schedule in addition to her already busy horse activities.  Riding together for us is a chance to reconnect and get away from everything else that impacts our routine.

Alone on the trail we have great conversations, and quiet time too.  It is a time to appreciate all of the God-given beauty around us and to come back to a “place” where each of us can just relax in the moment.  And, for me, I appreciate her growth as an excellent “hand” in horsemanship.  When I see her galloping off full blast in a wide open field and then touch upon the reins to communicate an excellent comeback transition, I realize that she is truly a natural talent.  That makes me proud for sure, but it also makes me realize that she is capable:  capable of handling horses and so much more that she will encounter in the days, weeks, and years to come.

Having gone through life as she is going through it now, I know she will have struggles, she will have conflicts (and some will be with me).  But she will always have her horse too and that is a relief to know.  For there she will find solace; she will find relief from stress and discover ways to come through the challenges she will face.  On the back of a horse, she will always rediscover herself time and time again.  And, for that…I am grateful to the horse.

And, I love the feeling I get when people come to visit their horses after being in training with us a short while.  It is SO utterly rewarding to me to see the smiles on their faces and get their feedback, comments of pleasant surprise at the progress they see in their horses.  Again, I’m blessed –  to be in a position to help people.  By improving their horse, we can improve people’s lives!

Today  we had many people stopping by the facility to visit with their horses.  We had a chance to demonstrate the progress of several horses in training and chat with their owners.  But this week is going to be full of busy days as we prepare to leave for the Supreme Extreme Mustang Makeover in Fort Worth, TX on Thursday.  We’re leaving early for the event to give the horses we’ve been training, Viggo and Sparrow, time to adjust to the travel and new environment before our upcoming competition.  The trip will be somewhat of a vacation for us, a getaway from everyday activities at NLH^TM and a time to reunite with friends and colleagues in the industry,  but not without its intensity as the countdown draws to a close on a very rigorous and challenging competition.

We’re ready though.  Our mustangs have excellent training and we’ve prepared them for this event day in, and day out by giving them the consistency in their training program, exposure to as many different places and events as we could get them to during the time of their training, and giving them days off and frolic time when we knew they needed it most.  We are ready and we are very excited to see these horses exemplify the versatility and trainability of all mustangs in this unique venue.

It’s amazing to look back now at how these horses started out.  I remember the demonstration we held at NLH^TM showcasing the gentling process, and I just watched a video of Viggo during his first rides under saddle.  Amazing the transformation of this horse who several times, after charging me initially, tried to buck me off but, who now willingly guides effortlessly off the neck rein,  performs spins and sliding stops, half passes and flying lead changes on command.  In just under 4 months he has truly gone from Wild-to-Wow!

But, they are still mustangs, not far from the wild in the whole scheme of things, and they still have instincts that could take hold at the event and prevent them from performing to the best of their abilities.  We’ll take measures to prevent this  – our preparation continues right up to the starting gate…but when push comes to shove ultimately it will be they who will decide how they will proceed.  Will they be guarded and unsure, cautious in every step…or, will they proceed throughout the event  trusting and confident despite their natural instincts?  Time will tell.

It truly is a great day when I spend time working with horses.  And the last several months, though intensely busy, have been a whirlwind of planning and  intense training, not just on the mustangs, but other wonderful breeds we’ve been blessed to work with.  In a few short days, on September 15-17th, five judges will decide who wins the Supreme Extreme Mustang Makeover in Fort Worth.  And, like any other competition, the winner will be decided by a few select criteria, but mostly by their professional  and highly respected…opinions.

Regardless of who wins this challenge, we will have a wonderful time and relish in the notion that we have done the best by our mustangs to ensure they are prepared for what we’ve asked them to do and that they have a wonderful future with their new families.  My hope is that Viggo and Sparrow exemplify their breed to the fullest.  They are both so talented and such wonderful horses and I’m confident that all who are watching will know that without a doubt.

Photo: Sharon Gladski

May 16th to July 26th…a lot has happened with Viggo in his gentling and training in the two and half months since he arrived at NLH^TM!  With less than 7 weeks remaining until the competition in September we are moving into the final phases of our training – at least for the short term. Viggo will continue his training at NLH^TM beyond the competition for sure, but because he’s had such a solid Foundation from our training Program, he has advanced SO far already.  I was riding him on the trail the other day, listening to music on my I-phone and trying to get a feel for what songs will suit his tempo and way of going to use for our freestyle performance in the finals at the Supreme Extreme Mustang Makeover in TX.  As we trotted and galloped seamlessly in the wide open fields, it occurred to me how nice this horse really is.  I LOVE his strides and the constant reminder with every footfall of how proud he is of his own accomplishments.  Every day he has more and more confidence in his newfound relationship with me and with his owner -  who more and more everyday steps deeper into his life as well.  I was compelled to stop the music and call Leslie to share my feelings.  I simply said “I Love Your Horse!”

It’s amazing how horses can make you feel SO good.  They are truly therapeutic in many ways and on this day as I rode on the mountain with Viggo and gazed out over all the beauty of nature in the valleys around me, I was blessed by the breathtaking views and the feeling of freedom and bliss that riding adds to enjoying what nature has to offer.  I enjoy so many horses in this way.  But there is something special about the mustangs.  They are somehow different and likely that is associated in some way with the bond that is established with us during the gentling process, but also with the closeness they share with nature as well.  Somehow they realize it belongs to them and they relish in its’ beauty, I believe, as much as we do. And you can sense that unequivocally when you ride them.

Much like I would love to have about 12 or 15 different vehicles in my garage…to pull out and drive when the mood struck just for fun, it’s great having a variety of horses to work.  Each one has so much to offer and each is completely unique in their own style and way of going.  But, when I ride the mustangs, it’s like pulling out that haughty sports car…the one that gives you a sense of freedom on the road in a package combined with power, thrilling sensations, and just enough attitude to make you smile.
This horse, Viggo, who once felt compelled to charge me in fear 2 months ago when first being gentled, is now a trusting Partner full of life and zest in his new-found relationship with humans and he’s ready to Perform in ways that are suited to helping humans improve their lives. I look forward to the days when Leslie begins to ride him and to helping her enjoy the feelings that Viggo gives me when I ride him everyday!

“My Bad”!  I have missed posting on the blog for two weeks now!  We’ve been SO busy that I’ve barley had time to breath!  With a full house of horses in for training, including our two new mustangs, Viggo and Sparrow;  and, being on the road for clinics and demonstrations, it has been hard to find time in the evenings to write.  But, I’ve been busting at the seams to tell you all about the progress with our new mustangs!

These horses, you might recall, have been adopted already by two Pennsylvania families, one in State College, and the other in Pittsburgh, but Lauren and I are training them and will be competing with them in the upcoming Supreme Extreme Mustang Makeover in Fort Worth Texas this September.   They arrived at NLH^TM on May 17th and yesterday I just took Viggo for his first trail ride!  Lauren is also riding Sparrow and soon we will be trail riding these guys together over hill and dale.  A lot has happened between the time they arrived and now of course – in just a few short weeks these horses have progressed from ‘Wild to Wow’!

When I started the gentling process with Viggo, I knew immediately that he was going to be a challenge.  Unlike any of the other mustangs I’ve gentled, Viggo was not reactive or flighty at all.  By contrast, he was quiet, almost stalker like, and very ‘sticky’ footed.  He is the only mustang that I’ve gentled so far that charged me – 5 times!  Viggo didn’t like to be ‘pushed’ or asked to do anything and his normal reaction was not to flee from perceived danger but rather to turn and face it and make it go away.  He is five and was just gelded this January.  For sure he was reacting as a stud would by challenging his predator.  I had a real job initially with Viggo to simultaneously establish my place in the pecking order and yet develop a real and lasting relationship based on mutual trust and understanding.

Time alone won’t train a horse but rushed training can wreck a horse.  At NLH^TM we know that consistency and repetition in training over time works miracles.  And, as time passed in Viggo’s early training, he began to understand that I was not a threat and instead started looking to me for direction.  We progressed in the initial round pen training and longe line work and he became more consistent and free in moving forward in his gait.  He began to excel in our Foundations series ground work for body control and navigation and was a champ at desensitizing to objects and his surroundings.  Before long we were going over jumps and through other obstacles on the ground and had progressed to hobbling and laying down in preparation for our first ride.  Though Viggo was comfortable with me on him, just like his sticky footedness on the ground, he was reluctant to move forward under saddle.  He was initially resentful  of my asking him for forward motion and bucked out extensively but within the first several rides began to see the bigger picture.  By the third ride we came out of the round pen and into a bigger space in the arena and right out onto the trail!

At this point in his training, Viggo has turned a corner.  His attitude is different now, much more light and refreshing, eager and positive to see what lies ahead for him.  He is starting to see the benefits of his new-found relationship with people and is enjoying his interactions with people much more.  He LOVES the trail and so we will now begin his training there to learn many things under saddle in the environment he knows so well.    We have a lot of work ahead now to teach him as much as we can under saddle to prepare and be competitive for the upcoming competition in Fort Worth.  But, with the Foundation  Viggo now has, his training under saddle is about to skyrocket!

Many people that have been visiting the farm or otherwise following the horses’ progress are amazed at how fast the once wild horses have transformed into willing partners and begun learning the NLH^TM Training Program.  When asked I find it very easy to explain.  It’s the Program at work.  We don’t just wing it and hope for the best.  We have a very systematic approach based on the NLH^TM Program that is applied to the horses’ training.  We don’t skip steps, take short cuts, or rush to the finish line.  Rather, we push forward stepwise in the Program ensuring that the horse has time to learn each step along the way.  It’s been 27 days since the arrival of the mustangs at NLH^TM and the start of their gentling and training.  Though we are just riding them now, the time spent laying their Foundation has secured their future as sound and willing partners and will pay off huge dividends in their training yet to come.

And, Viggo is fast converting to the ‘lover boy’ I knew had always been hidden deep within his facade. Stay tuned for more updates on Viggo’s progress!

~Suzanne

Almost immediately after returning from Ohio we were switching gears in preparation for the pending mustang adoption held live on RFD-TV with Superior Livestock Auction Company.  In our last newsletter we announced that we will be competing in this year’s Supreme Extreme Mustang Makeover in Fort Worth Texas with mustangs adopted by two of our clients, the Lloyds and the Sorgels.  The auction was held on the 16th of April and as luck would have it both families were successful at bidding on the horses they had been eyeing up on the online video previews beforehand.  Brooke and I and another friend met with Leslie Lloyd at her house and we had a wonderful pre-adoption party with all the trimmings.  During the sale we were reviewing our picks and the anticipation mounted up to the time our favorite pick was auctioned.  I did the bidding for Leslie as she was a bit nervous, and rightly so – this was all new to her!  And as luck would have it – we won the bidding on number ’97′.  He was Leslie’s first ‘pick’ and she was absolutely thrilled to have won the bid!  Now the excitement is mounting as we await the arrival-May 15th.  And, the name search begins….he just can’t be ’97′ forever.

Please follow our progress online as we begin the journey of gentling these new mustangs and preparing them for their upcoming competition.  But most importantly, we hope that everyone watching will appreciate how wondrous and amazing the newfound relationship between these new teams will become.

Well, time keeps ticking and spring is nearly here.  This time of year is exciting as it brings a rush of new events and happenings all around the country and locally.  The show season is about to open for many associations, the equine expos are in full swing across the country, and NLH^TM is packed with horses in for training in preparation for spring and summer riding.

In February, we took a small break from training to meet up with some cross-country friends and enjoy an extended weekend vacation at an event that I find extremely fun and fascinating, the Road to the Horse (RTTH) in Murfreesboro, TN.  This event is a colt starting challenge in which the clinicians have just three hours among two days to start ranch bred and virtually untouched colts before competing in an obstacle course on the last day of the competition.  The event is produced by a really cool lady, and star in her own right, Tootie Bland.  Tootie does an excellent job with this event by including multiple clinics by the clinicians, entertaining acts by other equestrians, shopping with multiple vendors and thrilling video, music, and commentary throughout the venue. This year, she had invited Chris Cox, Clinton Anderson and Pat Parelli to compete, an awesome line-up without a doubt!

It was a great getaway for the NLH^TM team because we enjoy training so much and love to shop too!  As professional trainers, for us it was like members of one NFL team, on their off week, going to watch another pro team play!  It seems we can never get enough of horse training – we’re either doing it or watching it!  I like this event too because it is similar to the Mustang Challenges we have entered in terms of the challenge of starting green horses.  Knowing how difficult and challenging some horses can be made this event very thrilling to watch.

The high stakes for the reputations of each high profile clinician made the event all the more exciting.  Chris, Clinton, and Pat put on a good show but you could definitely sense the competitive spirit among them which for me at least, made things very interesting.  Having been around Clinton a time or two, I could almost read his mind sometimes throughout the competition!  I saw him at one point when I was leaving the VIP room after lunch and had wished him good luck.  In true Clinton style he responded, “Thanks, Mate” !

In one of Chris’s clinics he talked about the importance of horses in the lives of children, doing a demonstration with his daughter and her pony.  That certainly rang true to me as I am a big believer in how horses give children a great sense of accomplishment, camaraderie,  confidence, and responsibility.  Brooke is a great example of how easy it is for children to be successful with horses when given the opportunity to develop their skills.  Chris had interviewed me once when he was emceeing the Mustang Magic competition in which I competed  in Fort Worth in 2009.  It was nice to see him again and have a chance to chat about this important topic.

Chris did win the competition but to the credit of each clinician they all did an excellent job with starting the colts and in my opinion, as is often the case for many competitions, it came down to the luck of the draw.

Though we viewed this event as a weekend getaway it was also very important for us because we had a chance to network and meet up with other friends and professionals in the industry.  Patty Colbert and Kali Sublet were there from the Mustang Heritage Foundation and we had a chance to have dinner with them at our hotel to reminisce of Mustang Challenges of the past.  And, as it turned out there were over 30 past Mustang Challenge competitors there, too, so we all met and had our picture taken together as part of a promotion for the Mustang Heritage Foundation.  This May we will be gentling Mustangs and competing in another Mustang Challenge, but this time it will be for some of our clients who are adopting the horses!  We’re looking forward to that upcoming event in September at Fort Worth, TX, and at Road to the Horse, we met others that will competing there as well.

The weekend was great from many respects.  But as always, we were glad to return home to Pennsylvania to do what we do best – training horses!

On that very wintry day, the NLH^TM was met by over 400 WONDERFUL spectators who braved the snow and ice just to get a glimpse of this magnificent breed! Wow – we were SO happy to be there for them to give so many people the opportunity see our guys perform and to touch and interact with them at the ‘meet and treat’! It was great to see so many people in support of this event and I would like to personally thank all who attended. It was especially nice for me to see all the children in attendance – I loved seeing the look in their eyes when they got a chance to feed the mustangs treats and see their storybook fantasies of wild horses come to life!

One of the best things we do at Next Level Horsemanship ^TM is teach – we teach/train horses in our NLH^TM Training Program and we teach people too, through our NLH^TM Clinic and Expo series, and the Leasing program. Now, we were given the opportunity to teach our local community about the mustangs and their heritage, versatility and train-ability through this demonstration.

So many people were interested and surprised to find out how many mustangs there are in the wild and that so many are awaiting adoption because of the need to control their population. At NLH^TM we have 6 mustangs that we gentled and trained to be loving partners.

They are ALL spoiled rotten, but well behaved, and enjoy their new life with the rest of our domestic horses. Some of them are available for you to learn from and enjoy through the NLH^TM Leasing program. This program allows you to ‘Ride it Like You Own It’ -a chance to learn and experience horsemanship without all of the financial commitment (see our link under the Horses tab for details).

Next Level Horsemanship^TM continues to remain involved in promoting the mustangs through interactions with the Mustang Heritage Foundation, where we gentle mustangs for people interested in adopting them, and with the Bureau of Land Management. For more information on our mustangs specifically, visit the ‘For the Love of Jazz, Durango, and Jacuzzi” links on the home page. For information on how you can adopt a mustang, contact us or visit the BLM’s website at www.blm.gov.

We’re looking forward to our next event – which happens to be really soon. Our first NLH^TM Clinic is this month, February 19-20. If you missed our demonstrations at the Ag Arena and would like to see the mustangs – come audit this clinic and you can visit them then. If you’d like to register for the clinic as a participant, contact us soon!! See you next time ~Suzanne

It’s always so amazing to teach people how easy it is to have fun with your horses and to watch their faces light up with they realize that what we’re doing in our demonstrations is not out of reach for them.  We try to make people understand that anyone can do the things we’re doing and have fun with it if they understand the Program.   I love watching the look of amazement on peoples’ faces when they see us laying horses down or asking them to do other tricks such as sit, kneel, bow, etc.  But even more than that I love empowering them with the knowledge of how to do it themselves.  That’s why I was SO excited that our new DVD on Trick Training and High School Maneuvers was completed just prior to leaving for the event!  People loved it and are finding it a wonderful tool for their own training program.

I think it’s a benefit to people watching the demonstrations to see Brooke, my 10 year old daughter, doing amazing things with her Mustang, Jacuzzi.  She is really good with him and I hope it demonstrates to people that if she can learn and master the techniques, they can too.  I’m very proud of my team.  Lauren and Brooke are amazing ‘hands’ and bring a unique balance to NLH^TM both in the demonstrations and in interacting with our fans.

Almost immediately when we returned from Equine Affaire, we were preparing for our first annual Open House at the NLH^TM facility in Port Matilda.  Our store would be launched at this event and we had invited some of our friends to perform demonstrations as well.  We so wanted everything to be perfect!  And it was!  It was fantastic!  From the weather to the turnout we couldn’t have asked for a better day.  I was thankful to have the opportunity to give back to our community, by way of a fun filled day on us, for the support they have shown us throughout the last several years.  This event has made its way on to our yearly schedule for sure!

Check out the Next Level Horsemanship^TM Facebook page for more pictures of both the Equine Affaire demos and the Open House.

I’m so excited to present at Equine Affaire. I’ve gone to the event in both Massachusetts and Ohio many times and now I’m preparing for my first appearance as a clinician at the Massachusetts event. I’m thrilled to be going – it’s such a perfect venue for the NLH^TM team and I can’t wait to meet all the people of New England that will attend. Equine Affaire is likely the largest equine expo in the country and I can’t wait to share the NLH^TM Program with everyone. I’m confident in the NLH^TM Program. Our Program is proven. It has stood the test of time and trial in nearly every training scenario I can think of. And in just 1 week I’ll have the opportunity again to demonstrate the various ways the Program can make a difference in the lives of everyone with horses.
I’m especially excited at this time because we have just finished production of our band new FOUNDATIONS series and Trick Training DVDs! I can’t tell you how many people have asked for these at other demos we’ve given and now we finally have them for Equine Affaire! It’s been tough meeting our deadlines for production – I can say that we’ve all been burning the candle at both ends lately at NLH^TM -but it is SO worth the effort to know that we’ll have what we need for the people who want it so badly. It was a lot of fun doing the shoot.
Well, I hope to see everyone at Equine Affaire! We’ll be packing the trailer tomorrow and then off and running by Wednesday. See you there! ~Suzanne