This group meets weekly to appreciate the support of one another and the horses. Whether you are tackling a difficult life transition or just looking for a bit of fun, this group is for you. Learn how to bring horses safely and meaningfully into your life. This includes learning how to handle horses with respect, how to offer them care, and how to engage with them on the ground. This two-hour group meets three Sundays/month.

When: Sundays 12:30-2:30 (next meetings Feb 24, Mar 10, March 17, March 24, March 31, 2013)
Where: Good Reception Ranch, Erie, Colorado
How Much: $40 when signing up for three or more classes

These classes are for individuals with some horse experience who wish to learn how to create relationships with horses that are mutually safe and respectful. We will work with our yearlings and two-year olds as well as older horses to learn about different horse personalities and behaviors and to learn how handling the horse on the ground and in the round pen can help us recognize each horse's needs, establish boundaries, and bring the horse's attention more fully upon us as the handler.

Adults and adolescents with some horse experience welcome.

When: 1 1/2 hour group class; contact me for dates and times
Where: Good Reception Ranch, Erie, Colorado
How Much: $30

A bi-monthly group for teens looking to create connections outside of their usual circles. We address challenges with friends, families, and school and find ways to reduce stress and encourage healthy living.

When: Every other Sunday from 3-5 (next groups Mar. 10 & 24, April 7 & 21, May 5 & 19, 2013).
Where: Good Reception Ranch, Erie, CO
How Much: $50/group or $120 ($40/group) for three groups paid in advance

Therapy can be fun and effective for you and your children, and it doesn’t have to fit a certain mold. At Big Horse Therapy and Learning Center, we have dreamed up all sorts of ways to help families get out of the rut. Work together as a family with the horses or do individual or couples’ counseling while your child takes a therapeutic riding lesson with my assistant Liz. Customized family therapy can make a big difference in removing obstacles that are preventing your child from relating to you in positive ways or that are blocking your ability to care as a parent.

Family sessions available after school and on Sundays.

Spring days, big horses, and little babies have me thinking—or should I say feeling—the qualities of an open heart. (For more on this, click the “read more” link below.)

Modern research has actually proven that open-heartedness—the state of feeling positive, loving emotions—is good for mental and physical wellbeing.

If horses hold a special key to your heart, then they might also hold a key to your wellbeing. During this afternoon at the ranch, our newborn foals, the latest addition to our herd, will invite us into a state of playful, loving connection. We will use mindfulness, physical touch with the horses, and movement to lock in the good feeling. Then we will practice ways to bring a little bit of this joy back into your everyday life.

When: Saturday, May 19th, 2012, 1:30-6:00
Where: Good Reception Ranch, Erie, CO
What: Observation of and interaction with horses 2 months to 30 years old; no riding
How Much: $65/person paid in advance

For more information, please contact me.

Parents can build stronger relationships with their children and encourage nurturing, caregiving behavior by attending our Family Day at the Ranch. Children ages 6-11 are invited for a day of discovery and fun. We will observe our new crop of foals, noticing the babies' different personalities as well as the moms' different parenting styles. Parents and kids will have an opportunity to play together and nurture the foals and their equine mothers.

No riding. All levels of horse experience welcome.

When: May 5, 2012, 2 - 6 pm
Where: Good Reception Ranch, Erie, CO
What: Observation, discussion, and play
How Much: $80/family

Please contact me for more information or to register.

This is the Goldilocks approach to riding. When it comes to relaxation and tone (or tension) in the body, we will explore what is too much, too little, and just the right amount. We will get a sense working on the ground and with partners as to what kind of feeling in the body will lead to flowing more with the horse's movement. Then we will put it all to work in the saddle during a riding lesson. All experience levels welcome; riders will be divided into groups if needed to accommodate different abilities.

When: Saturday, April 14, 2012, 1:30-6:30
Where: Good Reception Ranch, Erie, CO
What: Discussion, somatic exercises, work with horses on the ground, followed by a one-hour mounted lesson
How Much: $65 paid in advance (no sign up at the door)

Click below for more information on my approach to teaching Receptive Riding or contact me to register.

With Mica Graves, MA, Advanced Therapeutic Riding Instructor, Liz Polanco, and guest instructors

This is an opportunity for your son or daughter to have fun and gain self-confidence while learning to ride and care for horses. 5 camps during the summer of 2012 for ages ranging from 6-17. Volunteer and mentor opportunities also available for teens.

Activities include:

-Daily group riding lessons
-Additional riding exercises including bareback riding and lunge lessons
-Group discussions and exercises to help participants gain skills that will help them be more successful with horses and in life
-Buddy up with a horse - chose a horse to get to know better during the week and be responsible for his/her care
-Stable management - learn how to clean stalls and tack; how to recognize and treat common horse ailments; understand how to feed and supplement your horse or pony
-Horse training skills - studying horse behavior, lunging, round penning, horse handling
-Lots of individual attention in our small groups of 6-8 participants
-Fun games and activities

For specific dates and prices, click on the "read more" link below. To register, please contact me.

As a parent, do you sometimes feel like you don't recognize your teen anymore?

From the onset of puberty to the mid-20s, the teenage brain changes at a dizzying rate. Not since your child was a toddler has so much transformation taken place in how he or she processes and responds to the world.

For your teen, the result can be a mix of confusion, depression, and even rage. With lots of disorganization happening in their inner and outer worlds, teens can feel out of control--somewhat like a young horse reacting to a new and scary place.

The good news is that changes in the brain are normal and essential for development. This period of upheaval can be a time for teens to form new types of relationships, build skills, and gain increased understanding and mastery of themselves.

Curious about the healing power of horses? Want to expand your knowledge and understanding of them? Or do you just want to find an affordable way to spend more time with horses this winter?

Connect with a group of like-minded adults and our dynamic herd of horses. We will meet in our large, bright indoor arena to observe horses of various ages and levels of training and take part in experiential exercises. Learn about horse behavior in the wild and in domestication and gain tips for how to incorporate horses safely and effectively into your personal or professional healing work.

Mostly unmounted work, except for a small amount of bareback riding.

Tuesday evenings from 6:00 to 7:30. 6 groups in total.
Just $150 if full payment received in advance.