Vanessa Bee
Positive Horsemanship

The Stables, Chilla Rd Halwell Juntion, Beaworthy, Devon EX21 5XE

Telephone/fax 01409 221166
mail@positivehorsemanship.com
www.positivehorsemanship.com

Positive Horsemanship supports trainers, products & ideas that are committed to the emotional and physical well being of the horse and the handler. It only promotes trainers and products that the team believe will enhance relationships between people and horses. The Positive Horsemanship team is constantly researching trainers' methods and equipment to add to the portfolio. These are then included promoted at events around the country and on the Positive Horsemanship website.

The Method

Positive Horsemanship educates people to observe all styles of horsemanship and pick the bits that work for them and their horses! Using a wealth of knowledge gathered over many years the Positive Horsemanship team helps people research the various trainers, methods and the psychology behind them and make a decision about what works for them. People are encouraged to think for themselves and build their own Horsemanship Programme instead of working to someone else's criteria. Positive Horsemanship constantly works towards a positive outcome for horses and their trainers

Vanessa Bee approaches horsemanship from the heart. She specialises in building relationships between the horse and the handler from the ground up. A qualified teacher she understands the frustrations of the pupils, both human and equine, and builds a Positive Partnership that enhances all aspects of the lives of the individual.

Vanessa Bee has been around horses for most of her life working in racing stables throughout her teens, then driving competitively into her early twenties when she was given an ‘unridable' racehorse as a wedding present. Very soon Vanessa realised that there had to be a better way than the ‘bigger stick, bigger bit method' of riding teaching being offered.

It was in 1997 that the journey truly began to develop a style of teaching and riding that Vanessa has called Positive Horsemanship. Vanessa began to read, study and work with some of the greatest horseman of the age. Monty Roberts, Kelly Marks, Jayne Lavender, Ken Faulkner, Pat Parelli, and has used as her guides and mentors Henry Blake, Maurice Wright, Buck Brannaman, the Dorrances, Ray Hunt and Mark Rashid. She soon discovered that there as many ways of teaching horsemanship as there are horse/handlers in the world. A programme simply couldn't work all the time for everyone. With a degree in Education, and a qualified teacher, Vanessa has used her skills to develop a series of courses that teach people of all abilities and experience to achieve a positive relationship with their horses. Vanessa also holds a Monty Roberts Preliminary Certificate and is a developing Progressive Counsellor and constantly trains and studies to improve her method of guidance and teaching.
As well as running courses Vanessa will make home visits and works one on one with all abilities guiding both horse and handler on a positive and progressive journey taking them wherever they wish to go.

Please do not hesitate to contact her if you wish to discuss your relationship with your horse.

Certificate Courses in Positive Horsemanship are now available to book online.

Each day starts at 9.00am in the ‘classroom’ moving out to study the herds of horses, as we need to, breaking for lunch at around 1.00pm which is provided in the course fee (lots of good food to make a salad or sandwiches so all dietary needs can be catered for, do let us know in advance if you need anything special). Courses resume at about 2.00pm to finish at 5.00pm. As the courses are run over a weekend you will be sent a list of accommodation ranging from campsites to luxury hotels - you take your pick! The work with the horses takes place outside so suitable clothing for the weather and safety is required including a B.S. standard hard hat and safety boots, gloves are useful too.

The Courses Currently Available at Positive Horsemanship
Basic Skills to Positive Horsemanship 1
Basic Skills to Positive Horsemanship 2
Ready to Ride
Fit to Travel
Horse Behaviour and the Psychology of Training
The 21st Century Horse
Using the Round Pen Contructively
Handling the Untouched, traumatised and Wild Horse
The Not-So-Confident Horse Owner

• The Positive attitude of the handler.
• Approaching, catching the horse in field or stable.
• Leading (touching on loading into trailers and crossing water etc.)
• Being in control of the horse’s feet.
• Preparation for the farrier.
• Identifying and releasing ‘braces and blocks’ in horse and handler.

The 21st Century Horse...

In this information packed course we look at:

• Wild horses and why our tame horse runs wild sometimes.
• ‘Bombproofing’ horses eg. Fireworks, plastic bags.
• Roadcraft.
• Changes and separation anxiety.
• Box rest and lack of work how to cope with it.
• Competition.
• Food.
• To shoe or not to shoe.
• What is natural horse keeping?

Handling the untouched, traumatised or wild horse
This will run in conjunction with Paul and Cilla King who live on the edge of Exmoor. They have a wealth of knowledge on how to work with these special equines.

In this module we will look at;
• how wild and traumatised horses react towards humans
• why wild and traumatised horses might be suspicious
• how we move them on foot and by lorry or trailer without stress and quietly maneuver them into small spaces so that we can interact positively with them.
• We will learn how to teach them to give to pressure and therefore tie up on a halter, to stand, lead and be groomed all the time learning to read the horse’s body language so that everyone stays safe.

Basic Skills to Positive Horsemanship 2

This course can only be taken when Basic Skills to Positive Horsemanship 1 has been completed. In this module we relate the work carried out on the ground to the ridden work.The ground skills looked at in Level 1 will be related very closely to ridden work giving you skills to identify problems on the ground and fix them before riding or, if this is not possible, when in the saddle. This is not a course that will teach you to ride from scratch but it will help you become a better more sensitive rider with tips and skills to help you and your horse to travel smoothly along together.

We will look at developing:
• A Positive attitude towards riding and the horse as more than a vehicle
• Preparing the horse emotionally and physically to be ridden
• Helping the horse to approach suspicious objects and be taught how to pass by or over safely
• Control of paces
• Identifying and releasing ‘blocks and braces’ in horse and rider.

• we look at the language used by behaviourists
• we identify ‘problems’ and identify how the horse is
• expressing himself and why
• we look at rewards, punishment, negative and positive reinforcement in training
• we look at training methods used by many different horsemen
• we will observe, in the field, how horses communicate with each other
• we examine how horses learn and use their senses to survive
• there will be case studies to discuss and evaluate, students being encouraged to voice their opinions and observations

The Not so Confident Horse owner
This two day course is aimed at the new or existing horse owner, parents of pony mad children (or spouses!) and those who need confidence. The whole weekend is designed to give support and is intensely practical , training handlers to remain safe if things
become a bit active.
• we look at the nature of the horse
• we look at how to handle horses safely and confidently and learn todo a quick risk assessment

As some course participants may not want to share their fears we willnot be asking anyone to discuss their personal issues unless they feel they
would like to and it would be of benefit to them and others.

No one will be asked to do anything that they feel they are not ready for.

The Positive Horsemanship Round Pen is based on the Australian design for Rodeo pens and is built to withstand the toughest conditions. The tried and tested design is horse safe with no narrow places for heads or feet to become trapped.

The Round Pen can be ordered in individual panels - so you can design exactly the size you want and if you start of with a smaller pen, you can easily add to it later. Panels can be supplied already painted, or unpainted.

For more information and to order a Round Pen, please email [email protected] or telephone 01409 221166.

CONTACT
POSITIVE HORSEMANSHIP

mail@positivehorsemanship.com

Vanessa Bee
Positive Horsemanship

The Stables, Chilla Rd Halwell Juntion, Beaworthy, Devon EX21 5XE