Services

Horsemanship Lessons

At Donohue Horsemanship, we teach both private and group lessons. Group lessons are taught through our Horsemanship Education Program. We offer lessons for students with their own horses, as well as for students who do not own horses. If you don’t own a horse, we provide lesson horses and gear to learn on. We also have a variety of leasing options available, for those who are interested.

Weekly Private Lessons

All private lessons are one-on-one sessions lasting one hour. Private lessons are ideal for beginners, people new to this type of horsemanship, and people interested in one-on-one instruction to work through a particular issue with their horse. We require that all new students start in private lessons, while learning the foundation skills necessary to safely and effectively ride in a group situation. We work with each student from where they are at, to help each person reach their individual goals. Lesson horses are available if you don’t own your own horse.

Occasional Private Lessons

We do offer individual/occasional riding lessons for people looking to have a horse riding experience without signing up for regular riding lessons. To discuss the options, please contact us with the details of what you are looking for.

Horsemanship Education Program/Group Lessons

Our Horsemanship Education Program is designed for students looking to participate in group lessons, and for those looking to really advance their horsemanship. The program is designed to provide as many learning opportunities as possible for our students, through group lessons, open instruction times, and with reduced fees for riding in our clinics. Group lessons are one-and-a-half hour long lessons, with an average of 4-6 riders. Group lessons are a great way to learn because you have the advantage of learning from watching other students, hearing their questions, and learning from feedback to all students. It is also a great way to meet new people and have the enjoyment of riding with other members of the community. Open instruction times are when you can come out to ride and practice on your own, but we are in the barn and available to ride with you, answer questions, and give feedback, when you need it. Students who are in the Horsemanship Education Program also get discounted participation fees to our clinics. Lesson horses are available if you do not own your own horse.

Training

Colt Starting

We start colts using the philosophy that by working to build a relationship of mutual understanding, trust, and respect, we can give a colt a solid foundation that will prepare him to go in any direction the owner chooses. We work with colts from the ground up, with the goal of preparing the horse for a lifetime of success. We expose the colt to flags, ropes, other horses, riding in arenas and outdoors, and to cattle whenever possible. Colt starting is by the month, with each colt getting ridden five days per week.

Problem Solving

Our horse training services also include working with older “re-start” horses, troubled horses, or helping with specific problems you may have. Using the same methods that we approach colt starting with, we help horses with their foundation first, as this frequently helps solve the problem at hand.  We help each horse with where they are at. We work with each owner to find a plan that will best fit their horse and help the horse reach its fullest potential.

Refinement Training

We also provide refinement training for people who would like help bringing their horse to a more refined level of horsemanship. We ride in the vaquero tradition of making bridle horses, and we can help your horse learn more advanced skills, achieve higher levels of education, and help you and your horse meet your horsemanship goals.

Clinics

Horsemanship Clinics

Our horsemanship clinics are typically two-day clinics that are taught over a weekend. We teach groups of 8-15 students. Each horsemanship clinic gives students an opportunity to ride in a larger group setting, for a longer amount of time. We offer both half-day and full-day clinics. Our Foundation clinics focus on groundwork and basic horsemanship skills and maneuvers in the saddle, and our Horsemanship clinics work to refine these skills, primarily in the saddle. We teach clinics monthly at our home ranch, Silver Spade Ranch, and we also teach clinics at outside facilities. If you would be interested in hosting a clinic at your facility, contact us. Members of our Horsemanship Education Program enjoy discounted clinic rates, and we do have lesson horses available for clinics if you do not own your own horse.

Cow Working Clinics

Our cow working clinics are aimed to help riders of all levels improve their horsemanship skills through working with cattle. Whether you and/or your horse have never been around cattle before, or you are looking to spend more time practicing your cow working skills, we can help. We teach ranch-style cow working, cutting, and sorting. In the summer, we also have a Buckle Series- our clinic/competition summer series resulting in prizes at the end of the summer. Lesson horses are available to participate in the cow workings on if you do not own your own horse.

Ranch Roping Clinics

In our ranch roping clinics, we teach traditional vaquero ranch-style roping. Like our cow working clinics, our ranch roping clinics are designed to help all levels of riders achieve their goals. Whether you are green at roping, or have experience and just want a chance to improve your skills, we can help. If you have never picked up a rope before, we can help you learn the basics of roping, including how to make sure your horse is prepared for roping off of.  For more experienced ropers, we can help you refine your skills. We put an emphasis in our roping clinics on mastering the horsemanship skills that are needed to be successful with your horse at roping.  Lesson horses are available if you don’t have your own horse.