Clinic: The Equine Connection
Friday, September 18 and Saturday, September 19, 2020
The Equine Connection… A clinic for adults who are interested in beginning a journey into the wonderful world of horsemanship
Cost: $250 per rider. In order to conduct a high quality clinic, we will limit our enrollment to 10 riders.
Dates: 9/18 – 9/19
Location: R&M Stables,1060 Goshentown Rd., Hendersonville, TN
Contact: For more information, contact Ron Chlasta at (615) 712-3513
Clinicians: Jeff Duren and Ron Chlasta
Making the Connection
This past summer, several parents who brought their kids to camp asked me if we would ever consider offering a camp for adults specifically tailored to those who are at the entry level, intrigued by the horse, but have never had an opportunity to ride.
Realizing that parents are swamped with all of the activities that Fall and a new school year bring into the family mix, we decided to offer ‘camp’ in the form of a clinic that will enable adults with little to zero experience around the horse to gain a working knowledge of horsemanship from the ground up.
Curriculum:
Our Friday evening session will begin with ground work. We will cover equine behavior – how a horse thinks, sees, how they move and how we can begin to develop a relationship with the horse that begins from the ground. This will be a hands on interactive experience as we learn how to groom, lead, tack up and un-tack the horse. Focus will be on how to work safely and effectively around the horse.
Saturday focus will be on each participant preparing their mount, employing all that we have learned on the previous evening. We will focus on mounting and dismounting, controlling our horses with voice, legs, and reins, sitting in the saddle, proper foot position and equitation skills. Steering and stopping our horse will be another main focus of our day as we ride through patterns and an obstacle course that will be challenging for the entry level rider.
We look forward to a great outdoor adventure as we move into the fall season. This opportunity will be perfect for any adult who has a fascination with the horse. Parents who have children in riding lessons might consider this clinic as you will experience first hand exactly how and why your student has come to love horsemanship as they too have experienced the Equine Connection!
Cost: $250 per rider. In order to conduct a high quality clinic, we will limit our enrollment to 10 riders.
Dates: 9/18 – 9/19
- Friday Sept 18 session runs 6:00 – 8:30 p.m.
- Saturday Sept 19 session runs 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 pm
Location: R&M Stables,1060 Goshentown Rd., Hendersonville, TN
Contact: For more information, contact Ron Chlasta at (615) 712-3513
Clinicians: Jeff Duren and Ron Chlasta
Making the Connection
This past summer, several parents who brought their kids to camp asked me if we would ever consider offering a camp for adults specifically tailored to those who are at the entry level, intrigued by the horse, but have never had an opportunity to ride.
Realizing that parents are swamped with all of the activities that Fall and a new school year bring into the family mix, we decided to offer ‘camp’ in the form of a clinic that will enable adults with little to zero experience around the horse to gain a working knowledge of horsemanship from the ground up.
Curriculum:
Our Friday evening session will begin with ground work. We will cover equine behavior – how a horse thinks, sees, how they move and how we can begin to develop a relationship with the horse that begins from the ground. This will be a hands on interactive experience as we learn how to groom, lead, tack up and un-tack the horse. Focus will be on how to work safely and effectively around the horse.
Saturday focus will be on each participant preparing their mount, employing all that we have learned on the previous evening. We will focus on mounting and dismounting, controlling our horses with voice, legs, and reins, sitting in the saddle, proper foot position and equitation skills. Steering and stopping our horse will be another main focus of our day as we ride through patterns and an obstacle course that will be challenging for the entry level rider.
We look forward to a great outdoor adventure as we move into the fall season. This opportunity will be perfect for any adult who has a fascination with the horse. Parents who have children in riding lessons might consider this clinic as you will experience first hand exactly how and why your student has come to love horsemanship as they too have experienced the Equine Connection!
Your Clinicians
Jeff Duren
I don't make any claims to be a horse expert or a great riding instructor. I'm just blessed to have been able to have horses to learn from for most of my life. I was born into a ranching family in Texas, so I don't remember learning to ride because I couldn't even walk yet. As a kid, I learned from some if the best cowboys in Texas how to ride hard and get the most from my equine partner. Through college I started colts to make a few extra bucks. That was more educational than my college classes. I have trained and worked with Quarter Horses for working the ranch and racing Thoroughbreds with my uncle. Through my twenties I didn't get to spend as much time with horses as I like but the love of these magnificent animals never fades. I took advantage of any opportunity to build more horse sense, which also comes in handy as a police officer. It all came together in 2011 when my career and my equestrian affinity collided. After more than15 years as a law enforcement officer, I had the opportunity to train horses for police work and ride them on patrol. This was a whole new world for me and I was happy to learn new ways to work with equine partners. It has been an amazing experience to discover more than I could have ever imagined from some outstanding horses over the last 10 years. When a horse trusts its rider, he will do anything you ask of him. I have earned credentials along the way as an instructor for mounted police officers and horses but I still learn more from the horse; whenever I take time to listen.I look forward to sharing with you the opportunity to enrich your life with the scent of horse. |
Ron Chlasta
Ron Chlasta is the owner of R&M Stables in Hendersonville. The facility is dedicated to teaching horsemanship from the ground up utilizing the western method of riding. As a rider Ron is the unit director of the County Mounties, a search and rescue/recovery team in Sumner Co. As a certified rider Ron has competed in the National Police Colloquium at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, KY. He was the national champion in the tandem obstacle event for two consecutive years. In 2017 Ron’s horses won the event with Ron riding Trooper and Jason Parizek riding Geronimo. In Middle Tennessee, Ron’s horses have won the WHOA (Walking Horse Owners Association) championships in both individual and tandem obstacles. In 2017, his horse was the overall WHOA champion at the Miller Coliseum in Murfreesboro service horse division international championships. In 2018 Ron’s horse Trooper took top honors in equitation at the Williamson Co. expo center WHOA championships. In 2019, Ron placed 2nd in equitation, 6th in individual obstacle and 10th in combined equitation and obstacle at the Colloquium in Lexington, KY. Ron enjoys working with working with riders of all levels. He has developed a summer camp program and lesson program along with his program coordinator Casady Gammon that enables young people in the community to experience the many different entry points into the equine world. |