TRAINING

Rocking M Stable is pleased to have Brittany Oracheski as our trainer. The following is Brittany's training philosophy and experience.

Trainers Bio:

I grew up in small-town Lougheed, AB. I always had a strong passion for animals, and an even stronger passion for horses. I started riding at age 13. Grew as a rider in 4-H clubs and local shows, trail riding with friends and dabbling into every area of riding I could gain access to. I was always taught that to be successful with horses, you need to be versatile, so I tried a bit of everything!

When I rode my first reining horse at Slide Stop Stables by Kelsey, AB, I knew I had been bitten by the performance horse bug, and I have never looked back. The adrenaline of quick maneuvers and running to a perfect sliding stop is something that words can't explain. Having complete control over every part of a horses body is a phenomenal feeling, and something I want others to experience. I also gained considerable knowledge of every aspect of barn management, horse management, and sales while working there.

I was crowned Miss Rodeo Wainwright in 2004 and I felt it was my mission to prove that there is more to the position than sitting pretty on a horse. We were scored on horsemanship and horse theory, as well as self-presentation/attitude. I gained life experience, self-discipline, and open-mindedness from the experience.

I have had the privilege of being exposed to many different clinics and workshops, and taking in different styles of training/handling/teaching. Equine massage therapy has also been a big part of my life for 7 years now, having attended schooling for Equine Massage Therapy at the British Columbia College of Equine Therapy, as well as training by W4 Equine Health of Camrose, AB. I like to have every tool within reach to help clarify communication between horses and people, to create meaningful and lasting relationships between them. Its been a magnificent journey so far, I will never be finished learning and plan to continue bettering myself as a rider, trainer, instructor, and horse-person. I hope to help others continue on their journey, too.

Training/Teaching Philosophies:

Training is based on one key element in my program: common sense. It is common sense to make doing the right thing easy and the wrong thing difficult. It is common sense that a young horse needs desensitization to different stimuli on the ground before the first ride. It is common sense that a horse with no muscle tone needs conditioning before expected to perform at his best, in any discipline. The list goes on, but all of my training principles are simplified, clear and concise, based around a common-sense approach. I see no reason to complicate things, when a horses basic instincts are fairly straight-forward. As a prey animal, they respond well to pressure and release. For optimum results, release needs to be at a perfect time, and I have developed a good feel for when to apply pressure and then when to provide release, in accomplishing anything with a horse.

My young horse program focuses a lot on ground work, working through the horses weaknesses and putting a good, strong foundation under a horse before mounting. Safety is my first priority with any horse, for both the horse himself and for the handler. I put a good handle on a young horse, prepare them adequately for the outside world, handle with consistency and in a no-nonsense manner, and as a result they become responsive, safe, and respectable equine citizens.

I do prefer that an owner be involved in the training process, whether it is lessons in handling your horse from the ground or in the saddle. To me, it is very important for an owner to be fully aware of the technique I use to start and train their horse, so that when the horse goes home at the end of his training term, they can continue working to make that horses foundation stronger and stronger, and stay consistently on the same path. If an owner is unable to be present during a horses training, I do provide video of his progress and the techniques I use. I also welcome regular check-in phone calls. Optimally, though, I would prefer an owner be able to attend one training session per week to track their horses progress.

My lesson program is also based around the common-sense approach. I believe being an effective rider depends a lot on having a lot of different "tools" in your "toolbelt". No one is ever done learning, with each new day around horses we are learning about more techniques that work for some horses, don't work for other horses. These are the "tools" and our brain is the "toolbelt". When we run into problems during riding or handling, the longer list of tools we have to use for the situation, the greater our chances are of being successful. I approach horses with an open mind, and expect students to do the same. I offer Western riding lessons, based around performance. I encourage proper technique from a rider to achieve proper carriage and maneuvers from his horse. You will learn how to control each part of your horses body, ride proper circles, supple your horse, keep consistency in all gaits, and move onto more advanced maneuvers as you continue in the lesson program. I also enjoy working with horse and rider together in problem situations, such as arena sourness, bucking, rearing, wrong leads, reluctance, head-tossing, etc. We will develop a lesson program tailored to you and your horses specific needs.

I look forward to working with you and your horse at Rocking M Stables!