Friday – Ranch Riding and Ranch Rail 101

This session provides a comprehensive overview of what it takes to prepare for competitive Ranch Riding and Ranch Rail classes across various venues. Topics will include rules and regulations, appropriate attire, tack selection, show strategies, pattern memorization techniques, judging criteria, and more. Participants are encouraged to bring their questions for an engaging and informative discussion.  

Saturday Morning – Foundations of Ranch Riding and Ranch Rail

Prerequisites: Ability to maintain control at the walk, trot, and back.

This session focuses on the foundational maneuvers essential for Ranch Riding patterns. Participants will begin to develop skills in gait transitions, pattern strategies, focal points, and other critical elements that contribute to successful performances. This class is designed to build confidence and understanding in both riders and horses.

Saturday Afternoon – Advancing Your Ranch Riding and Ranch Rail Skills.

Prerequisites: Ability to maintain control at the walk, trot, lope, back, execute elementary side-passes, and perform simple gait transitions.

Designed for intermediate to advanced riders, this session delves into more complex aspects of Ranch Riding and Ranch Rail. Emphasis will be placed on improving consistency, enhancing pattern execution, refining arena presence, and achieving fluid transitions. Participants will learn strategies to elevate competition scores and create a polished, cohesive performance.

Sunday Morning – Advancing Your Ranch Riding and Ranch Rail Skills

Prerequisites: Ability to maintain control at the walk, trot, lope, back, execute elementary side-passes, and perform simple gait transitions. Designed for intermediate to advanced riders, this session delves into more complex aspects of Ranch Riding and Ranch Rail. Emphasis will be placed on improving consistency, enhancing pattern execution, refining arena presence, and achieving fluid transitions. Participants will learn strategies to elevate competition scores and create a polished, cohesive performance.

Sunday Afternoon – Foundations of Ranch Riding and Ranch Rail

Prerequisites: Ability to maintain control at the walk, trot, and back.

This session focuses on the foundational maneuvers essential for Ranch Riding patterns. Participants will begin to develop skills in gait transitions, pattern strategies, focal points, and other critical elements that contribute to successful performances. This class is designed to build confidence and understanding in both riders and horses.

Friday Afternoon:

Foundation of Horsemanship & Goal Setting

This workshop focuses on the essentials of groundwork, building trust, and improving your horse-human partnership. Learn simple goal-setting strategies to achieve your horsemanship dreams and strengthen your connection with your horse.

Saturday Morning:

Foundation of Horsemanship – Mounted Work

Riding with Intention
Master key riding tools to create a "Rock Solid" foundation. Your go, stop, turn, backup, and side pass will never be the same!

Saturday Afternoon:

Advanced Groundwork & Body Control

Overcoming Fear & Anxiety
A natural progression from Friday’s session, this workshop refines groundwork skills to improve body control, leading to a stronger mental connection with your horse.

Sunday Morning:

Body Control – Mounted Work

Building Confidence in the Saddle
Gain control of each body part—head, neck, barrel, and hindquarters—to unlock smoother performance and a more willing partner.

Sunday Afternoon: Trail Course Work & Play

Apply everything you've learned as we navigate obstacles on the trail course. Strengthen your bond and enjoy a more confident, connected ride!

Friday Afternoon  - Preparing Your Horse for Cattle

Prerequisites - Horse must be able to enter the arena unassisted and be able to be ridden at a walk trot and canter

This class is beginner friendly and will focus on the horsemanship required to introduce your horse to cattle. We will think about the movements we want to encourage in our horses and work at confidence building exercises for the horse and rider. We will use flags or dummy’s to help prepare our horses

Saturday Morning
Prerequisites - Attend session 1 or have horses that are generally confident and steady around a variety of stimuli

Basic skills do you and your horse need to know in order to work any cow effectively, whether in the ring or on a ranch.
Teddy will share ranch etiquette, go over basic maneuvers and offer feedback. In this session we will bunch and move a small
herd of cattle through the arena around obstacles as a class.

Saturday Afternoon
Prerequisites - Attend session 1 and 2 or have horses that are generally confident and steady around a variety of stimul

This class will be a repeat and continuation of Session 2. We will continue to develop our herd control. Newcomers can jump
right in provided they meet the prerequisites.

Sunday Morning
Prerequisites - Attend the earlier cow sessions or have a horse that is already confident about moving and interacting with a cow 

In this class will start by revisiting the flag to tune up and warm up. We will introduce tracking an individual cow, explain the
dynamics of working advantage, flight zone and pressure on the cow. We will work at moving individual cows through obstacles
and talk about reading and anticipating how a cow might move.

Teddy will share insight on how to size up different animals including bulls, cow calf pairs, yearlings and go over some of
the different dynamics one might expect to encounter in ranch work.

Sunday Afternoon
Prerequisites - Attend the earlier cow sessions or have a horse that is already confident about moving and interacting with a c

In our final session we will work on sorting individual cow from the herd. This class will be a little more fast paced and geared for horses that have a little more experience on a cow, however less experienced riders are welcome to join in and help hold the herd. We will go over how to set a horse up for smooth turns on a cow and how to rate. We will sort out any problem areas and work to create efficiency and smoothness in our horses.

Bonus:
Stick around as the class winds down there will be ranch roping demo. Those who want to learn groundwork and how to set ropes can request to do so.

5 sessions Recommend for all participants - familiarize yourself with Cowboy Dressage Www.cowboydressageworld.com

Friday Afternoon - Session 1
Intro to Cowboy Dressage - The court

This class will focus on Partnership on the ground and riding walk walk intro classes All riders / handlers will start on the ground - arrive unmounted

Refer to Cowboy Dressage POG walk walk 1&2 and walk jog 1&2

Skills needed: Have your horse able to lead - both sides / prefer rope halter w 12’ yacht braid lead Bridle on the side  ( refer to the website for acceptable tack/ attire )

Horse can be saddled if wishing to ride the walk walk tests or can be unsaddled and handled stays on the ground. Greener and well educated horses are welcome to enroll. Anyone wanting a deeper connection with their horse should not miss this class.

Saturday morning -  Session 2
What is Soft Feel ?

What is working walk, free walk, working jog and free jog? Class / intro to walk jog classes Exercises to learn 10 and 20m circles with transitions. Riders should arrive mounted with horses warmed up. Refer to tests walk jog 1-3

Skills needed This is not a colt starting class, but is appropriate for green horses or newer riders, horses needing to develop balance through transitions.

Satruday Afternoon - Session 3
Building blocks for balance, lateral work

Refer to Cowboy Dressage tests walk/jog 4-6 Riders should arrive mounted with horses warmed up. We will be incooperating more body control, Leg yields , shoulder in , turn on haunches and forehand Skills needed for this class : Riders arrive warmed up and mounted - hopefully having watched or participated in prev sessions.  Refer to Cowboy Dressage Website for the tests and definitions of the maneuvers. Horses should have a good understanding of how to follow riders ques, and some body control. Greener horses are welcome to participate to introduce the start of body control. Gaits - walk, free walk , working jog and free jog

Sunday Morning Session 4
Introduction to lope classes

Refer to CD lope tests 1a , 1b as well as 1&2 Riders should arrive mounted with horses warmed up. We will cover the free jog development as well as loping w balance.

Skills needed / Riders should be confident and comfortable loping. Riders should be able to post

Greener horses well started under saddle are welcome to join as riders introduce loping classes to their mounts.

Sunday Afternoon - Session 5
Musical freestyle

Let’s have some fun! Riders will put their skills and partnership to music - Refer to : cowboy dressage walk jog and walk jog lope requirements.

Skills needed : Be able to smile and find the joy riding your horse to music

Riders should arrive mounted with horses warmed up. Have a basic understanding of the court and the requirements for walk jog and walk jog lope. This class is going to focus on developing freestyles for riders - how do we do that? Lots of fun !