Montana Workhorse Workshop July 10-16, 2011 Update

Announcing New Staff at Doc Hammill Horsemanship!

Solven and Brisk step into their teaching positions at our Montana Workhorse Workshops!



Noah driving Brisk and Solven, White Fjords

Here is a picture of a great little (big for Fjords at 15 and 15.1 Hands) team that Cathy acquired last fall.  They have been just AWESOME in this, their first workshop here at Doc Hammill Horsemanship in Montana. 
We want to give our continuing thanks to Dave and Pam for training this great team and selecting ours as their second home in life. These experienced, smart, and gentle horses are proving to be the quiet, dependable, willing, solid, and powerful  BOYS that we hoped they would be.




The following video is of Laura, first time Doc Hammill Horsemanship student, skidding a small chunk of wood with  Solven.  This is Solven's second time working single for us.  What we appreciate about this short video is  that Laura asks Solven to ease into his load, and he does; notice how he begins (and continues) his pull: quietly and careful eases into the work, and doesn't hurry as he drags this log to the bigger pile.  Congratulations to Laura for her gentle commands and soft hands, a big Thanks to Brisk for being such a willing staff member! This is the epitome of relaxation and comfort, exactly what we want for ourselves and our horses as we work with them.




Laura working the Boys on a stone boat.

Montana WorkHorse Workshop: July 10-16, 2011

Wow!  Here we go!  This workshop is underway!

"I feel like I came to this with a lot of horsemanship skills, but here, I am learning the kind of techniques that are not really something you can "get" from reading a book or even watching a video. It is pretty great!"

"I was taken back with the whole RHYTHMIC DRIVING concept, I had no idea how well that could work."

(Student comments after their first day)



 Doc is giving a student silent physical signals that simulate cues we give our horses while driving. 

We moved on to harnessing

student-harnessed horses ready to be hitched

Beautiful Montana! One backdrop scene to our Workhorse Workshop

come back to see more photos from this workshop tomorrow.....

Tom Triplett and Jay Jay the Welsh Pony

Tom Triplett, (Doc's mentor and step-father) along with his wife Betty,  cared for  Jay Jay, Cathy's Welsh pony, for the last 2 years.  We all thought he would be a good cart driving partner for Tom.  Jay Jay enjoyed life with two standard Donkeys, and being cared for by Tom and Betty.  In the winter of 2011, we all agreed that Jay Jay might benefit from living on the wider open spaces at Therriault Creek Ranch with Doc, Cathy,   their horses, and mule for a while.

Tom knew that if Jay Jay was to live on a ranch, he best be ready to do ranch work.   Tom didn't figure that the light driving harness that Cathy had for Jay Jay was a proper ranch harness. So he made a work harness for Jay Jay.  This one is complete with wooden hames that belonged to Tom's father.

 Tom and Jay Jay

 June 20, 2011, Father's Day, Tom fitted the harness to Jay Jay.  It is perfect! 

In the photo at left, Tom is adjusting Jay Jay's new work harness.  This harness is complete with:

• Painted wooden hames, originally belonging to Tom's father
• Leather belly band, back pad, back straps, lazy straps and crupper
• Fire hose covered chain tugs

Tom, taking Jay Jay for a spin in his new harness: