Canter Club Combining Adolescent Navigated Training and Equine Rescue

Amy Nelson, ND: Head Trainer

One of the first horses I ever trained was a mare named Taxi, who is still ridden and cherished in our barn today. She is often the first horse many children learn to trust. In my horse career, my focus is trust; helping animals trust humans and themselves and helping riders trust horses and themselves.

My main passion for founding CANTER club was to improve the safety skills humans need with horses in the way I knew best—through proper training, understanding, & informed judgment necessary for safe decision making. Connection is what solidifies safety with a horse and this is what we strive for in CANTER Club.

Trust is Earned

CANTER club is an organization that allows youth to learn the values, skills, and horse psychology for re-schooling horses that come from emergent conditions. Horses come to the program from a variety of different circumstances (neglect, financial burden, slaughter rescue, other rescue organizations) with the need for rehabilitation and re-schooling into riding horses. Horses are selected based upon temperament, energy levels, and health. Experienced trainers assist the youth as they bond and build trust.

Fees

Horse and youth are enrolled in an eight-week program, having three possible training sessions each week.
The fee is $35 a week ($280 for the entire eight weeks), which includes an individual, mentored training session and two other possible observation sessions.
Students are required to attend all eight of the weekly individual mentored sessions and at least one observation session.
Youth also have the option to sign up for open riding times during the week and work with their horse. No more than three students will be matched with one horse.
At the end of eight weeks, the horse is available for adoption, lease, or can remain a lesson horse at Healing Rein Stables. Either way, their future is secure.
A working student program is available for students who would like to work for $10 an hour at the barn in exchange for the cost of the course.
Fundraising opportunities exist to contribute to the CANTER Care fund to raise money for horse dental, farrier, and health needs.

SAFETY

What makes being around horses unsafe? When situations exist where the horse is not being understood, is being ignored, or pressured out of their comfort zone. In CANTER club, we learn how to build a relationship with a horse based on trust, confidence, and kindness. Our hope is that students will apply the skills they learned to their riding disciplines, life and friendships.