Contact Info

Falling Star Ranch

Birgit Stutz and
Marc Lavigne
General Delivery
Dunster, B.C.
V0J 1J0
Canada
Phone/Fax
(250) 968-6801

"Ask not what your horse can do for you.
Ask what you can do for your horse."

- Chris Irwin

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Welcome to the Falling Star Ranch

Training, Lessons, Clinics, Camps

Horse Training

Falling Star Ranch offers horse training services using non-resistance techniques based on Chris Irwin's philosophy in both English and Western style. Birgit is a Chris Irwin Gold Certified Trainer and Coach and has been mentored by Chris Irwin for the past five years. Click here for biography on Birgit.

At Falling Star Ranch, it's the horse that matters. On our 80-acre ranch, we provide the very best care, feed and training programs created specifically for your horse. Birgit works with you and your horse to help you achieve your goals.

Turn...
... Fear into confidence
... Rudeness into respect
... Distraction into focus
... Defiance into willingness

References Training Philosophy Horse Owner Involvement Priorities for Training Types of Training Basic Training/Handling Ground Work Training Colt Starting/Basic Saddle Training Conditioning Advanced Saddle Training/Refinement Training Trail Training Re-Schooling and Tune-Ups of Older Horses Training to Resolve Behavioural Issues Options Fees Requirements Check out our facilities

"Do for your horse what no other horse can do for him." - Chris Irwin

"Horsemanship is an ongoing journey that requires practice, patience, perseverance, calm, compassion, empathy, assertiveness, awareness, focus, courage and the ability to be pro-active while multi-tasking to a high degree. These qualities of the rider's mind can only be communicated clearly to the horse by a rider who can effectively use his or her body language with consistently centred riding aids that are supple and as soft or as strong as necessary. The more we know, the more willingness we can get from our horses with greater ease and less resistance." - Chris Irwin

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Training Philosophy

At the Falling Star Ranch, Birgit's goal is to train horses, not to break them. All horses are handled and trained in accordance with Chris Irwin's non-resistance principles. Birgit, a Chris Irwin Gold Certified Trainer and Coach, works with the horse, and not against it, in an assertive, non-threatening way, using positive reinforcement and verbal praise.

The non-resistance training principles are based on the concept of getting the horse's body, spirit and mind ready, able and willing to say "yes" to whatever we want it to do.

Birgit believes in the importance of solid foundation training. Whether dealing with a young or an adult horse, Birgit always starts all training with ground work which helps develop a foundation for a good relationship between the horse and trainer. Birgit also uses the principles of classical dressage as a basic training tool for every discipline.

If working with a "problem" horse or if a problem arises during training, Birgit tries to properly identify the problem and what causes it. She then focuses on eliminating the root of the problem (the cause) in order to solve the problem, instead of applying a quick-fix band-aid to solve the problem. Birgit believes that if the cause isn't eliminated, the problem will remain or reoccur.

All of Birgit's handling, training and riding is carefully geared to engender calmness, willingness, focus, respect, trust and sensitivity. During the training process, Birgit's goal is to keep the stress level low by keeping things simple and consistent and to establish a positive pattern of success. Birgit wishes for the horse to become a happy, safe, sane, calm, relaxed, level-headed, reliable, willing, responsive, balanced, focused and collected equine partner, instead of a scared, inverted, braced, angry, sullen, high-strung or defeated animal. It is Birgit's belief that riding should be a pleasure, both for the rider and the horse, and not a daily struggle, exhausting for the rider and excrutiating for the horse.
Patience is a key factor in the training process, and Birgit feels that it takes several years to produce a well trained, all-around horse. In Birgit's experience, it generally takes a minimum of three month for the horse to be confident with its new skills and ready to return to the owner. Some horses may take a bit longer than three months, while others may require less time.

"You can't teach a horse if it is afraid, confused, bored or tired."

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Horse Owner Involvement

Owners are encouraged to come and observe the ongoing training during the training sessions to fully understand how the horse is being trained. Included in the monthly training fee is one riding lesson per month for the owner of the horse in training. It is highly recommended that owners take the lesson(s) before taking their horse home to ensure they understand how their horse is trained in order to keep working with their horse along the same lines and to make sure that the owner understands how to correctly ask the horse what he/she has been taught as well as developing their own skills as a horseman/woman. Just like people, horses can develop bad habits or get lazy. It is important to continually work with a horse if the rider wants the horse to mature as a mount. Birgit is always looking for the best way to communicate with each individual horse and then share the information with its owner/rider.

If the training horse has already been started on the trails, Birgit will take the owner out on the trail riding a Falling Star Ranch horses while Birgit rides the training horse.. That way the owner is able to see their horse on the trail and how Birgit rides him/her. The second step involves the owner riding his/her horse on the trail while Birgit rides a Falling Star Ranch horse. This is to make sure that the owner and his/her horse are "on the same page".

Assistance by phone or email is available to Falling Star Ranch clients after they take their horse home in case they have any additional questions regarding their horse's training.

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Priorities for Training

• Safety of the horse and handler/rider
• Consistency and clarity of requests
• Psychological well-being of the horse
• Developing mutual respect, trust and understanding between horse and rider
• Confidence building for the horse
• Owner/handler's active participation in the process

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Types of Training

Basic Training

Basic training includes teaching the horse ground manners and respect for and confidence and trust in people.

Basic Training includes:

• Leading
• Standing tied
• Trailer-loading
• Standing still for grooming and handling
• Picking up feet
• Standing still for farrier
• Getting used to spray bottles
• Getting used to being blanketed

Other tasks can be added according to the owner's requests.

Trailer loading

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Ground Work Training

Ground work, if properly done, will prevent or correct many problems. It is the foundation for having a horse's trust and respect, in other words, accept and look to the handler as its leader. The goal is to have a well-behaved, responsive, happy, relaxed horse so he can be a willing partner to its human.

Ground Work Training includes:

• Round penning
• In-hand leading
• Lungeing (includes teaching voice commands for walk, trot/jog, canter/lope, stop (whoa) as well as slow down on command)
• Long-lining (ground driving)
• Teaching the horse how to turn, back, sidepass, stand still, jump small obstacles, going over, under, between or over obstacles
• Sacking out/distressing (exposure to potentially "scary" things like plastic bags, trash bags, umbrellas, tarps, flags, ropes, etc.)
• Lateral and vertical supplying
• Disengaging the hindquarters
• Teaching the horse how to carry a saddle
• Teaching the horse to accept the bit
• Teaching the horse to accept pressure on the bit with the use of side-reins and long lines
• Teaching the horse how to carry himself properly with tack

Sacking out/De-stressing	Sacking out/De-stressing
Sacking out/De-stressing
Round penning	Lungeing
Long-lining

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Basic Saddle Training/Colt Starting

Creating a solid foundation with a horse so that its mind, body and spirit are ready, willing and able to perform in any discipline.

Training is tailored to the individual needs of your horse and is focused on creating a calm, confident, willing, respectful horse that says "yes" to whatever is asked.

Basic Saddle Training includes:

• Teaching the horse to stand still for mounting/dismounting
• Teaching the horse to accept a rider and carry the rider comfortably
• Teaching the horse to walk, trot/jog, canter/lope, turn, stop under saddle
• Teaching the horse to understand the rider's aids (seat, leg, hands, voice)
• Teaching the horse to yield to leg and hand pressure

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Conditioning

If your horse has had the winter off and is feeling a little fresh.

If your horse has had time off due to an injury...

If you want your horse to be exercised into a working shape..

... consider sending your horse to Falling Star Ranch for conditioning.

Conditioning is working your horse for a couple of weeks or more to take the edge off or to get your horse into working shape as well as creating a solid work ethic so your horse is ready to go for you.

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Advanced Saddle Training

Advanced saddle training not only focuses on developing a good work ethic in the equine student, it also teaches the horse in training the finer points of being ridden (true bends, canter leads, lateral movements, smooth transitions, contact, more collected gaits, etc.). It also teaches the horse to actively move forward with steady rhythm while staying soft, supple and athletic.

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Trail Training

Exposing the horse to trail riding is done with an older and more experienced trail horse leading the way. Birgit usually ponies the horse in training off an experienced riding horse for the first few times, and then rides the horse in training while following an other rider on an experienced trail horse before venturing out by themselves. The horse in training will be exposed to traffic, bridges, creeks, trash cans, tractors, dogs, wildlife and anything else encountered out on the trail.

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Re-Schooling and Tune-Ups of Older Horses

Falling Star Ranch offers re-schooling and tune-up training for older horses in order to make them more enjoyable and safer for their rider/handler.

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Training to Resolve Behavioural Issues (Problem Solving)

Falling Star Ranch also offers training to resolve behavioural issues in horses. Preventing problems is the ideal, but at times problems arise and often escalate, becoming dangerous and potentially habitual.

Birgit works with an equine massage therapist and veterinarians/equine dentists to rule out pain as well as dental issues as causes for behavioural issues.

The training will then start with ground work in order to find the cause of the problem instead of just applying a quick-fix band-aid.

Bad habits such as bucking, rearing, kicking, striking, bolting, biting, trailer loading problems, standing still for mounting/saddling/fly spraying/clipping, etc. will be addressed in an assertive, but non-threatening way.

All fears and problems are dealt with in a manner that creates trust and respect and builds confidence to quickly eliminate and further prevent problems and fears from reoccurring, creating a safe, relaxed, happy, and willing horse.

Birgit will then also work with the owner to make sure the problem isn't caused by the owner and doesn't resurface as soon as the horse returns home.

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Options

• The horse in training is boarded in its own paddock at Falling Star Ranch for the duration of the training unless otherwise agreed on by both the owner and trainer. The boarding fee is $100.00 per month in the summer time and $200.00 per month in the winter time (included in the training fee). If the owner wishes to board the horse in a box stall, an additional $200.00 per month will be charged for bedding and extra labour. Board includes hay/pasture turnout, minerals, salt, blanketing service, putting on/taking off fly mask, fly spraying - please provide your own blanket, fly mask and fly spray).
• The horse in training is kept at its home and the trainer travels to the owner's property for the training sessions. If the horse is kept at its home during the training period, a trip fee will be charged for each training session. The trip fee depends on the distance the trainer must travel.

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Fees

• The training fee is $800.00 for one month (including paddock board) in the summer time and $900.00 for one month in the winter time (including paddock board) or $40.00 per individual session (board not included).
• If the owner of the horse in training wishes to board the horse in a box stall, an additional $200/month will be charged for bedding and extra labour.
• Extra days of boarding will be charged to the owner on a pro rata basis.
• A trip fee will be charged if the trainer travels to the client's place for the training sessions.
• Discounts are available for multiple (three or more) horses or for horses in training for more than three months.
• All payments must be made in cash, money order, personal cheque or certified cheque prior to the beginning of each month of training.
• Falling Star Ranch requires a $200 deposit (deducted from the $800 training fee) in order to hold a spot for a training horse.
• The owner of the horse in training is responsible for all costs directly related to the training agreement, included but not limited to transportation, veterinarian bills, farrier services, and necessary special equipment.

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Requirements

• In advance of a training horse's arrival, the owner of the horse in training is required to fill out and sign a waiver, medical release form, training agreement and training information form.
• If the horse in training is to be boarded at the Falling Star Ranch, the owner of the horse is further required to fill out and sign a boarding contract and a boarding information sheet.
• If the horse in training is to be boarded at the Falling Star Ranch, a current negative Cogginstest is mandatory. The horse is also required to be up-to-date on immunizations (5-way shot) and regular deworming.
• Up-to-date dental and farrier work are highly recommended to ensure maximum benefit of the training program.
• The owner of the horse in training will provide grain and/or any other supplementary feed (except salt and minerals) as needed for the horse during its stay at Falling Star Ranch. Hay and labour in the care for the training horse's daily needs are included in the board.
• The owner of the horse in training is asked to bring along the training horse's grooming kit, halter and lead rope, as well as bridle, saddle and saddle pad for horses to be trained under saddle.
• Protective boots are recommended for all types of training.
• Blankets are recommended in the winter time.
• Fly masks and fly spray are recommended in the summer time.

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Please email or call us for information regarding horse training.
We look forward to hearing from you!

"The shape of the horse's body is its mind.
We have to earn the right to shape the horse." ~ Chris Irwin

"Repeat frequently, be happy with very little,
and reward generously for progress." - Nuno Oliviera

"The means of getting there, not the end, justifies the result." ~ Chris Irwin

"It's the quality of the journey, not the destination." ~ Chris Irwin

"The biggest enemy to the partnership of training is impatience and the human nature to dominate creatures." ~ Walter Zettl

"A lot of people get along pretty well with their horses until they go to training those horses." ~ Tom Dorrance

"Good horsemanship is not about phases. It's about clarity, feel, and timing." ~ Brent Graef

"There is a HUGE difference between a horse moving to evade pressure, and a horse that is following a feel, seeking the release. Evading pressure is avoidance, and creates brace. A horse that is following a feel and searching for a release is a horse that is thinking, and is much more likely to be supple and soft." ~Brent Graef

"One of the keys to good horsemanship is to work on yourself... get yourself right on the inside... It's not about self-gratification, but more about being at peace, and doing things for the right reasons." ~Brent Graef

"Learn to read your horse, learn to listen to him. If you want to be his leader, be a good, solid and caring leader instead of a dictator." ~Brent Graef

"We as humans have a choice to act like a predator or not. Have you ever seen someone in a round pen chasing a horse around with a flag or throwing ropes? That person is showing the horse he's a predator, and really, he's just teaching the horse distrust, because there is pressure there the horse wants to get away from." ~ Curt Pate

"We can teach the horse to move forward off pressure, but there always has to be somewhere to go to get relief, or else we become predators and he gets suspicious of us. The idea is to teach the horse to accept a certain amount of pressure - and respond to it appropriately - without feeling threatened." ~ Curt Pate

"The softness of the horse starts with softness in the jaw. Never pull on a horse, because when you pull, the horse has to lock his jaw." ~ Francois Baucher

"Your horse needs to respect you if you want her to bond to you. That means you need to set the limits. I am not saying that you should not 'love on' your horse. Go to it! But do it on your terms, not hers. You set the rules, and the most important rule is that she never invades your space. So many other good things in your relationship will flow from that simple rule." ~ Charles Wilhelm

"It is the very difficult horses that have the most to give you." ~ Olympic rider Lendon Gray

"Spoiled horses, difficult horses, and even rogues, can teach us much that is important; the rider who is too well mounted may never really learn to ride." ~ William C. Steinkraus in "Riding and Jumping", quoted in "1,001 Best Things Ever Said About Horses", edited by Steven D. Price.

Page last updated February 13, 2011

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