Riding with Rhythm's Shirley Dubay Shares Her Horsemanship Journey
Shirley Dubay from Riding with Rhythm joins us to share her journey in horsemanship and the community impact of her riding school. From her early days in vocational school to her certification at Meredith Manor, Shirley’s background is rich with experiences—from working with thoroughbreds on the track to becoming a head riding instructor in Colorado.
With her decades of experience, Shirley teaches riders of all ages, focusing on building confidence and skills through engaging lessons. In our conversation, we explored various teaching methods, including games she uses to help students learn while they are in the saddle. She highlights the importance of understanding horse care and the commitment that comes with horse ownership, dispelling common misconceptions along the way.
She discusses her unique facility in Pendleton County, where she offers a range of programs, including private and semi-private lessons, as well as badge work for community organizations like the Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts.
If you're interested in horsemanship or simply want to learn more about the world of horses, this episode is a perfect blend of education, inspiration, and heartfelt stories from someone who truly lives and breathes her passion for riding and teaching.
Takeaways:
- Shirley Dubay shares with us her vast experience and training with horses
- Shirley offers a variety of lessons and community programs, including scouting badge work and hands-on classes for kids.
- Shirley stresses the importance of understanding horse care in addition to learning how to ride.
- She discusses some common misconceptions about horse ownership and gives a warning to parents who may not know the major commitment of time and money involved with making a purchase of a horse.
- Shirley's teaching style emphasizes patience and connection, and her use of games to encourage learning through fun.
Links referenced in this episode:
Companies mentioned in this episode:
- Riding with Rhythm
- No Blink Pictures
- Toad Talk Media
- We Are Grant County
Transcript
So welcome to we are grand county.
Speaker A:And today we have with us Shirley Dube from Riding with Rhythm and Katie.
Speaker B:Jimenez, as usual, your co host.
Speaker A:Thanks for joining us today, Shirley.
Speaker A:So we're just going to jump right into it and get started.
Speaker A:So what is kind of like your background with teaching with any certifications?
Speaker A:Just horsemanship in general.
Speaker A:What's your background with all that?
Speaker C:Okay.
Speaker C:It goes way back to vocational school.
Speaker C:I totally support vocational schools for kids.
Speaker C:I was not exactly college material, so mom and dad put me in bouquet with horses.
Speaker C:And we worked with thoroughbreds on the track and standerbreds on the track.
Speaker C:And that led to going to Meredith Manor School of Horsemanship in West Virginia where.
Speaker C:Where I got certified to be an instructor.
Speaker C:And then I continued at Alfred AG&Tech and got my associates.
Speaker C:Eventually I got a little distracted.
Speaker C:So that's basically the education part of it.
Speaker C:But most people think once you get a degree, you can hop right into it.
Speaker C:I didn't.
Speaker C:I went and trained with trainers at as an apprentice for probably a year, different parts of the country.
Speaker C:I went to Michigan, worked with Chuck Grant.
Speaker C:His wife was an Olympic judge back in the.
Speaker C:Hate to say this, the 70s.
Speaker C:And then I worked for another trainer in Molola, Oregon.
Speaker C:So I found myself in Colorado, accepting a job as the head riding instructor, which led to marriage later, which led to divorce even later.
Speaker A:So roughly how long would you say that you've been instructing.
Speaker C:Consistently?
Speaker C:Let's see, probably from the mid-80s.
Speaker A:So I visited your facility just yesterday, actually, and it was a.
Speaker A:It was really nice setup and I really enjoyed the openness of the barn area.
Speaker A:Stable.
Speaker A:Barn.
Speaker C:Arena.
Speaker C:This is.
Speaker A:This is not my arena.
Speaker A:This is not my strong suit.
Speaker A:So, yeah, arena.
Speaker A:That is the better word for it.
Speaker A:So can you describe, like, riding with rhythm where you're located, like, what facilities that you have.
Speaker A:Okay.
Speaker A:And like, what programs you might offer?
Speaker C:Okay.
Speaker C:The.
Speaker C:I'll start with the arena.
Speaker C:The design of the arena came from one of the trainers I worked for in Molo, Oregon.
Speaker C:His arena was like mine, but attached to his stable.
Speaker C:Since I have a cliff next to my arena, 20ft away, we have plenty of walking space, but not enough room for building on the side.
Speaker C:We set the arena there because the utility lines beyond the tobacco barn.
Speaker C:Anyway, I love the design because you get fresh air all the time when you ride at night.
Speaker C:You can watch the sunset.
Speaker C:It's just.
Speaker C:You get more fresh air.
Speaker C:If I had enclosed the barn, it would be super cold in the winter and super hot in the summer.
Speaker C:So that's why I stuck with that design though.
Speaker C:Everyone asked me, when are you going to finish the walls?
Speaker C:Never.
Speaker C:So the programs we offer at riding with Rhyth, I deal with mostly private lessons.
Speaker C:I do some semi private lessons.
Speaker C:I'm approved by the girl Scouts and the Boy Scouts to do badge work this year.
Speaker C:Hopefully I'll have some American Heritage Girls, which is the Christian version of Girl Scouting and Trail Life, which is the Christian version of Boy Scouting and also the Girl Scouts.
Speaker C:A lot of the girl Scouts want to do boy Scout badges, so I think they're called American Scouts.
Speaker C:I'm not certain, but I'd like to do that as well.
Speaker C:So if there's any leaders out there that need badge work done, I'm ready.
Speaker C:It's a nice break.
Speaker C:And then what else?
Speaker C:I do a share ride.
Speaker C:So if you have a 8 year old and a 6 year old and finances are tight, then the older student rides a little bit longer than the little brother or sister just so they get a taste of it and mom can handle the drive home with both of them riding instead of only one.
Speaker A:So you had.
Speaker C:I'm sorry, no, that's good.
Speaker A:You had mentioned like maybe sibling riding riders and things like that.
Speaker A:Is there like an age group for your students or like what kind of students do you have?
Speaker C:The standard issue in most stables you start at 7.
Speaker C:I have started with 5 year olds who are amazing.
Speaker C:They have the strength.
Speaker C:If they have older siblings, then they have the attention span.
Speaker C:In children's lessons, at the end of the lessons you always play a game.
Speaker C:You can talk to a student till you're blue in the face and with step by step instructions.
Speaker C:But until they take that instruction and apply it, you're wasting your time.
Speaker C:So we do games.
Speaker C:So one of the games is cowboy or cowgirl 21.
Speaker C:They wear a bling belt.
Speaker C:On that belt is hot glued industrial strength Velcro and the Velcro is attached to ping pong balls with points on it.
Speaker C:If you add 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 together you'll get 21.
Speaker C:And that's the name.
Speaker C:Okay, so they have to ride up to a cone and I have small cones upside down and medium sized cones in the wall.
Speaker C:They have to stop their horse, put their reins in one hand, take the ping pong ball off the belt and toss it in the cone.
Speaker C:If they get the cone then they get the score on the ball.
Speaker C:If they miss the cone then the horse gets the points and they love it.
Speaker C:Yeah, that's just one game.
Speaker B:That sounds exactly like what As a rec soccer coach, if you can teach and teach and teach and tell them about the skills.
Speaker B:But if you're not, you know, active, if they're not active in a game, they really don't care.
Speaker C:Most of them, they just want to go, go, go, go.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker B:And so that's what they want to really enjoy.
Speaker B:And so that's what it sounds like.
Speaker B:I mean, I can imagine being way more interested in playing the game, riding around and, you know, well, the adults.
Speaker C:I have complained that we don't play enough games.
Speaker C:They want to play the games that the kids get, you know.
Speaker A:So you do adult classes, too?
Speaker C:Oh, yes.
Speaker C:I started at like 5 or 6, depending on the maturity level, and go to wherever they're physically able to ride.
Speaker A:Awesome.
Speaker C:You asked me one time, or I saw it in your questions about the different types of lessons I start.
Speaker C:If a person has never seen a horse or they've seen a horse but never touched a horse, so they're all nervous and they're all anxious and they're clinging to the gate because they don't know whether they're going to run back to the car or do this.
Speaker C:I start with a three and a half.
Speaker C:Okay, So a three and a half is three and a half hours.
Speaker C:The first lesson is an hour and a half.
Speaker C:In that lesson, we learn about the vision of the horse.
Speaker C:Can they see us from this distance?
Speaker C:Are they looking at us?
Speaker C:Stuff like that.
Speaker C:Then we talk about the halter, and I actually put it on my head and explain.
Speaker C:The circles on the side of the halter go by the eyes and down where the muzzle goes.
Speaker C:It's kind of a square shape to think about.
Speaker C:That's the teeth.
Speaker C:The teeth go through the hole.
Speaker C:So we start with the basics.
Speaker C:They learn how to lead a horse without getting stepped on, how to turn a horse, how to stop a horse, how to thank a horse.
Speaker C:A lot of people don't thank their horse.
Speaker C:We do a lot of love.
Speaker C:So whenever we stop, we pet.
Speaker C:We still have a lead rope in our right hand, but we pet the horse and we thank them, and then we move on.
Speaker C:And then they learn how to groom, how to pick up the feet and pick the feet one at a time, of course.
Speaker C:And then they learn to saddle and bridle.
Speaker C:Normal lessons.
Speaker C:I have a timer.
Speaker C:We set it for 15 minutes, and the kids set it.
Speaker C:Where's the timer, Ms. Shirley?
Speaker C:It's on my desk.
Speaker C:And they go get the timer.
Speaker C:They sign in on the calendar.
Speaker C:They set the timer, get their equipment out first, get their halter and lead rope, go catch the horses, which is normally standing there watching them.
Speaker C:And then they learn.
Speaker C:You know, they start grooming.
Speaker C:If the buzzer goes off and they're not done, that takes away from riding time, and they know it.
Speaker C:So they hustle.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker A:So you had mentioned to us before when we had spoken was hoh.
Speaker A:So what does that stand for?
Speaker C:Hands On Horse.
Speaker C:Hands On Horse is a horsemanship program for all my youth students that want to participate.
Speaker C:I really think it's important for kids to understand how the horses.
Speaker C:The maintenance of a horse.
Speaker C:Everybody wants to own a horse.
Speaker C:They don't realize that if you own a horse, your vacation time is over.
Speaker C:You're home every day feeding that horse twice a day, and you're taking care of him, cleaning up his house, cleaning him up, feeding him, buying hay or making your own hay.
Speaker C:And then we do different topics.
Speaker C:Like, every month is a different topic, like telling the age of a horse.
Speaker C:And I try and do topics that the kids can be active at, so telling the age.
Speaker C:We use play DOH and put it in a cardboard mold of a skull.
Speaker C:And I read a poem.
Speaker C:And they learn that, okay, the first two T's are these two, and then these two, then these two.
Speaker C:And another month might be vital records.
Speaker C:So we take their temperature.
Speaker C:That's always comical.
Speaker C:And then we put stethoscopes on and we listen to their heart and their gut.
Speaker C:So it's all very active.
Speaker C:Or if we're talking about the hoof, because with no hoof, no horse, no fun, I give them a lunch bag of supplies.
Speaker C:In that bag is two styrofoam cups.
Speaker C:Cut.
Speaker C:One is the outside of the hoof, one is a coffin bone inside.
Speaker C:Then there's a piece that goes on the bottom, and then a little triangle for the frog.
Speaker C:So they're busy learning the parts, but they're also doing stuff.
Speaker C:It's a great class.
Speaker A:I love it.
Speaker C:And you don't have to be a horse owner to do this.
Speaker C:You can be anybody who is, like, crazy over horses.
Speaker C:Like I was when I was a kid.
Speaker C:I wanted to learn everything about them.
Speaker A:So, Shirley, your facility, Riding with Rhythm, is in Pendleton County?
Speaker C:Yes.
Speaker A:And we're all sitting here today knowing that we are talking about a podcast called We Are Grant County.
Speaker A:So how does Riding with Rhythm serve and connect with residents from Grant County?
Speaker A:Do you have many that go there?
Speaker A:Do you have programs outside of.
Speaker A:Like, do you go and do programs within the community?
Speaker C:I can.
Speaker C:I can go to different parts of the community whenever they ask me I have gone down to Cynthiana to a homeschool co op and did a program down there.
Speaker C:I love to take my horses with me, but I don't have a trailer yet.
Speaker C:But a lot of my students are from Grant County.
Speaker C:A lot are from the Tri State.
Speaker C:I have adult students driving down from Ohio.
Speaker C:I taught at Great Oaks Career center in dent, Ohio for 22 years in the evening until they closed down campus.
Speaker C:That kind of forced me into retirement from there, but.
Speaker C:So I serve not only Grant county, but lots of counties.
Speaker A:So what are some of the main challenges of running?
Speaker A:Would you call it a school?
Speaker A:Would you call it.
Speaker A:Okay, so.
Speaker A:So what would be some of the main challenges that you would have for your riding school?
Speaker A:Could it be, you know, weather or just cost overall, seasonal issues?
Speaker C:I think the hardest is getting my name out there.
Speaker C:Advertising in magazines is very expensive.
Speaker C:Radio is expensive.
Speaker C:So I go to different vendoring events, bring my posters for hoh, bring pamphlets, go to Girl Scout meetings, go to American Heritage meetings.
Speaker C:I'm all over the map.
Speaker C:But that's one of the best biggest challenges is advertising.
Speaker C:The teaching part is easy because it's very natural for me.
Speaker C:I can evaluate a kid really quickly while I'm watching them come out of the car.
Speaker C:I know exactly where they're at, you know.
Speaker C:Does that answer your question?
Speaker C:I think so, pretty much.
Speaker C:Okay.
Speaker A:Are there any misconceptions that people may have about writing lessons or just horse care in general that you'd like to dispel?
Speaker C:Well, I've met a lot of my students that have bought a horse thinking it's as easy to take care of a horse as it is to take care of a dog.
Speaker C:And they are totally different.
Speaker C:Totally different.
Speaker B:Besides just the sheer size.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker C:Right.
Speaker B:Like you would think.
Speaker B:Compounded.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:But yes, children don't necessarily think about that.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker B:Or adults, I should say.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker C:I have a student now that wants to buy a horse, but she's all over the map with sports, you know, all these activities and vacations.
Speaker C:You know, they may go on a vacation every other month.
Speaker C:Who's going to take care of that horse?
Speaker C:You know, and especially if you have a horse on medication, you know, who do you really know that can take care of that horse on medication?
Speaker C:And you don't know until after you buy it, because people, when they're selling horses are not always honest.
Speaker C:I bought a horse that.
Speaker C:It was not disclosed at the time that she had Cushing's.
Speaker C:So she's on a pill every day of her life and it's not cheap, but I'd work overtime for her.
Speaker C:You know, I could have probably went back on the person, but I bought her out of New Hampshire and she came down in February.
Speaker C:So she was massively hairy.
Speaker C:She looked more like a llama than a horse.
Speaker C:And then by spring, when she didn't shed out, I knew she had Cushing's.
Speaker C:So all that time she was not on medication because I didn't know, because she didn't disclose it.
Speaker C:So horse ownership, there's a lot involved in the wintertime.
Speaker C:Water troughs freeze, hoses freeze.
Speaker C:If Your barn is 100ft from your house, guess how you're going to get the water there.
Speaker C:There's a lot of work in maintaining a horse farm and keeping the horses up.
Speaker A:So what advice might you give somebody who's interested in starting riding lessons?
Speaker C:Come to me, give me a call.
Speaker C:Give me a call.
Speaker B:I'll tell you exactly what you need to do.
Speaker A:Ye.
Speaker C:Well, I even do the three and a half pack for adults.
Speaker C:And a lot of adults say, oh, I rode when I was a teenager, or I rode in college and now they're retired and they want to get back into it.
Speaker C:Well, that's 30 years, 40 years ago.
Speaker C:So I have a mounting block.
Speaker C:We never mount a horse from the ground.
Speaker C:Not even when you're 6 or 80.
Speaker C:You know, we use a mounting block so the saddle isn't shifting while you're trying to get up there.
Speaker C:Because I have a horse at 16, two hands, that's huge.
Speaker C:You know, most of the girls are 15 too.
Speaker C:So 15 times 4 plus 2 inches, that's how high the horse is to the top of the neck.
Speaker A:I didn't know we were doing math today.
Speaker C:I know.
Speaker C:I was like, hold on, let's calculate this.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker C:So what was your question again?
Speaker C:I got off.
Speaker A:No, I mean, that was basically what.
Speaker A:What advice would you give somebody if they were just going to start out and you did?
Speaker C:Okay, I mean, I would start with a three and a half pack, get used to the horse.
Speaker C:Again, start.
Speaker C:Because when people groom horses, that's when they relax.
Speaker C:I've worked at centers up in Ohio.
Speaker C:You get out of the car, you get on the horse, you ride for an hour, you get back in the car, you're done.
Speaker C:You never get to meet the horse, really.
Speaker C:It's just moving.
Speaker C:You don't meet the personality.
Speaker C:Grooming, you learn about the personality.
Speaker B:Do you have.
Speaker A:You've kind of touched on it, like with different examples that you've given, but maybe some, like, success stories or like, you really Saw this one student transform anything like that that you'd have to share.
Speaker C:That's a hard.
Speaker C:That's a hard one.
Speaker A:I try to throw one of those in at least.
Speaker A:Yeah, you did.
Speaker C:Just now.
Speaker C:Up in Ohio, I worked for the park district and we started a program for the deaf, which developed into handicap.
Speaker C:And I had this young man who had downs.
Speaker C:He was non verbal.
Speaker C:He was a stocky little boy.
Speaker C:And his two sisters, his mother and his grandmother rode with me one evening.
Speaker C:They were great.
Speaker C:So the grandfather came up to me one day and he said, I'm really worried about my grandson because he doesn't talk.
Speaker C:I said, he doesn't need to talk.
Speaker C:I said, we just went out on that trail ride.
Speaker C:When we got to the edge of the woods, because I rode in the same saddle with this little fella, he stopped the horse, looked up at this branch, looked at my head to see if I would hit the branch and move the horse to the left to avoid the branch.
Speaker C:Now tell me he's not talking to me.
Speaker C:It was amazing.
Speaker C:It was amazing.
Speaker C:I saw him years later and he saw me and I saw him and I saw the family.
Speaker C:He started running toward me.
Speaker C:I started running toward him.
Speaker C:And I'm thinking, oh, man, this is going to hurt.
Speaker B:I would say you're quite small in stature, so I can only imagine.
Speaker C:Does that answer your question?
Speaker A:It does, yes.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker A:So what is next for riding with rhythm?
Speaker C:Okay.
Speaker C:One of the thoughts we have is the two buildings that are attached to the back of the arena, which we use for the viewing room, where parents can view and hear the lessons.
Speaker C:When the weather is bad or when it's freezing, they can go in there where it's heated, which is next to my office.
Speaker C:And then there's another building which is the tack room in the storeroom.
Speaker C:We'd like to take that same design and put it on the front of the building and turn those into four stalls.
Speaker C:They'll each have their own tack room.
Speaker C:And I'm thinking about boarding.
Speaker A:Okay, that's.
Speaker B:That's another issue with some parents and families, at least from previous experiences with friends who have had horses stabling them if, you know, they live in a city or so.
Speaker B:I didn't know if we'd get there naturally or if I.
Speaker B:But I was wondering about that.
Speaker B:So you're basically currently.
Speaker C:You don't.
Speaker C:I do not board currently, but traveling to see your horse is tough.
Speaker C:Yeah, I had a horse before any of this ever started.
Speaker C:I was living in Kentucky, working for the park district up in Winton.
Speaker C:Woods.
Speaker C:And then I drive another 15 minutes to see my horse at a boarding stable, ride her before all the teenagers got there in the barn, got swamped with people, and then I drive home.
Speaker C:So I only got to see my horse an hour a day if I had time to go to the stable.
Speaker C:So.
Speaker C:Yeah, and then you have to find a stable that fits your needs.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker C:You know, if you want to do trail riding.
Speaker C:I'm not the one because I don't have trail rides yet.
Speaker C:Okay.
Speaker C:If you want to do horse shows, I managed a high end equestrian center up in Ohio for a year.
Speaker C:It was a year contract.
Speaker C:We did horse shows every month.
Speaker C:Some months we did two.
Speaker C:So some of the boarders loved it because they were into showing.
Speaker C:Some of them did not love it because they weren't into showing.
Speaker C:So they really should have found a facility that was quiet, that didn't do that kind of stuff, and then they wouldn't have been bothered with the shows.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker C:So for finding the right place, it sounds board.
Speaker B:Yeah, that sounds like.
Speaker B:So when you.
Speaker B:When Michelle asked about advice for, you know, parents and people interested, doing your research sounds like really important.
Speaker B:So besides the type of lessons and things like that, finding a place that will meet the needs that you have.
Speaker C:Right.
Speaker C:And the cost.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:Very true.
Speaker A:I think, I think I've got another difficult question for you.
Speaker C:I know, I saw those wheels turning.
Speaker C:Go ahead.
Speaker A:So just trying to.
Speaker A:You, you've been around horses for many, many years and you, you own horses and things like that.
Speaker A:So what is probably the, the horse name that.
Speaker A:That kind of sticks with you the most, whether it was something that you owned or like a horse name that somebody else had, because they're all.
Speaker A:Some of them can be like a horse named Michelle like me, or it could be something like totally off the wall.
Speaker A:Like what is some.
Speaker B:What are you talking about, like racing names for?
Speaker A:Not necessarily.
Speaker B:Not.
Speaker A:I mean, you work for thoroughbreds, but I'm not necessarily talking about like derby names.
Speaker A:Like, what are some kind of names that may stand out to you or any stories that might go with that particular horse.
Speaker B:Hmm.
Speaker C:I think a cool name is Athena.
Speaker C:But then when I looked it up, it was not a cool name.
Speaker C:That's really hard.
Speaker C:Most people name their horse the color of it, or if it's a western horse, they come up with some kind of Indian name or Navajo name.
Speaker C:A lot of people will not change the name if they buy a horse.
Speaker C:If the horse came with the name Bella, they don't change it.
Speaker C:Bella.
Speaker C:I didn't change snickers.
Speaker C:I didn't change.
Speaker C:I guess I haven't changed a whole lot of them.
Speaker C:Thinking back.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker C:Snickers used to live on this road.
Speaker A:Okay.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker C:From Kathy.
Speaker A:There you go.
Speaker B:Okay.
Speaker A:And I know that we've not touched on it today or not yet.
Speaker A:At least you've talked about.
Speaker A:Because we got Halloween coming up.
Speaker A:So you've talked about some Halloween costumes that you've made in the past, and you've got one kind of that you're working on now that you actually, like, put on the horses.
Speaker C:Oh, yeah.
Speaker A:So you want to tell us a little bit about that?
Speaker C:It's called Halloween Bash.
Speaker C:It's the third Friday of October.
Speaker C:It all started because I like to sew.
Speaker C:But as the event comes closer, I'm getting tired of sewing, but so I make costumes for my horses.
Speaker C:I take a fly mask that the horse can see through, and I paint a certain face on it.
Speaker C:So a couple years ago, I did one of the Beast.
Speaker C:So I had one horse.
Speaker C:The Beast.
Speaker C:One horse.
Speaker A:Is it Bella?
Speaker A:Beauty and the Beast, Yeah.
Speaker C:Beauty and the Beast I've only seen a million times.
Speaker B:Come on.
Speaker A:I know.
Speaker C:Keep me tip.
Speaker C:So I just come.
Speaker C:It just strikes me what I want to do for the year.
Speaker C:So we did that one.
Speaker C:It took me, like, almost a skein of brown wool just to do his dreadlocks.
Speaker C:And he hangs in my office very proudly.
Speaker C:That's my favorite costume.
Speaker C:But sometimes it takes the horse a little bit to get used to it.
Speaker C:One of the costumes that came up this year, which I can't tell till after October, the horse took off in the field.
Speaker C:I went up with a pattern piece for the shoulder.
Speaker C:And he's like, you're not touching me with that.
Speaker C:But now I have him to the point, just introducing it one day a little bit to all the horses.
Speaker C:And then I'll just go up to them, and they'll look at it like, don't touch me.
Speaker C:And then the next day it'll be, well, that's not that bad.
Speaker C:And then the next day, they'll start wearing it.
Speaker C:So it's a fun event.
Speaker C:It's my way of saying thank you to my students for that year, whether they're kids or parents or adults, it's a fun event for everyone.
Speaker C:We start with the HOH class, Hands on Horse.
Speaker C:And then those kids in that class, and only those kids help me dress the horses.
Speaker C:By coming to class, you get a little bit more privileges.
Speaker C:They'll help me dress with adult volunteer help.
Speaker C:Then we have a parade of costumes.
Speaker C:And those Kids will lead the horses, and the siblings and families are all in the arena along the wall.
Speaker C:And the little ones guess the costum.
Speaker C:If they get the costume correct, then they get a little bag of candy.
Speaker C:So every family brings just one small bag of candy.
Speaker C:One year, I had a lady bring a shopping bag and another lady.
Speaker C:And then the other families, I had candy till spring.
Speaker C:So just one small bag of candy.
Speaker C:And then we get the parade over with.
Speaker C:Those kids help me undress the horses, we turn them out, they leave the arena, and then we do funny relay races with everybody.
Speaker C:Everybody who wants to join, whether it's parents or just kids and me.
Speaker C:And they're fun.
Speaker C:They're farm, like wheelbarrow racing and barrel racing.
Speaker C:It's fun.
Speaker A:So how can listeners connect with you, Shirley, And Riding with Rhythm, if they're interested in learning horsemanship, riding lessons, any of that kind of stuff?
Speaker C:Okay.
Speaker C:They can check out my website, Riding with Rhythm.
Speaker C:On there is my phone number.
Speaker A:Is it ridingwithrhythm.com?
Speaker C:Yes.
Speaker A:Okay.
Speaker C: d I have been certified since: Speaker C:And a lot.
Speaker C:That brings up another point.
Speaker C:A lot of stables, the instructors are not certified.
Speaker C:They might have grew up on the back of a horse, but it doesn't mean they can teach.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker C:And teaching, you need patience.
Speaker C:I found out last night a little boy went to camp.
Speaker C:The counselors wouldn't let him ride because he was too hyper, so they gave him farm chores.
Speaker C:That is so unfair.
Speaker C:He's riding with me.
Speaker C:It takes patience.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker C:But he's a great kid.
Speaker C:You know that.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker A:So is there anything that you'd like to cover today that we've not covered?
Speaker C:I think we've got it all done.
Speaker B:Check all the boxes.
Speaker C:Check all the boxes.
Speaker C:Let's see.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:She kept us on script today.
Speaker B:We didn't get to go very far off and tell any crazy stories.
Speaker C:Oh, I do have one thing.
Speaker A:Yeah?
Speaker C:A lot of people will call, and they say, do you teach Western or English?
Speaker B:Okay.
Speaker C:Okay.
Speaker C:I teach a centered seat.
Speaker C:It's called.
Speaker C:I have converted that to a biomechanical system.
Speaker C:So when my students learn to ride, they learn the sequence of the legs of the horse first, the walk, trot, and then they start to feel all these things.
Speaker C:So I may hold the horse and move the horse one step, and I'll say, what leg was that that moved on the horse?
Speaker C:And they'll learn to be more sensitive to what's going on in their body to match the horse's body.
Speaker C:In other words, if you Go to a place and you see a cup like a wedding, and you see an older couple dancing a couples dance, and they are just in sync with each other.
Speaker C:It's really beautiful.
Speaker C:That's my goal with the horse.
Speaker C:I try to teach people to be in sync with the horse.
Speaker C:It's easier on the horse.
Speaker C:It's easier on their bodies as well.
Speaker C:So biomechanics.
Speaker C:It's great.
Speaker B:So does that not fit into either category?
Speaker C:Yes.
Speaker B:Okay.
Speaker C:So does if you can ride biomechanically, you can ride saddle seat, western, English dressage.
Speaker B:Gotcha.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker B:For us non super informed horse people.
Speaker A:Over here, Shirley, when we met the other day, you were talking to me about a new horse that you had gotten.
Speaker A:Do you have any fundraising activities or things coming up that you raise money for so that you can purchase animals?
Speaker C:Yes, we do.
Speaker C:We started this last year.
Speaker C:It's called the Christmas vendor craft shop.
Speaker C:I invited, like, 17 different vendors out.
Speaker C:It takes place in the arena.
Speaker C:My students are gracious enough to make baskets for donations.
Speaker C:So when people come out, we have free parking.
Speaker C:They can go into the arena, go from shop to shop, and then in the center of the arena is all the baskets, and we have bid sheets.
Speaker C:So let's say you came in and you fell in love with one of the baskets, and you put a bid down.
Speaker C:Then you realize you couldn't come back to pick it up because of scheduling.
Speaker C:Then you could purchase the basket.
Speaker C:Then, of course, it would cost you a little bit more money.
Speaker C:But it was a huge success.
Speaker C:We ended up making $2,000 in one day, and the vendors just had to pay for their space.
Speaker C:I don't do a percentage.
Speaker C:That's none of my business.
Speaker C:And that money went to purchasing the thoroughbred that we use today.
Speaker A:Awesome.
Speaker C:Yes.
Speaker C:It was great.
Speaker C:It was so much fun.
Speaker C:And that is scheduled for November 1, which is a Saturday.
Speaker A:Okay.
Speaker A:And we will.
Speaker A:We'll put that information in the show notes so people can learn more about it.
Speaker C:Thank you.
Speaker C:I'd appreciate that.
Speaker A:Absolutely.
Speaker A:So thank you so much, Shirley, today for joining us.
Speaker C:And we love having me.
Speaker A:You're welcome.
Speaker A:And we loved hearing you share stories about writing with rhythm to our listeners.
Speaker A:Thank you for spending part of your day with us.
Speaker A:And don't forget to subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with a friend.
Speaker A:We are Michelle and Katie, and this is.
Speaker A:We are Grant county, where we celebrate our community one voice at a time.
Speaker B:Thank you.
Speaker C:Thank you.
Speaker B:Thank you so much, Shirley.
