Dear
Friends,
Time gallops by all too
quickly anymore...we missed sending out our WHR spring
update and a recap of our winter in Arizona, so here it
is, plus all our summer and fall news!
This past winter was
the culmination of many years' successes in Wil's
pursuit of offering only the finest in horses, the niche
we carved out for ourselves and have focused on for many
years now. The good Lord has continued to bless us
with great clients even in the midst of a down economy,
being able to serve people who truly appreciate the time
and work that goes into our horses.
Howe it
Works...
Our Arizona
winter location works well, offering the attraction of a
warm climate, giving folks a break from the winter
doldrums the rest of the country endures, allowing them
to ride their new-to-be horses in the sun while focusing
making future plans for their new steed. We've
also found that, with everyone's schedule already too
busy these days, our clients really appreciate the
options we offer, such as taking a deposit to hold a
horse until they can come view him. We can also board a
horse for several months while he continues in our
training program free of charge, until the new owner can
conveniently take possession in the spring or early
summer when the weather clears. This eliminates the
stress of taking on a new horse in mid-winter. Any
custom work or exposure training that may be necessary
to suit a particular horse activity or need for a client
is included as well.
After an initial visit,
many people find they would like to go home and
rearrange their barnyard or facilities to enhance their
horse experience. Much of this ranch and stable design
advice and education comes free of charge, included in
our daily interactions during our schools or private
clinics. Further consulting for specific needs can be
arranged by appointment.
When stepping up to a
new WHR horse that is well-trained, success depends on a
commitment to learning how the horse has been trained,
how to get along with the horse, and how to maintain
him. We settle for nothing short of success for
our clients by insisting on this commitment. Continuing
education creates successful, happy clients who get all
the enjoyment they dream of from their relationship with
their new WHR gelding. As some people have difficulty
fitting our class dates into their schedule, we are
becoming more flexible to accommodate private clinics for both our horse
clients and private parties. This seems to be working
out quite well.
This past winter and
spring was our busiest season yet, with nine of our
geldings finding new homes and many more folks waiting
in line for the perfect match--proof yet again that the
good ones are always in demand, and now more than
ever. Remember, we're the match-makers! See photos
and stories below, and click here to view our current WHR
geldings.
As the economy takes
its course, we are sitting back and holding steady with
our Oregon property. Though we are tempted to move on,
it is a great ranch and allows us to do what we
do. We still love the area and all it offers;
however, if the right buyer comes along, we are still
motivated to downsize as we have talked about for years.
So, as we have said before, take advantage of us
while we are still doing our northern schools and
clinics for "hungry horsemen" here at our eastern Oregon
Home Ranch! Enjoy the bunkhouse lodging,
healthy, organic country breakfasts, covered arena, huge
outdoor arena beside a rushing river, lush pastures,
trees, flowers, and high desert Hells Canyon and Eagle
Cap Mountain trails close by.
We still plan to
escape the late-summer heat at the end of August and hit
the back country high mountain trails in eastern Idaho
and return to Wyoming to go cowboy again, so we don't
have any dates available for private clinics or
appointments until after mid-September.
Our Fall
Schedule...
This fall we'll have a
special Return Riders & WHR Horse Client
Invitational Rendezvous September 11 to
16--four days of tune-up, cow work, and
back-country trail riding...the Wil Howe bridle-horse
way! Included in this is a celebration of Wil's 70th
birthday and meeting up later at the 101st Pendleton
Round-Up Rodeo September 16, where Wil & Beverly
will again be riding in the parade and doing PR work
with their horses downtown across from Hamley's at the
home of renowned artist saddle maker, Monte Beckman's
Saddle Shop. Come join in the fun and excitement!
Later, we'll be
offering another two-to-four day Fall Colors
Retreat October 26th-30th for more trail
training, back-country riding and horsemanship. If the
cattle are still here, we'll offer a cow working day
too! We're also taking appointments for private clinics
through mid-November. Go to our Private Clinics page online
to pick and choose your curriculum.
2012 Winter
Schedule
Our
Arizona Winter Southwest OutPost school course schedule
will run the same as last year, with several offerings
starting in January:
Jan - From Foundation to
Finished 6-day
Jan - Cow Working Clinic
3-day
Jan - Outback Trail
Training
Feb - Beverly's Ladies Only!
Practical Horsemanship 4-day
Feb - From Foundation to
Finished
Feb - Cow Working Clinic
3-day
Mar - Beverly's Cowgirls Only!
Performance Horsemanship 4-day
Mar - Return Riders' Versatility
Clinic 3-day
Specific dates will be available at our
website September first.
We have lots of
options to make it easy for you to advance your
horsemanship, like the 2-4-6-Day
Option or private clinic
scheduling. No reason to miss out on your horse
activities & learning opportunities because it's
wet, snowy, or cold outside...break away and spend your
time wisely! You don't even have to bring your horse,
you can rent the use of a WHR gelding. It's easy, and
getting better educated is the best thing you can do for
your horse back home. Did we mention that the sun shines
everyday??? Y'all come now, ya hear?!