Horsemanship News

Imagine you are standing next to a horse, physically vulnerable, and mentally terrified. How will you get on? How will you get off? How will you sit in that saddle way off the ground? How will you go, stop, and most importantly, steer? With your mind racing and your body doubtful of this situation, you turn to the volunteer who is smiling at you and say, “Could you please help me?” The Warm Beach Horsemanship program is unique: we provide ...

What brought me to Warm Beach and this beautiful community in this special corner of the country? The answer is simple. The answer is prayer; to the same God who has faithfully led me through every chapter. He has led me through mountains and valleys, over peaks, and through storms. But all metaphors aside, in truth, I am starting over. I am here to begin anew and I am filled with hope for the future God has planned for me ...

There is something remarkable happening down at the barn! When you blend a team with different strengths and skill sets, and they put God first in all they do, avenues open where the love of Christ becomes apparent to all involved. Through this divine orchestration, renewal, connections, and healing take place for individuals who only experience Warm Beach Camp through the Horsemanship program. Pony Club is an educational course where members learn riding techniques and the proper care of horses ...

Most people regard horseback riding as a simple concept: you get on, you go. Sure, there’s some other important details: stopping, going, turning, but how does one accomplish those things? Within the Warm Beach Horsemanship program, we organize our instruction around essential themes that relate to a rider’s life: communication, trust, timing, patience, exploration, balance, feel, preparation, and gratitude. While these are all critical components of riding well, they are also critical to a person living a whole-hearted life. Riders ...

My daughter recently attended the Pony Club Horse Management Camp in Port Orchard with the Warm Beach Horsemanship Pony Club. This was her first away from home event and only her second Pony Club event. She was quite nervous about being away from home and me not being able to join her until late in the evening after the first day’s events. Thankfully, she was blessed by wonderful chaperones who encouraged and reassured her as well as went to classes ...

Mercy stood quietly as the woman next to her burst into tears. She stayed centered and calm as the words tumbled out of Susan’s mouth. The unspoken fears about parenting that Susan had been struggling with made their way to the surface. It was a profound moment for her. A moment when those nagging feelings of dread, hurt, and fear expressed themselves in words for the first time. Through the tears, Mercy was her rock as she held this sacred ...

As we age, our inclination is to be safer. There is more at risk as we mature: employment that we need to show up for because we have monetary obligations (hard to do if you’re injured), families to care for, and obligations in our community. We take fewer risks with our time, our bodies, and our resources. This is why I am always so impressed and inspired by our riders who are pushing their boundaries by getting on the back ...

On this particular Friday, twelve pairs of eyes looked down at Onyx and I from the arena grandstands. As I sat on Onyx’s sturdy frame, I looked back at the twelve campers. My mind flashed to Monday, the first day of camp. There was one camper who had been scared to get on her horse. However, after some reassurance and coaxing she had said she would try to ride. “I am so proud of you for pushing through your fear! ...

About a year ago, a wonderful 85-year-old grandmother entered my life. She approached us with the interest of taking riding lessons after many years of being out of the saddle. Inez grew up with horses and even raised a horse from a foal to his last day on earth. Her daughter was involved in a local Pony Club and Inez had ridden until her kids moved on to adulthood. She deeply missed riding and the bond that comes with riding ...

Hope in the context of the Bible is not the same as hope in the context of our current culture. Our culture often uses hope as wishful thinking, "I hope so…." Biblical hope, on the other hand, is an assurance of a promise that will come to pass! Down at the Stables, we have another "Hope" I'd like you to get to know. A large, beautiful, gentle giant of a draft horse named Hope. As an equine partner in our ...

Pictured, Rachel Tilgner, WB Horsemanship Program Assistant, Barn Manager, Instructor, Pony Club member Our role as educators and mentors is to bring someone younger up to our level as quickly as possible and then catapult them into the future. With support, they will accomplish more with the balance of their lifetime than could be accomplished with the balance of ours. Whether we’re talking about how to ride and train horses or discipling people about the intrinsic qualities of Christ, the ...

“I have learned more about being a person from a horse than I ever learned about being a rider. I wouldn’t be alive, and I wouldn’t be who I am today without them in my life,” says Stella (Warm Beach Horsemanship student and wrangler alumnae with autism).  Imagine experiencing clanging symbols, flashing lights, and prickly textures all in what a neurotypical person would term an ordinary environment or scenario. For a person with autism, life can quickly go from peaceful ...

Whether you have never volunteered before or volunteerism is a way of life for you and your family, volunteering at Warm Beach Horsemanship may be just the thing you are looking for to fill your time in a meaningful way! At Warm Beach Horsemanship, we would not be able to do ANY of our programs without the help of caring and diverse volunteers. Every task, job, and role is meaningful. From sweeping to tack conditioning, class assistance to vehicle and ...

My first love was a big bay gelding named Clipper.  I was 5, visiting a cousin’s horse ranch for summer vacation. Clipper was a gentle giant who was always steady and calm around me; it was as if he sensed what I needed. With no dad in my life and a mom suffering from mental illness, steady calm was rare for me, so my time with Clipper was a stark contrast, a magical refuge. Once, I saw a teenage girl ...

The Certified Horsemanship Association (CHA) Regional Conference is a great time for personal growth and learning from professionals in their various careers and trades in the horsemanship world. Warm Beach Camp & Conference Center happily hosted this year's conference in March. Not only is knowledge and information shared during the weekend, but it is filled opportunities to make new connections and friendships with people you may not meet otherwise. I was blessed to experience all these things throughout the weekend. ...

I sought the Lord, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears (Psalms 34:4)  Reaching, seeking, and stretching all indicate areas of growth. Adaptive vaulting challenges not only physical effort but emotional effort as well. Vaulting’s unique environment and equipment provides opportunity for participants to reach beyond themselves. They discover physical and emotional boundaries can move. Flexibility becomes a metaphor as well as a physical experience. With Warm Beach Horsemanship’s equine partners and volunteer support, participants experience ...

Finding experiences and activities that your kids truly love can be a challenge. Our son Jonah had a hard time finding an activity he enjoyed enough to do more than once. He played soccer, basketball, ice skating, and even joined a math team, but nothing gave Jonah joy and confidence like ridging lessons at Warm Beach Camp. We signed him up for riding lessons hoping it might help him find something he enjoys but he found SO much more. For ...

When I gaze upon the beauty of a PNW sunset from my outlook at the stables. God’s faithfulness and provision are ever-present. His evidence abounds. The evergreen trees and lush green pastures withstand record breaking heat of summer, buffeting high winds of fall and bitter cold in winter. They remain the backdrop for the life-giving ministry between horses and people and give testimony to the work the Lord has laid before us at the stables. Beautiful fruit is being shaped ...

“And let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we shall reap if we do not grow weary.” Galatians 6:9  The Riding Lesson program at Warm Beach Horsemanship continues to thrive as many realize these lessons don’t only improve riding skills, but they also develop valuable life skills.  Riding lessons provide an amazing opportunity for ministry! Warm Beach Horsemanship staff build relationships through regular weekly interaction with students. Through this, students experience the love of Christ, coupled ...

The relationship between horse and rider is similar to our relationship with God. Through interacting with horses all my life, including incredibly meaningful weeks attending Horse Camp as a child, I’ve witnessed God’s fingerprints displayed through horses profoundly. When I was asked to pastor a week of Horse Camp, I had trouble putting pen to paper. Before the first chapel, I dropped to a knee and asked the Holy Spirit to guide my words. He answered my prayer with short ...