News from Ruthanna
BTS Express! April 2007
Every newsletter lately I start out with the same thing. WOW. But every month that I sit down and look back… that’s what first comes to mind… WOW. Ok, so let’s see what we’ve done:
Download this Newsletter Here!
NEW WEBSITE!
www.BridgesTrainingStable.com
Hugest thanks to Gerald Freeman of GERLIN Consulting and Design (www.Gerlin.net) and our Meg Kelly for our new website. There were literally hundreds of hours involved in the building and retooling of our new GLORIOUS website. Huge thanks, my friends. It looks GREAT and is a fitting Front Door to the NEW BTS program!
BTS GROOMING & TACKING CLINIC
The New BTS Grooming and Tacking Clinic was a huge success! We launched our first one in March and had 12 participants! We have our next one scheduled for April 14 and there’s still room if you are interested. This clinic we concentrate on safety, grooming and tacking. I really enjoyed getting a chance to work with students on this important part of horsemanship without being under a time constraint of getting a lesson up. Thank you all, and particularly the BTS Human Staff for getting this great clinic under way.
BTS LUNGING CLINIC
Then, we went into the first BTS Lunging Clinic. This also had great turn out, and we got a chance to work hands-on with correct lunging techniques.
BTS HORSE SHOW CLINIC
Right before our first In House Show we had our first How to Show Clinic. This was the best attended yet with over 20 people in attendance on St. Patrick’s Day. It did help the inevitable thousand questions and put us all in the spirit of the first Sycamore BTS In House Show.
NEXT BTS HORSEMANSHIP SERIES CLINIC
HORSE PSYCHOLOGY & SHOWMANSHIP AT HAND: May 26
This clinic is designed for the horse enthusiast who would like to be more comfortable just “schmoozing” with horses. We will work on the correct methods of handling a horse on the ground, as well as some of the little things that make our horsey friends so special. Did you know horses were right and left handed? (footed?) Did you know they see color but don’t interpret it? Did you know they have lousy sight in the dark? (so much for all those carrots) Did you know that eating grass clippings will kill them? Did you know that they sleep lying down? Did you know they can’t see right in front of their nose? All this and how to get your horse to trot on a lead rope at the Showmanship Clinic May 26. Cost $25. See Meg Kelly to sign up.
BTS SHOW
I have to say it again… WOW. That show ROCKED! Everyone looked great! The riders looked great; the horses looked great (thank you staff… Lauren, Amy, Megan and Lisa all worked really hard to get those horses ready), everyone rode PERFECTLY and our judge (Devon Bridges) was very impressed. He sees what’s coming his way in riders. A huge team thank you to Meg our Team Manager who put the whole thing together. We haven’t had these great shows for a long time because there just wasn’t enough brain-power to get them together. Meg stepped up and took on the challenge and put on the best show BTS has ever had! Thank you all as well for your great feed-back and positive input. I forward those immediately on to Meg, as she’s the real effort behind these shows now. Check out the results of the horse show on the BTS website www.BridgesTrainingStable.com.
The next BTS Team Horse Show is scheduled for May 20. If you have not yet been in a BTS Team Show, then you must attend the show clinic on May 12. The cost for the clinic is $25. The cost for the show is $125 ($50 for the use of a BTS Horse and $75 for the show). See Meg Kelly for reservation of your favorite horse. First come first mounted so some of the horses are already spoken for. If your favorite mount is not available, don’t worry, there’s time to make a different horse your NEW favorite mount!
NEW HORSE!
On that favorite mount note; we have added a beautiful new team mate, Lyric. Lyric is a Dutch Warmblood who comes to us after an illustrious career as a hunter and eventer. Lyric is 14 years old, 17.2 hands tall and quite the sweetie. Visit Lyric in his temporary stall in the Sycamore barn #50.
NEW PROGRAM!!!!!! HUGE NEW PROGRAM!
Drum roll please…….. THE 10 LEVEL PROGRAM IS BACK AND BETTER THAN EVER!!! Yes, after a 7 year re-write, we are now ready to re-launch our BTS 10 Levels to Horsemaster Program! This is a step-by-step, level by level program designed to bring a student through the BTS School of Horsemanship Program with all the appropriate knowledge to own and operate their horse, both for show or recreation. This program is designed toward the Hunter/Dressage/Western pleasure rider, and covers all aspects of Horsemanship including Horse Care & Feeding, First Aid, General Knowledge, Groundwork, Riding, Different Disciplines within the Industry, and much much more! Look for the outlines on our website. We will conduct the first testing June 16 with a review June 9. All riders start with level 1, however if you come to BTS with prior riding experience, or as we start here you have been with us for a year or more, you may challenge the first 3 levels with the BTS Horsemanship Challenge. Please join us Saturday, May 12, at 12:30 (right after the Show Clinic), to celebrate the kick-off of our new program where I will go through all the levels and answer questions! We’ll have all the details then as to how to move up through the program and the costs to test.
ANOTHER NEW PROGRAM
Private lunge-line lessons
Like there’s not enough going on? We have had some requests (oh yes… I listen to requests and suggestions with GREAT interest) for private lunge line lessons. These are lessons where the rider works on their seat independent of their hands (in other words, we take your reins away!) The instructor will guide the horse on the line while the rider posts, sits trot, and uses their legs with their hands free. It is a great work out and a great aid to balance and control of your seat. We have dedicated a few time slots for these intense and valuable lessons in addition to your regular lesson (not instead of… they augment, not replace.) However, you might not want to schedule one the day before your regular lesson J). The cost is $60 for 30 minutes. Sorry, we can’t use make ups for these. Email Ruthanna for a list of available spots.
SUMMER CAMPS!
June 25-29, July 9-13, July 16-20, August 20-24, Cost $325
Back by popular demand, the BTS Summer “Horsin around with BTS”! There are still a few spots open, so see Meg to reserve your spot!
BARN CLOSURES
(Check the Dry-Erase board where we list the lessons for updates)
April 28 – 29 County Show at Sycamore. Contact Meg if you would like to show.
May 20 BTS Team show
SUGGESTIONS? REQUESTS? COMMENTS?
Shoot one (or a dozen) off to Ruthanna at rbridges@btsetc.com, or Meg Kelly at meg@btsetc.com.
EMAIL OR TEXT THOSE MAKE-UPS OR CANCELLATIONS
Phone calls and stuff
Please email or text (to 949-413-0591) with make-up lesson requests or cancellations. Last minute cancellations can be made by phone if you can’t get to a computer or you can’t work the texts (have your kid do it!). I cannot schedule make up lessons by phone, and rarely in person either. I do not always have the appropriate schedule on hand. If I get your request, I will answer within the day, at least that I got the request. Thank you! With growth comes the necessity to hyper-organize. The problem with calling is that it pulls me away from a lesson or a conference with a parent. I have always answered my phone, and I do not want to change that, so we have to minimize the calls where we can. Remember, I have that phone on me 24/7 in the event something goes wrong with a BTS horse or my family. Even I try to take a few minutes off sometimes, but I don’t get away from that phone. I can choose not to look at messages if I need a few minutes to myself or to get a project done. But if I have even 3 student calls every hour (that’s just 3 out of 150 people I work with, students, staff, associates and dependant family) then it really messes with my day. I field new student calls, wrong numbers and last minute cancellations as it is, so if I get other less pressing calls, it really muddies up the works. Remember too, I get emails to rbridges@btsetc.com on my BlackBerry at all hours. I check it every 10 minutes or so. I often can’t pick up voice mail messages for hours. ** Feel free to call the (949) 858-0970 number with last-minute cancellations, or in an emergency. Thank you for your cooperation and understanding! Most of you have been REALLY good! My favorite ones are the 11:00 at night “Oh, I though I would get an answering machine!” No, you will get a very incoherent Ruthanna who will GUARANTEED forget that you even called! And don’t ever call before 6:30 in the morning. I’m useless until I’ve fed the dog and had my coffee.
NEW CANCELLATION POLICY!
(Use em or lose em!)
We’ve been wanting to do this for a long time, and it has now become a necessity… we’re going to ask your cooperation to make up lessons within a month. Remember missed lessons can also be scheduled PRIOR to missing them! So if you know you’re going to be gone, make that lesson up in ADVANCE! Starting June 1, we will be requiring riders to make up a missed lesson within 30 days or it will disappear off our records. With the expansion of the program, the make-ups have become a real problem to keep track of. So, in order to keep track we are going to have to “clear the slate” every month. And remember, we can’t refund. My mind doesn’t do math to the left of the number line!
WHO’s WHO
Another new team mate is our own Alex Vincent (formerly Alex Fink), out of the Navy and back home at BTS. Alex will step right back into her boots as an Instructor. Megan Dye continues to be our Head Instructor. Here is the list of staff and their duties:
Ruthanna Bridges: Owner/Trainer/Riding School Director (rbridges@btsetc.com)
Ruthanna is the big cheese. The cheesiest. The “bucking” stops here. Actually, only the schedule and billing are my things. I have gratefully delegated just about everything else to my wonderful staff. I also take complaints. The staff can just empathize. If you want a sympathetic ear, take it to the staff. If you want something done about it, bring it to me. We welcome suggestions and input! That is the only way the program grows! I also am available during most all the lessons if I am needed, and I step in to augment the teaching staff. If you ask the kids, I’m apparently also in charge of intimidation. Little ole me, imagine that. I’m the big green meanie. I keep them in line. WHOO AH! I am also the cheer leader and stopper-of-unnecessary-drama. What, pre-teen and teen-age girls dramatic? No way. Fortunately, that drama is easily handled. The adult drama… now there’s a challenge.
Amy Kiesel: Barn Manager (amy@btsetc.com)
Amy is in charge of the horses. She does the feeding, the working, the extra loving. Amy assigns horses, backs up lessons, lunges, and pretty much jumps in where she’s needed. Amy runs the apprentice and working student programs. She also does any of the medical treatments we need, and sees to the rehab of injured or ill ponies. Amy is greatly responsible for Sundance’s miraculous recovery.
Meg Kelly: Team Manager (meg@btsetc.com)
Meg’s position is one that I’ve only dreamed of having at BTS. I have always imagined someone who would catch all the little bits when they drop off the edge. In doing all this myself for so many years, in order to get one little thing under control, I would have to drop something else. If we did a show, the school suffered. If we had a clinic, the schedule fell apart. To plan anything was a huge ordeal because I had to keep all the other balls in the air and everything bogged down. Meg has stepped onboard to do all the extra “work,” allowing me to concentrate my efforts on developing the new programs and running the school. Meg runs the camps, the clinics, the BTS Team Accessory line, the planning, the organizing and the procurement. She handles the ordering, the new student orientation, and the inventory.
Megan Dye: Head Instructor (Megan@btsetc.com)
Megan is the face of BTS. She is involved in each and every lesson (except Thursdays). She is responsible for riders when they are in the arena. She is in charge of the instructional staff. Megan returns to us after a brief “run away from home” where she tried to live in Washington but missed us and the ponies too much J Welcome home, Schmeg!
Alex Fink: Instructor (Alex@btsetc.com)
Alex backs Megan up, and now allows Lauren to do her intended job as Yard Manager. Lauren has been doing both jobs for quite awhile now, and we welcome Alex back from the US Navy to the work she was intended for.
Lauren Theroux: Assistant Instructor/Yard Manager (Lauren@btsetc.com)
Lauren is in charge of doing everything. We all just delegate. She has to lunge, teach, tack, mount riders up, scrounge horses when one breaks down or we have a “mystery guest” (that’s a student that got left off the schedule). Lauren has to fit bridles, answer the same “which saddle do I use” question 27 times a day, know where all the horses/tack/people are at all times (you try keeping track of 27 bridles AND 27 bits… which frequently become separated… don’t ask me how… elves?) brushes, lead ropes, hoof picks (where do THOSE go?) crops, spurs (we only lose 1 of those per pair), small children (where’s Charlotte?) and she is also in charge of little rider hugs. I have it on great authority that Lauren gives the BEST hugs to the “munchkins.”
Lisa Lange: Non-official volunteer (H1ddenstar@aol.com)
Lisa has been “BTS” for so many years, I feel compelled to include her in the who’s who. Lisa gave up her position at BTS to pursue her Law degree and regain her amateur card. Lis is not an employee, but she will always be family.
Devon Bridges: Trainer/Son Prince (devonbridges@btsetc.com)
Devon Bridges Training is the destination of our most ambitious riders. Devon’s program takes what we create to higher levels. Once a student is through our program, they go on to more intensified studies with Devon, to show and beyond. Devon spends some of his time showing and traveling to other trainers and other countries to bring back to BTS the latest and greatest authorities in the Equestrian world. His gentle demeanor and quiet compassion translates beautifully to both students and horses alike. Devon’s greatest talent shines with young horses. His heart is with his “babies,” and he is smiling his biggest aboard the young horses of ESI, our sister barn at Sycamore Trails.
ESI (Equine Services, Inc) Katie and John Berney
We are affiliated with ESI through Devon. Devon’s program works hand in hand (hoof in hoof?) with the ESI program. Once through Devon’s program, our riders can go on to ESI and enjoy the most comprehensive in-depth training of horse and rider in Southern California, and ride under the illustrious ESI colors. But, for a true BTSer, there will always be a little shamrock attached.
There you go! Introductions made, we are delighted you are part of this wonderful team of horses and humans! See you at the barn!
IMPORTANT DATES
April 11 & 13 Spring Break Camps (All Full!)
April 14 Grooming Clinic (See Meg for reservations, cost $25)
April 28-29 County Show at Sycamore (no lessons)
May 12 Show Clinic (See Meg for reservations, cost $25)
May 20 BTS In House Show (no lessons) See Meg for reservations, cost $125
May 26 –Horse Psychology & Showmanship at Hand Clinic (See Meg for Reservations, cost $25)
June 2-3 County Show at Sycamore (no lessons)
June 9 – BTS Horsemanship Test Review
June 16 – BTS Horsemanship Level Testing
June 23-Grooming Clinic
June 24 – BTS Playday!
June 25-29 BTS Summer Camp (no make ups available this week)
July 3-5 BTS Closed for Inoculations/worming of horses (and they need a few days off!)
July 9-13 Summer Camp
July 16-20 Summer Camp
July 28-29 County Show at Sycamore (no lessons)
August 3-13 Team Ireland Adventure, no make up lessons, limited schedule
August 18 Show Clinic
August 20-24 Summer Camp
August 26 BTS In House Show!
Whew!
Horsefully yours,
Ruthanna