Happy New Year!

So, is everyone past putting 2005 on their checks? I don't know about you, but for me, 2005 is going down as the shortest year in my personal history to date.

We have had a lot of snow and even more rain than usual and the horses have had some challenges with icy footing. Some days, I haven't dared to take them out of their pens to get to the indoor arena. Thank goodness for bodywork and clicker tricks! We shall not be defeated by ice.

The horses in Picabo have been joined by a herd of about 75 elk. Herc and Fred go nose to nose with the elk every night when they come up to the hay barn. I managed to take a couple of pictures. Even though they come right down to the barn, they are pretty skittish.

MAKING PLANS FOR 2006

I've updated the web site.

SCHEDULE FOR RIDING CAMPS

Cookie and I have set some dates for camps this summer. We are offering our campers a challenge: Move on! Let's find out what is keeping us all in our respective ruts with our horses and get past it. The first step is dreaming about the relationship you want to have with your horse. The next step is creating it. We can help you.

Cookie's focus this year is to help horse lovers communicate more effectively with their equine friends.

My focus is to help horse lovers become more self-sufficient and self-confident by teaching them some useful bodywork techniques and alternative options for equine management.

Learn more or sign up.

NEW PHOTO PAGE

The Level 4 Equine CranioSacral Workshop in December 2005 was fantastic! And are the horses in my care ever glad I took it. I put up a new photo scrapbook page to share the adventure with all of you.

WHOLE HORSE TRAINING'S MISSION

I'd like to remind everyone of my mission. I am actively seeking the parameters for a new paradigm in equine management. To do this, I am questioning existing traditions. I am also sharing what I learn from horses with all of you in hopes that my insights will join with yours and increase exponentially to improve the lives of horses everywhere.

It's a big job! But someone's gotta do it, right? I'm going to be adding some pages to my web site which will introduce you to some of my horses and allow you to follow their progress. I am also going to include some information about certain homeopathic remedies, essential oils and herbal products I use regularly in the context of case histories.

Finally, I encourage you all to do two things to help me. First, share stories and insights you feel might be useful to others with me so we can all benefit from them. Second, forward this newsletter to anyone who you think would be interested in our mission and have them contact me so I can put them on my email newsletter list. Right now, this newsletter goes out to about 150 people, mostly in the US, but I do have a few contacts in Canada, New Zealand and Great Britian.

Hope all is going well for each of you.

Happy Trails!

Nancy Camp
At Whole Horse Training