Along with powerful academic and arena presentations, the Best Horse Practices Summit, October 8-10 in Durango, Colorado, will now offer an opportunity to hear from esteemed protégés of Bill and Tom Dorrance. The brothers are widely admired as pioneers of the superior, more mindful horsemanship we see practiced nowadays.
Randy Rieman and Bryan Neubert will join us in Durango for a very special evening, Celebrating the Dorrance Legacy. For Rieman and the Neuberts, it will be a relaxed dinnertime chat at the luxurious Strater Hotel Theater. For us listeners, it will be a night to remember where we can lean in and savor their memories.
The BHP Summit is shaping up to be an impressive two-and-a-half days of learning to improve riding and horsemanship. For
Bryan Neubert
a limited time, the Summit organizers are offering a “Bring 3, Get in Free!” incentive. When four attendees register and identify each other as part of the incentive, one will be refunded in full.
Rieman and Neubert spent many seasons with the Dorrances and attribute their successes to Bill and Tom’s tutelage.
Neubert and Rieman travel nationally and internationally as clinicians and colt starters. Rieman is also a master storyteller and a regular presenter at the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering. Kate Neubert focuses on young performance horses and this year competed at the Road to the Horse event in Kentucky.
Amy Skinner, another young and talented horsewoman who will be coming to Durango, was thrilled to hear about the addition of the Dorrance Legacy evening to the program.
“The Dorrances worked on a refined feel that focused on what the horse was about to do, then either confirming or redirecting it. That makes for a more relaxed horse, which, in turn, fosters a better relationship between the horse and rider. It’s an approach that benefits riders of all disciplines.
Randy Rieman
“It wasn’t just about horsemanship for these men. It was about a better way of life. For those of us who want to dig a little deeper into our relationships with horses, hearing from Dorrance students will be an unbelievable opportunity.”
Skinner runs Essence Horsemanship and starts colts under Jim Thomas at the Bar T Ranch in Pittsboro, North Carolina.
Dr. Steve Peters, who with Martin Black will present a BHPS session on Evidence-Based Horsemanship, said the Dorrance Legacy addition was a perfect fit for the conference.
“When Martin and I first started working on Evidence-Based Horsemanship, we looked at giving the horse enough time to ensure optimal learning and to its receiving of dopamine reinforcement. Martin, who also worked with Tom Dorrance, would regale me with stories of Dorrance’s grasp of what we now know to be the neurochemical makeup of the horse.
Kate Neubert
“It seems Tom was a master at dialing up the horse’s arousal or dialing down its anxiety as needed. Although I never met him, I am convinced that he was truly a great equine behavioral neurologist,” said Peters.
2017 presenters include:
- Wendy Williams, author of the best-selling The Horse: The Epic History of Our Noble Companion, will give the keynote address.
- Dr. Robert Bowker, former director of the Equine Foot Laboratory at Michigan State University.
- Dr. Gerd Heuschmann, German veterinarian, rider, and author of the best-selling book, Tug of War: Classical versus Modern Dressage.
- Dr. Sheryl King is a popular international presenter on equine behavior.
- Warwick Schiller, NRHA (National Reining Horse Association) Reserve World Champion and represented Australia in reining at the 2010 Alltech World Equestrian Games. He tours internationally and has a popular video subscription.
- Jim Thomas runs Bar T Horsemanship in Pittsboro, North Carolina. He has started scores of BLM wild horses and competed in multiple Extreme Mustang Makeovers.
- Dr. Steve Peters and Martin Black of Evidence-Based Horsemanship.
Additional Summit offerings:
- Fresh, fine dining Strater Hotel meals
- Meet-and-greet receptions
- Autograph sessions
- Trade Show
- Rider Fitness workout and core fitness elective with David Stickler
- Post-BHP Summit field trip to visit a wild horse herd in nearby Spring Creek Basin.
The Best Horse Practices Summit is a Colorado 501 (c) (3) non profit corporation with a five member board of directors and nine member steering committee. Its goal is to advance ideas to improve the horse-human connection.
See you in Durango this October!
Is this the only time and place this will be offered. Any chance you will be offering this in the southeast.
Hello Christine,
Thanks for your question. You’ll have to come to beautiful Colorado. We hope and expect that the Summit will be an annual affair, based in sw Colorado.
Maddy Butcher, director