Get High & Wild with us! On a High & Wild Wilderness horsemanship learning adventure that is... presented by Natural Horsemanship Instructor Glenn Stewart. Can you imagine... a luxurious lodge set 80 miles from the nearest road only accessible by air or horses. Join us for seven days and six nights of Natural Horsemanship set in the rugged mountains of Northern British Columbia. These trips are an opportunity to put horsemanship principles to purpose in a magnificent wilderness setting.
High & Wild originally started as a one week get away for my family, and a few of my students and clinic hosts. Before the first trip could happen a second trip had to be planned to handle the amount of people interested. Guest Instructors and students from around the world have joined us each year, and interest continues to grow. We are going into our 6th season; we've added the High & Wild Extreme, and for the first time a brand new week called High & Wild Colt Starting, Young Horse Development & Problem Solving. Since the beginning, each trip has gotten a little longer offering more variety, adventure, holiday, and horsemanship. Many of the students and Instructors will be staying for all three of the trips, for those wishing to do this we can discount your rates.
On each adventure the participants need to be aware that they will be given a position of responsibility. Everyone is accountable for themselves, their horse and the other participants. Each week is a genuine experience, and your judgment and evaluation of a situation can produce some interesting learning opportunities. Those that have been to High & Wild agree that words and pictures cannot ever describe the experience they have enjoyed.
Those that have been to High & Wild agree that words and pictures cannot ever describe the experience they have enjoyed, but we've tried! We have a beautiful High & Wild DVD available that captures the essence of the experience and talks about what horses are like in their natural environment, and how meaningful this is to Natural Horsemanship.
High & Wild Adventure
If you are the type who would like to experience a little adventure and expand your horsemanship knowledge while spending the evenings with friends relaxing in the hot tub or sauna, this would be the trip to consider. Again, we will be staying at the main lodge and traveling out on day trips and returning in the evening. This is the original adventure that we organized and the one we suggest people go on if this is their first time to High & Wild.
Minimum Stage 1 or Parelli Level 1.
High & Wild Extreme
For those of you who like to live a little closer to the edge. We will be traveling to other camps, spending the night, and enjoying the country and wildlife in between. More mountains, valleys, river crossings, and hours in the saddle. This trip will require a higher level of skill, fitness, and responsibility.
Prerequisite: Minimum Stage 1 or Parelli Level 1 and must have been to High & Wild previously
High & Wild Colt Starting, Young Horse Development & Problem Solving
This week will give you an opportunity to sharpen your skills with multiple horses, and study the behavior and psychology of one of the last free range horse herds in Canada. These horses live year round in the mountains and have developed undomesticated herd/individual behavior and survival strategies. They are in charge of their own health and welfare throughout the year and interacting with these horses in their purest form is eye opening. Experience an excellent example of putting principles to purpose... of how "Horsemanship is Natural". How horses can go from pawing snow and fighting wolves in the winter to their legs becoming ours and our thoughts becoming theirs... all in ways that preserve their dignity and help us do and be so much more than we would be if not for them.
During this course, students will be presented with a chance to achieve a deeper understanding of horse behavior by playing with various horses, practicing techniques, exploring concepts and theories and how they apply to different horsenalities leading to accelerated learning. Some of the areas and things we will cover are as follows: (Participation will vary in different degrees dependant upon each person's individual ability level and skill set.)
Reading the Horse - Horse Psychology, Concepts and Theories. Herd Dynamics - The Drive line. Working within the Herd. Moving/Trailing. Herd Management. Rounding Up. Horses for Transport. Packing. Tying the Diamond. Methods of Trailing Multiple Horses. Knots - Valuable, Effective, and Safe. Foot Handling, Trimming & Maintenance. Young Horse Development. First Haltering. Introducing the Concept of Following and Offering a Feel For the First Time with Untouched Horses. Colt Starting - Accept the Human, Accept the Saddle, Accept the Rider, Accept the Bit.
The prerequisite for this course is that all applicants must have passed a minimum of Stage 5 or original Parelli Level 2; OR be enrolled in the 3 month Horsemanship Course. Exceptions may be made on an individual basis and by approval only.
High & Wild General Considerations
The following are general considerations for anyone who comes to High & Wild:
Great Attitude
The ability to saddle their own horse with a western saddle
Fit enough to hike some
Be able to mount unassisted
Overall willingness to help with any activities.
Some of the Students' Highlights
“That trip was certainly life changing for me, I enjoyed it so much that on the drive back home I got to thinking how nice it would be to take more time to do trips like that. So we sold out last March 1st 2004 and have retired to an area near a lake,
where we live with our 6 horses.” ~Brightsand, Saskatchewan
“A chance to see some of God’s handiwork up close.” ~Atlanta, Georgia
“While it was true enough we imparted some of our knowledge to them, overall the majority agreed the horses taught us more
than we taught them, and a tremendous respect was earned for these humble animals.” ~Switzerland
“That I was able to come up here to this special place, and for such great leadership, support, advice, and friendship.
I have had unforgettable fun on this adventure and can’t wait till next year. I want to stay for months and months.” ~England
Hazel's Reflection on High & Wild 2005
Excerpts from Article published in Horses All
“The next day we drove 31/2 hours to the north, to a dirt airstrip known as “Prophet River”. Then an 80 mile flight of breathtaking scenery to the West…and as one person commented: “We were skimming the mountain tops and came into a wide emerald green valley with a river snaking through the middle. There below was a ranch, and I thought to myself how cool that looked way out here in the middle of nowhere. Then all of the sudden the plane banked hard and I realized that was our destination, known as ‘The Lodge’.”
“Then it was finally time to meet the horses. We generally all have tendencies to pick a certain type of horse… a particular energy level, or a specific look, and don’t get the chance to know a horse completely different than that which we would usually choose. So this was a chance to break out of that mold, and deal with some new challenges that might be presented to us.”
“In the days that followed, we found the rhythm of the mountains, far from cell phones and email, and a less complicated
life began to unfold.”
