Preparing for Road to the Horse

The last ten months have been a blur! Back in April 2011, I was invited by producer, Tootie Bland to compete in the international Road to the Horse competition taking place this upcoming March. I am so excited and proud to be representing Canada internationally this way. And along side my friend and teammate, Glenn Stewart; it is sure to be a blast!

There are many facets that I have been preparing for in order to be well-equipped for the upcoming competition. One major challenge I’ve been facing along the way has been a pain in the neck- literally! In early 2011, I was rear ended, resulting in a bad case of whiplash. I’ve been nursing my neck back to health these past months while also trying to get in the physical shape I want to be in by March.

And don’t forget the mental demands of the competition! There will be media coverage, a live crowd of roughly 6,000 people, and did I mention a row of judges consisting of some of the top horseman in the world? Whew!

But by far the most important preparation is that involving my equine friend. I need to be completely in the present when I’m with my colt, and deal with what happens in the moment. And as any horse-person would tell you – no two horses are alike! This means preparation started years ago, the first time I started a colt, and every one I’ve started since then has helped me to hone my skills for the upcoming competition.

All in all, I’m greatly looking forward to the competition! I can’t wait to get in the round pen when the announcer says “Go!”

- Jonathan Field

After a draw to determine the order of go, each Road to the Horse contestant will have a chance to watch the remuda and then choose which colt they want to spend the next 4 hours in a round pen with.

A Recap of 2011

A Recap of 2011

It has been a whirlwind adventure this past year for Jonathan and the JF team. From wind-storms in Fort Saskatchewan to rainstorms in Lethbridge, there was never a dull moment during this spring’s tour. We met many wonderful people and their horses along the way and shared a laugh and a story where ever we went. A special Thank You to all of our clinic hosts needs to be made for all the work they do in organizing and hosting the clinics. We couldn’t do it without you!

Did I forget to mention Jonathan’s BlackBerry Commercials? We were all so happy to finally see the finished product broadcasted all over the World Wide Web. What a great job Lucid, Inc. did in capturing Jonathan’s story and connection with his horses.

A definite highlight of the year was being asked by Road to the Horse producer, Tootie Bland, to compete in the 2012 World Championship of Colt Starting. Jonathan is so proud to be competing for Team Canada along side Glenn Stewart this coming March in Tennessee. The event is nearly sold out and according to Tootie, a very large number of them being Canadian ticket-holders! Way to go!

Summer rolled around before we knew it and we found ourselves in Sacramento, California for the Western States Horse Expo. Everyone was delighted to have Jonathan down for the show, so much so that we had enough interested californians to plan two clinics this  past November. (No complaints were made about traveling down to California that time of year!)

Late in the summer our foal, Cameo, finally made her ‘Cameo Appearance’ into the world! She continues to grow and play everyday, it won’t be long before she is side-by-side Hal,Quincy and Tessa!

Fall was met by more clinics on Vancouver Island and Prince George followed by Jonathan’s voyage to the east-coast for Equine Affaire in Massachusetts. He had a great time at the expo and had a chance to catch up with old friends and meet new ones all at once.

So here we are! Another year gone by and there is no slowing down. To all of our students, new and returning, thank you for being so inspired by horses!

Flashback to the James Creek Ranch

Why exercise each horse individually when you can do 3 at once!? Jonathan is a busy guy, and when he needs to get his horses in shape, he doesn’t have all day! Check out these photos of Jack, Hal, and Quincy simultaneously riding side-by-side at the James Creek Ranch.

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Mane Event Highlights

Its one of the busiest weekends of our year: The Mane Event in Chilliwack, BC. This year was no exception, with appearances made by five of Jonathan’s top horses, there was never a dull moment!

Noel was a total star this year, showing off what he’s learnt over the past year in both Friday and Saturday’s clinics. Everyone loved it when Jonathan turned Noel loose in the big arena and played with him at liberty. He is a pretty special horse!

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If you had a chance to stop by our booth, you would have been met by some great weekend specials. Our new fall hoodies were a hot item, but not hot as our slowfeeder hay nets, which everyone loved. 

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We donated 100% of the  sales made during the weekend from our DVD “The Catch”  to Pipsqueak Paddocks and Circle F Rescue. A total of $579.50 was made. Because it was such a success at the Mane Event, I would like to extend this offer from now until Christmas on our online store, where we will be donating the money to Pipsqeak Paddocks, Circle F Rescue and The Horse Protection Society of B.C.

 Thanks to everyone for showing your support!

Jonathan Field Horsemanship in Germany!

We are excited to announce that Jonathan Field Horsemanship DVDs are now available for purchase in Germany through the “Way of Trust” online store.This will make it much easier for all of our European students to purchase and receive Jonathan Field Horsemanship DVDs. To view the website, please click here: www.way-of-trust.de

High School Horsemanship

I wish I had this when I was in school! The Nanaimo Ladysmith School District has received approval from the B.C  Ministry of Education to start  a new High school course entitled “Introduction to Horsemanship” It’s a class where students learn the basics of horsemanship and earn 4 high school credits in the process. This weekend at my Course with NoName Clinic on Vancouver Island, the students had a chance to come and audit. I had a chance to talk with them about how they like their class and what their horsemanship goals are for the future.  I think its great that the world of Horsemanship is being opened up in this way, and I am so happy to be apart of it.

For more information, you can contact Gayle Brase at gbrase@sd68.bc.ca

A Cameo Appearance

We’ve finally decided on a name for our little filly; Cameo Appearance, Cameo for short. We’d like to thank Diane Armitage and Ritambhara Marylee Tyson for their suggestions to us through our facebook page. They will both receive a printed and signed photo of Cameo as a thank you.

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Cameo was born in mid august, she is very tame and loves people. Up until this point I have intentionally handled her as little as possible, just enough to get her from the stall to the paddock. I will have a lifetime of handling her and so I have enjoyed just watching her play and enjoy herself. Within the next couple of weeks I will start getting Cameo ready for the halter and I will keep you updated. In the mean time, please enjoy these photos taken over the last month. They were taken by my dear friend and professional equine photographer, Robin Duncan.