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Skogland offers intro to horses

Horses can be intimidating animals, often weighing more than 400 kilograms and standing taller than a grown man.
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Horses can be intimidating animals, often weighing more than 400 kilograms and standing taller than a grown man.

Their size alone makes safety very important and that is why Sarah Skogland has devoted her career to helping beginners tap into the physical, mental and emotional benefits of working with horses.

Skogland has recently begun teaching intro to horses and horsemanship courses at Topline Stables in Salmon Arm.

Skogland offers both riding and non-riding programs which aim to get those new to horses accustomed to grooming and handling.

“This is to introduce the world of horses to people who haven’t had access to horses in the past,” Skogland said.

Classes are one-on-one sessions about an hour in length.

“Everything is always one-on-one for the simple reason that I do like to give my full attention. Full attention to both the human, student and the horse,” she said.

Skogland emphasizes how to safely behave around horses before working on how to catch and lead them on foot. Grooming is also an important portion of Skogland’s lessons as it helps build the bond between horse and student.

For those students who enrol in the riding programs, Skogland emphasizes balance and tailors the lessons to the individual students.

“I always go at the pace of what the student is capable of. If that means we just walk then we just walk,” she said.

Along with the physical benefits, Skogland says working with horses has broad spectrum therapeutic applications.

Although she does not have the certifications or resources to take on students with physical disabilities such as cerebral palsy, Skogland has worked with high-functioning autistic students in the past. She says working with the horses helps to make the autistic students aware of their mental and emotional state.

The horses used in Skogland’s lessons are selected for their easy-going temperament and experience.

“The term that we use in the equestrian world in bomb proof, so that means you can literally have trucks and all this other stuff and the horse literally doesn’t bat an eyelash,” she said.

She added it is important to use older more experienced horses because they can compensate for new riders who have not yet developed good balance.

Skogland is a National Coaching Certification Program (NCCP) certified coach and has apprenticed with Olympians and high-performance coaches. Her experience before coming to Topline includes managing barns as large as 52 horses and coaching riders from beginner to intermediate level.

“I am very excited about the partnership. Sarah is exactly the type of person I have been hoping to find as she is both professional and passionate,” said Topline Stables owner Sonya Campbell.

“Her arrival at Topline comes at the perfect time, as I feel there is a real need for an introductory program like the one we are offering. Sarah and I share the same vision in that we want to be able to provide an opportunity to introduce the wonderful world of horses to those enthusiastic kids that dream of being able to interact with and ride horses.”



Jim Elliot

About the Author: Jim Elliot

I’m a B.C. transplant here in Whitehorse at The News telling stories about the Yukon's people, environment, and culture.
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