NEXT EXPO & TRAINING CHALLENGE – OCTOBER 5, 2024
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The Bluebonnet Horse Expo is a fundraiser for the Bluebonnet Equine Humane Society. Proceeds of the Expo provide care to the horses helped by BEHS. At this time, clinicians donate their time and travel expenses in order to help the rescue help even more horses, but we will give you advertising on our Expo site, Facebook pages, and in the digital Expo program. If you are interested in applying to become an Expo clinician, please email us at expoclinics@bluebonnetequine.org.
Fall 2023 Clinics
Van Hargis – Van Hargis Horsemanship
It is the mission of Van Hargis Horsemanship to educate, motivate, inspire, and entertain, through superior horsemanship and humanship, those involved in or aspiring to be involved in the horse industry.
Van is a true horseman whose clinic and seminar presentations are born out of real-world experience working with and learning from horses. Van started riding horses when he was only four years old and launched his career as a trainer at twelve when the wife of world-renowned saddle maker Billy Cook hired him to train her horse. He spent much of his youth in the saddle, working cattle at ranches around his Texas home. At the same time Van was honing his skills as a trainer and competitor, taking both his own and his clients’ horses into the show ring and the rodeo arena. Van and the horses he’s trained have excelled in show and rodeo events like ranch horse versatility (his specialty), western pleasure, trail classes, calf roping, team roping, and steer wrestling.
Van’s wide-ranging experiences with horses taught him valuable lessons about horses in particular and life in general. Van is in Victoria, TX, where he has a training facility, specializing in colt-starting and ranch horse versatility. He moves easily across the “great divide” between the Western and English riding worlds, and has worked successfully with horses from many disciplines, including both working ranch horses and show horses in western pleasure, hunter-jumper, and dressage. In horsemanship and in life, Van firmly believes there’s “nothing but the basics,” and that those basics are the same no matter what equestrian discipline appeals to you. Van is passionate about communication as well as horsemanship, and his versatility as a speaker enables him to deliver an exciting, educational, and motivational program to audiences regardless of venue or topic.
Be sure to visit Van’s booth at the expo where he will be selling autographed copies of his book The Horse is My Teacher. Proceeds of book sales at the Expo will be contributed to Bluebonnet Equine Humane Society.
Van Hargis Horsemanship | Victoria, TX
https://www.facebook.com/vanhargishorseman
Michael Battenfield – Battenfield Horsemanship
Michael Battenfield is returning to the 2023 Expo. Michael has been involved with the Expo for almost 10 years. He started out at the Expo competing in the Bluebonnet Rescue Horse Training Challenge with Hickory, who he adopted. Since then, he’s trained horses for both Bluebonnet and Bluebonnet adopters and offers clinics and demonstrations at the Expo annually.
Trainer Michael Battenfield is a certified Natural Horsemanship trainer, certified through England’s Versatile Horsemanship. Michael firmly believes that first impressions are everything and does his very best to ensure that every horse he starts gets just that. He also specializes in restarting problem horses, biters, kickers, buckers, runaways, you name it. He uses techniques that speak the horses language, bridging the language barrier between horse and man. Michael also works with the horses owner teaching him or her the language of the horse ensuring a lasting partnership. Michael trains a variety of horses at Battenfield Horsemanship in Goldthwaite, Texas. Don’t miss Michael’s clinics at the Expo – “Horse Psychology” and “Keeping your Partner a Partner away from Home.”
To learn more about Michael:
Battenfield Horsemanship | Gorman, TX
Battenfield Horsemanship | Facebook
Jodi Brassard – Brassard Equine Services
Jodi is an All Around Horse Trainer from Granger, Texas. She is the owner of Brassard Equine Services, LLC. and has been professionally training, showing, and giving lessons for over 20 years. She credits her mother for introducing her to horses at a young age, and has been riding ever since.
Jodi’s motto is Making Horse And Rider A Team, and has worked with students of all ages and disciplines. For both training and lessons, Jodi always emphasizes safety, explaining “safety is the first, middle, and last thing you do”. On the training side she likes her horses to feel fluid and confident. This ensures the necessary
foundation for a great companion.
In 2016, Jodi was looking to add to the relationship and well being of her equine companions when she found Traditional Chinese Medicine. Adding Acupressure to her training program was very exciting, and was the answer to “Getting and keeping your horse sound”, as Jodi says. Continuing to expand Brassard Equine, Jodi became an Associate Instructor with Elemental Acupressure, added business partners Espana Silk, an all natural grooming product line, and TOML USA, which is CBD products for horses.
Jodi loves trail riding and working cattle with her rescue horse, Keeva, (although Jodi will say it was KEEVA who adopted HER). Jodi and Keeva regularly travel to present clinics in training, riding, acupressure, and bodywork. They are often accompanied by her energetic dogs, Luna and Cooper.
Jodi Boman Brassard | Facebook
Jodi Brassard (@brassardequineacupressure) | Instagram
Brassard Equine Acupressure | Austin, TX
Lindsay Burer – Nutrition Consultant
Lindsay Burer is an Equine Nutrition Consultant for Bluebonnet Feeds and Stride Animal Health. Although she grew up a city girl from Tampa, Florida, the equine addiction started at a young age. She completed her undergrad at the University of Florida in 2011, and in 2014, left her family’s business and moved to Texas to start a career in equine nutrition. Lindsay is passionate about helping horses through educating their owners and is fascinated with the role diet plays in health and disease. Lindsay will graduate with a Masters degree in Functional Nutrition in December 2023 and is excited to incorporate this knowledge on farms. She currently lives in New Braunfels, TX with her other half, Randal, Atticus (cat), and Hazel (dog). She loves to spend her free time on the river, in the mountains, reading, traveling, and of course, with her horses Easy, Jolie, and Odette.
Mary Marczak, DVM – Equine Dentistry and Equine Acupuncture.
Mary is an accomplished horsewoman. She trains for and excels in a variety of disciplines from Competitive Trail to Working Equitation, from Ranch Riding to EXCA. Mary has been overall High Point in the Texas Trail Challenge Club for multiple years and volunteers for the club mentoring new riders, teaching learning moments, and as a clinician at the TTCC Rider Clinics. Mary also enjoys cross-country motorcycle riding and saltwater fishing and boating with her husband, Kenneth.
“Since my graduation of veterinary school from Texas A&M in 1994, I have enjoyed a career of owning and operating two mixed animal hospitals. The mixture of species that might trot, slither, fly, or crawl into my hospital kept my interest in continued learning peaked for decades.
Equine dentistry was really gaining ground when I was in veterinary school. Finally, its importance was recognized by the scientific and teaching community. Thus, more new veterinarians were exiting school with knowledge of how to help keep horses more happy and healthy partners. I hope to explain how equine dentistry is performed and why it is so important.
Over the years I have found that western medicine and treatments sometimes just can’t quite get a patient back to their best. I am now offering acupuncture and herbal therapies to help speed recovery and maintain comfort for as long as possible” – Mary
May Chadick – Owner/Trainer At Vantage Point Farm, LLC
May Chadick is the owner and trainer at Vantage Point Farms in Tomball Texas.
Originally hailing from New Orleans, LA, May has spent more than 40 years riding, driving, competing & training American Saddlebred Horses and Hackney Ponies.
A trainer-instructor of numerous regional, national, and world champions, May’s program at Vantage Point Farm includes driving time for horses & humans on a regular basis. She is an experienced judge & trainer of multiple driving breeds & divisions and is always happy to share her knowledge of the sport.
Vantage Point Farm | Tomball, TX
Kaylon Sullins Robinson – Trainer/Coach At KnP Training and Lessons
Kaylon Sullins Robinson is a horse trainer and riding coach in Victoria, Texas. She spent most of her childhood training horses with her mother, Cathy Sullins. In 2007 Kaylon started KnP Training and Lessons to help everyday horse owners achieve their horsemanship goals and open their own gate to endless possibilities. Specializing in western performance, competitive trail, and all around horsemanship, she offers a straight forward approach to training while putting the horse’s physical and mental well being first.
Cathy Sullins – Trainer At KnP Training and Lessons
Cathy Sullins is a lifelong horsewoman with over 50 years training experience. She works closely with Kaylon and KnP Training and Lessons and teaches clinics throughout the year. Cathy is an avid rider and enjoys trail riding with friends and family. She is a competitive trail Judge for Texas Trail Challenge Club, where she also competes and has achieved grand champion Horseman.
KnP Training and Lessons
KnP Training and Lessons is a proud sponsor and volunteer of BEHS since 2008! You may also recognize them as the proud hosts of the Annual Lauren Kay Sutton Memorial Stick Horse Show. Before the StickHorse show kicks off, you’ll find Kaylon and Cathy on the Education stage with their “Bits and Bitting” demonstration.
Bits and Bitting- Do you know what you are putting in your horse’s mouth? This interactive demonstration discusses snaffles, curbs, and everything in between and how they work in the horse’s mouth, and what you should consider before bridling up.
KnP Training and Lessons | Victoria, TX
KnP Training and Lessons | Facebook
Julie Battenfield – Essential Oils
Julie Battenfield returns to the 2023 Expo with her Essential Oils class, always a crowd favorite! Julie is married and has 2 sons, 2 beautiful daughters in law, and 10 grandchildren.
“I have been using essential oils for over 12 years and I love giving classes and teaching others how to use essential oils on their families and animals.” – Julie
Dr. Lauren Baker – Owner/Chiropractor At Animal Ranch Care
Dr. Lauren Baker and is a human chiropractor with 18 years of experience, specializing in babies and expectant mothers. Dr. Baker was raised with horses since birth; she had her first rides still in the womb. In 2018, she decided to become a certified chiropractor for animals. She primarily adjusts horses, cows, and dogs, but she will also adjust goats, sheep, pigs, donkeys, and chickens. She loves helping all animals have their best potential to heal and is excited to support BEHS this year.
Catch Dr. Baker’s demonstration on Equine Chiropractic – what it is and when you need it for your horse. She will show the proper and safe handling of a horse receiving a chiropractic adjustment, and she will discuss the requirements and laws regarding the Equine Chiropractic profession.
Dr. Baker graduated from Texas Chiropractic college in 2005 with bachelors in Biology and Doctorate in Chiropractic. She attended Parker Chiropractic Animal Program March 2018-August 2018. She travels as far west as Elgin and east to Beaumont, north to Troup, and south to Galveston
Sabrina Alvarez – Owner/Trainer At Unique Horsemanship
Sabrina Alvarez is a successful trainer and barrel racer in the Central Texas area, specializing in general riding training, colt starting, and trauma cases. She has been riding and training for most of her life, and alongside her husband Gavin trains horses out of their ranch in Dale, Texas. Having worked with more than 1,500 horses, she has gained the experience and expertise necessary to handle many high-difficulty cases and craft a unique process for each horse that comes to her for training. She has had success in rodeo competition as well, with her arena record at the NBHA Pole Bending Finals in Waco highlighting her success in speed events, and she continues to compete in local rodeos and barrel races
Sabrina’s demonstration will focus on the difficult aspect of trailer-loading, a necessary but often frustrating facet for nearly every horse owner. This clinic will center on the cornerstones of trailer-loading, and how with good timing and patience, any horse can be loaded! She will cover her approach from start to finish, with demonstrations being done with rescue horses of varying difficulty to encapsulate the entire process. She will also be answering questions at the end to give folks an opportunity to get input on the wide variety of strange scenarios and misinformation that can be found when searching for assistance with trailer-loading issues.
“A Unique Training Program for Each Individual Horse”
Unique Horsemanship | Instagram
Natalie Lord, DVM – Medical Director/Veterinarian At Hope Animal Clinic
Dr Natalie Lord, DVM is a familiar face at the Bluebonnet Expo giving riding and horse care clinics and competing in the Training Challenge. Dr. Lord is a Mixed Animal Veterinarian in Marble Falls TX. She has an interest in equine biomechanics, acupuncture, and body work. She is also an avid horseperson, she rides Dressage. This year Dr Lord adopted her Bluebonnet Challenge Horse Colby. He is an 18ypo TB gelding, off the track, with a colorful history. Check out his bio at his stall!
Don’t miss Dr. Lord and Colby’s demonstrations: “Techniques and warm-ups to keep your horse sound into its senior years” and “Ground exercises and stretches to benefit your horse”. Dr. Lord will also be giving two seminars on the Education Stage: “Horse emergencies” and “What to expect when you bring your new horse home”
Hope Animal Clinic | Marble Falls, TX
Hope Animal Clinic | Instagram
Kate Love Hollar – On Trail Clinics with Kate
Welcome Kate Love Hollar to the Expo. Kate has over 40 years of serious equine experience, training and competing. Kate’s approach to training is to have patience and a flexible goal in mind. Her primary discipline is Competitive Trail Riding with NATRC and Texas Trail Challenge Club. Kate served many terms as President of Texas Trail Challenge Club, where she is a Senior Judge and Ride Manager. She is also a judge for NATRC.
Don’t miss Kate’s demonstrations. Safe Mounting Practices – ways to work with a horse that is confused about mounting. Preparing your horse for the Farrier – do’s and don’ts to get your horse ready for a farrier visit and safe handling practices. Be sure to visit her booth in the vendor area to get information on her On Trail Clinics.
Dr Britta Huckabee, DVM – Saddle Fit
I’m Dr. Britta Huckabee. It is my pleasure to be giving a saddle fit demonstration at Expo this year.
Because our horse’s backs continually change with fitness and the different seasons, my goal is to
empower you to be able to evaluate your own saddle fit every time you saddle up to ride. I am a
veterinarian who is board certified in animal chiropractic. My certification included an entire module on
saddle fit that opened my eyes to this crucial aspect if caring for our horses. Please join me to enhance
your knowledge in ensuring your horse’s continued comfort.
Horses by Jimmy Brown
Jimmy Brown has been riding and training horses most of his life; he now
enjoys sharing his knowledge through clinics and riding lessons. His
specialty is gaited horses for his personal horses and riding. But his
training techniques apply across all breeds and riding disciplines.
Jimmy prefers to work with the person and the horse together, and
develops a long term relationship with his clients to result in a horse
and rider partnership that can excel at any discipline. Jimmy can
quickly assess how a rider is affecting the horse and what changes need
to be made to help the rider’s communication with the horse. Jimmy will
be demonstrating groundwork exercises to connect and prepare the horse
for riding. The cues to move body parts and manage foot placement start
with a solid groundwork foundation, prepares the horse to be ridden and
translates into the saddle.
Aaron England
Aaron trains champion cutting horses, while helping riders, in all
disciplines, achieve their dreams with their horses. His program allows
students to learn true finesse with their horses. He is an innovator in
the equine industry with his ability to apply a natural approach in
training theory and technique to produce proven results, whether just in
your backyard or to the highest levels of competition. Today, Aaron is
putting his dream into practice to promote his natural philosophy of
training, hoof care, and feeding. While training and showing quality
Cutting Horses in competition, Aaron also conducts numerous clinics and
workshops each year throughout the United States; Versatile
Horsemanship, Colt Starting, Educational Trail Rides, and Cow Working to
name a few.
Riva England
Our natural hoof care professional is Riva England, with 20+
years of learning and working with many trimming professionals. Riva has
been greatly influenced by Pete Ramey with Hoof Rehabilitation
Specialists. he continually dedicates herself to further her knowledge
and ability in natural hoof care. Riva is a past 3 time Bluebonnet
training horse pro division champion.
“All our horses in training and competing are barefoot. This is achieved
through a physiologically correct trim and correct diet.”