Check back in late summer for a list of our 2012 Clinicians!
If you would like to be considered as a Clinician for the 2012 Novi Equestrian Expo, please contact Marilyn Graff of the Michigan Horse Council.
2011 Clinicians
Clinicians
David Davis, Hardinsburg, Indiana
The Davis Ranch is where David Davis trains horses and is the headquarters for David Davis Ministries. The ranch offers horse training, riding and training instruction, trail riding, horse-drawn wagon rides, a guest lodge, restaurant, church, singin' around the camp fire, and lots of Hoosier hospitality. The ranch has been passed down from generation to generation in the Davis family for over 100 years, since John Davis was awarded the land for his service in the Civil War.
David has trained horses at the ranch since he was a small child and continues to do so, specializing in reining, dressage and trick horse training. His techniques are based on precision communication between horse and rider. He has won three World Championships in reining competitions and many other titles and awards, too numerous to mention. He has also performed trick horse presentations, as well as Roman Riding and Cowboy Dressage, at such events as the APHA World Championship Show in Fort Worth, Texas, the Arizona Horse Festival, Mackinac Island, Michigan, and Hoosier Horse Fair.
David conducts horse training clinics around the nation, teaching his own 'force-free' method of training. He continues to compete in various reining competitions and events. In addition, David is an ordained Christian minister and a Christian Contemporary and Country singer/songwriter. He performs concerts and ministers the Word in churches, on horseback and wherever opportunities arise.
David will present his unique Trick Horse, Roman Riding and Cowboy Dressage exhibitions, as well as training clinics, throughout the Novi Equestrian Expo weekend. Check the schedule for exact times and presentations.
Further information about David can be obtained at his website: www.davisranchandministries.com.
Dorothy Mueller
Dorothy Mueller (pronounced “Miller”) has 40 years experience as a successful professional working with competition horses and riders.
Dorothy was an active Participating Member Delegate to the United States Dressage Federation Convention for 15 years.. From 1986 -2005 she was the Junior/Young Rider Programs Co-ordinator. From 2005 thru 2009, Dorothy was the National Chairwoman for the United States Dressage Federation Youth Council. Dorothy is also a United States Dressage Federation “L” graduate. She judges and gives many Clinics around the country and in Canada.
Dorothy’s early background was in Hunter/Jumpers and Eventing. She competed successfully in Michigan’s first two Combined Training Competitions. Dorothy believes that no matter what riding discipline you are practicing, understanding good horsemanship is the key to success. She has completed the John Lyons Professional Trainer’s Clinic and has worked with many different breeds and disciplines. She also twice yearly teaches the Dressage portion of Kenny Harlow’s certification program for professional trainers, held in Virginia.
Dorothy has done exhibition riding at The Michigan Stallion Expo, The Novi Horse Spectacular, Equitana in Louisville, and The Michigan State Fair. She has even ridden as the Detroit Symphony Orchestra played her live backup music.
Even though Dorothy trains and competes at the Grand Prix level herself, she enjoys starting the green horse and working with the first time rider. Dorothy and her husband Mike own Ironwood Farm Equestrian LLC, a training facility located in Leonard, Michigan. For more information, visit their website: www.ironwoodfarmequestrian.com.
Dr. Tom Tweeten
Caring and maintaining a horse takes time and money. Taking time to work with a horse is an important part of getting the most out of a person’s investment whether it is preparing for a show or going for a trail ride. I will share some thoughts and ideas why grooming is not just for showing BUT an important part of communicating and building trust with a person’s horse.
There are three aspects of grooming that will be presented. They include:
- Showing how the grooming process can help both the rider and the horse relax before beginning an activity. It helps both partners in the riding activity come to a common mental state.
- Talking about selected tools that work best for grooming. Each tool will be demonstrated, showing how to get the most out the grooming device.
- Summarizing of how to select different grooming aids and what to think about when looking at the ingredients they contain. Have you ever thought how the horse grooming process differs from human grooming?
Through participation in the presentation, a person will begin to have a deeper appreciation of how this type of quality time can strengthen their relationship with a horse, enhance the appearance of the horse, and enrich their riding experience. I invite people who are both new to riding horses as well as the experienced horse person to attend.
Dr. Tom Tweeten is a scientist with more than 40 years of experience in Analytical Chemistry. He has worked with industrial chemicals and human and animal nutrition to develop chemical testing procedures to insure product quality and integrity.
About fifteen years ago Dr. Tweeten and a couple of young entrepreneurs began developing a line of horse care grooming products. Since Dr. Tweeten is a horse owner and show competitor, he has worked to create products that are healthy and beneficial for his horses, while achieving the aesthetic results he wants. Dr. Tweeten’s experiences enable him to focus on developing a way to properly prepare and groom a horse so that it is beneficial to the animal. Based on this presentation you will learn what you will want to include in your tack box to maintain a healthy appearance of your horse. Learn more at his website.
Nancy Harm
Nancy Harm of Harmony Acres Arabian Parade Horses, Northville, Michigan, will share information on How Horses Learn and Despooking techniques. Her horses are completing their 19th year of riding is some of the nations’ largest parades which have included: America’s Thanksgiving Day Parade held in Detroit, Milwaukee’s Great Circus Parade, Oldsmobile’s 100th Anniversary Parade, Michigan Parades into the 21 Century Parades, Lansing’s 150th Anniversary Parade, Rochester’s Christmas Parade, Toledo’s Holiday Parade to name just a few.
Nancy and her training methods have been featured in magazine articles in the Arabian Times, Arabian Horse, Desert Mirage Arabian Horse Virtual Magazine, John Lyon’s Perfect Horse, Horse Power (Australia), Equine Times, and Saddle Up magazines. They have also been featured in hundreds of newspaper articles and features over two decades.
Harmony Acres was established in 1981 by Nancy with her husband George as a family Arabian breeding farm. In the early days, the foals were shown on the AHAM Class A Circuit. Nancy’s mount, Harmony Tarifa won his futurity class as a yearling halter stallion. Later on he also won Native Costume and Western Pleasure Classes. Tarifa and Nancy also enjoy trail riding and have been trained in search and rescue. Tarifa has been a mount for high school and college equestrian team members and with his brothers and sister has been used for therapeutic riding competition for over a decade winning ribbons and trophies for their special riders.
Join Nancy, her horses and helpers in the arena for some new fun activities to do with your horse and possibly some solutions to unsolved training problems! During Nancy’s presentation spectators can expect to learn Clicker Training along with the desensitizing and habituation techniques she uses to make a safer mount or driving horse. Nancy will also be demonstrating SpookLess Sound Conditioning CDs that cover Parades, Trail Riding, Show Riding, Show Driving Cowboy Mounted Shooting and Mounted Horse Patrol. They will be available for purchase at her Booth during the Expo and at her web site.Steve Shaver
Steve Shaver of Turner, Michigan, operates Equine Dental Services, providing quality dental care for horses throughout Michigan and surrounding states. He has owned and been involved with horses since he was 6 years old with more than 40 plus years experience.
After a17 year career in Law Enforcement, including, as a mounted police officer, an injury caused him to look for a new occupation. After noticing the lack of trained equine dental professionals, he decided that this would allow him to work with the animals he has been involved with his whole life.
Steve is a Graduate of the American School of Equine Dentistry in Purcelleville, Virginia, one of three Equine Dental Schools in the country. The intensive course included instruction in floating, creating bit seats, incisor reduction and alignment, wave and hook reduction, wolf tooth removal, canine teeth reduction, non-surgical extraction techniques, cap removal and full mouth balancing. Steve also took additional instruction in advanced equine dentistry and power equipment. He also received specialized training in performance horses, racing horses, and working with Arabian and Mustang horses.
In addition he has studied working with un sedated horses and enjoys working with horses to overcome their fears to allow dental care without the use of drugs. While not all horses will allow you to work on them without the use of sedation and some cases will require the use of sedation, he believes all horses should at least be given a chance. He wants the horse to think, "That's great ! What's Next ?"not "Your the Dentist ! "
He was a guest at the 2004-2008 Mid Michigan Horse Expo, 2009-2010 Great Lakes Equine Classic, and 2010 Novi Equestrian Expos and has given numerous seminars throughout Michigan to various horse and 4 H clubs.
Equine Dental Care is one of the most neglected and misunderstood areas that horse owners face. While Steve enjoys the challenges that senior equine dental care offers him, he wishes that more horse owners would practice normal preventative dental care before the horse develops problems. Studies have shown that equine dental care can prolong the life of a horse in many ways, reduce feed costs, improve health, prevent instances of colic, improve conformation and gaits, to name a few.
Shaver owns and trains Arabian horses and Mustangs using Natural Horsemanship Techniques. His horses have participated in numerous parades throughout Michigan. In his spare time he enjoys camping with his horses.
Bill & Cricket Nelson
Bill is an instructor with the Operating Engineers Journeymen and Apprenticeship Training Fund; he is also a member of Michigan Urban Search and Rescue. He has had the opportunity to work with many professional fire departments learning and teaching rescue methods. Understanding the rope techniques used in rescue he was able to transfer those to putting up a picket line.
Cricket, a para-educator for Genesee Intermediate School District, has been involved with horses her entire life. Bill married into the horse world 26 years ago, and together they have taken their knowledge of horses and trail riding and taught many 4-H members and their families how to safely trail ride and camp with their horses. They have gone to many counties in Michigan to put on trail demos, as well as doing The Northern Michigan horse expo and many years at the Kettenun Center putting on the trail demos for 4-H leaders and teen leaders.
Bill, Cricket and family have attended the State 4-H trail ride for 27 years, most of those as committee members and resource people helping to put the ride on.
Bill and Cricket will be in the Trails Area during this year’s Novi Equestrian Expo, sharing their knowledge of knots, and how to tie them for putting up a picket line, and safely tying horses to the line.
Bill and Cricket will be in the Trails Area at various times throughout the weekend.
