Carosella 2019: More Workshops, More Fun!

The Carosella Schedule is coming together and should be in its final form soon.  In the meantime, here are some highlights! Friday 27 September Intro to Mounted Combat Ballet at the Barn Grappling and Pommel Plays Working Equitation Swordplay from the Falsemount Horsemanship Level 1 Mounted Sparring Equine First Aid Beginner Riding Saturday 28 September…

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Choosing your Course in the Mounted Combat Program

Riding, Horsemanship, and Mounted Combat Fundamentals:  Which Course is Right for You? Students in our mounted combat courses come to us with a wide variety of pre-existing skills.  Some are expert riders, some have been practising swordplay for years, and some are complete beginners at both.  Whatever your skill-set, we have courses for you!  Here's…

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The Mounted Combat Program Moves to Langley

Exciting changes are a-hoof in the Mounted Combat Program.  As of August 1st, 2018, the horses and the program will be moving to 21955 16 Ave in Langley.  This beautiful property (formerly Ridge Meadows Farm) near Campbell Valley Park has an indoor arena, heated lounge, two outdoor arenas, and ten acres of pasture for our…

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Springing into Mounted Combat

Snow may have fallen this week, but that didn't keep us from riding and practising mounted combat.  And with spring just around the corner, we have many more course offerings to get you out of the salle and into the saddle. Spring Courses at Red Colt Mounted Combat Mastery February is sword & shield month,…

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Autumn Riding and Swordplay at Red Colt

With the evenings getting shorter, its time to switch the hours of our Riding & Horsemanship classes back to Sunday mornings.   This is your last chance to get a series of classes in before our winter break! Autumn Riding, Horsemanship, and Mounted Combat Youth Riding & Horsemanship This course for kids aged 6-13 will introduce…

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Carosella 2017 Photos

Another amazingly fun and exciting Carosella has passed us by.  Congratulations to our high-point tournament winner Robert Borsos, and all the other riders who took home prizes!  Here are a few photos from Sunday courtesy of Double Exposure Photography.  Enjoy! A huge thank you to all the instructors, assistants, and volunteers  who worked to make…

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Carosella 2017 FAQ

Registration for Carosella 2017 is open!  This year spaces for participating on horseback are limited to 20, so be sure to sign up soon. Now it's time to answer some of those frequently asked questions.... Q: How can I sign up for Carosella? A: You can register online here for full and one-day passes.  Regular entries…

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Why Knights did NOT ride Heavy Horses

This week I visited the Suffolk Punch Trust in Woodbridge, UK.  The Suffolk Punch is the oldest registered horse breed in England, being first recorded as the Suffolk Sorrel in the 16th century.  This magnificent animal is a heavy-bodied, medium-height draught horse, bred for farm work and hauling.  Its broad chest, steep shoulder, and uphill build…

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Conditioning: Warm up to Work

Horsemanship Level 4: Conditioning pt II At the end of April we covered work versus exercise in our Level 4 conditioning topic: 7. Work vs. exercise. Warm-up and cooling out, reasons why. Cooling out was covered in this Level 3 post, so this week we'll look at what constitutes an effective warm up. Just like…

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Red Colt News

Please join us in welcoming Red Colt's new resident caretakers, Elise Marquis and Graham Dube!  Elise and Graham moved in at the end of April, and we are thrilled to have them join our team.  Over the past year there has been a fair amount of upheaval at the barn with co-op members pulling in…

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Conformation: Built to Work

Horsemanship Level 4: Conformation & Unsoundness pt II Previously we looked at types of horses, their differing builds and their abilities.  This week we'll examine general conformation, and what to look for when assessing any horse. Over centuries of domestication, selective breeding has created the variety of breeds and types we looked at in the…

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Up Next in Mounted Combat

Congratulations to all the participants who have just finished the 5- and 6-week Mounted Combat, Riding, and Horsemanship classes.  Everyone who was present on Sunday completed least one part of their assessments.  Kaleigh, Ari, François, Alicia, Viktoria, and Brad were tested on riding, horsemanship or both; Brad, François, Kevin, Melissa, Christian, Karissa, and Stephanie all…

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Planning your Equestrian Year

There's something a little bit artificial about New Years resolutions.  Why pick January 1st to start changing your ways, and not any other random day of the year?  Granted, we may have a few extra pounds to shed after two weeks of rich food and reduced exercise, but you're probably going to get back on…

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The Cavaliere Program: Many Goals, Many Routes

There are a multitude of reasons people come to the Cavaliere Program: they always wanted to be a knight; they're bored with the show-ring and want a new equine activity; they want to take their swordfighting to a (literally) higher level; they want to learn about horses and riding; they were horse-crazy kids whose parents…

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Autumn Riding at Red Colt

The days are getting shorter, but that doesn't keep us out of the saddle.  There is still programming happening into December, so come on out and enjoy crisp autumn sunshine with a sword in your hand and a horse beneath you. Private Classes & Drop-ins There are one or two drop-in spaces available for selected…

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