As a co-founder and owner of Hill Country Equestrian Lodge, I have found the creation and directing of our Summer girls' riding and horsemanship camps to be one of the most rewarding parts of our operation. Since 2009, I have enjoyed the privilege of sharing my love of horses and horsemanship with many young women, and been moved by the strength and confidence it inspires in them. Many of our campers have advanced in their horsemanship skills to the level of returning as instructors and counselors, and have continued on to pursue degrees in related fields such as Equine Science, Veterinary Medicine, and Microbiology.
People who know me will tell you that I am one of the most particular people on the planet. When it comes to caring for your campers and providing them the safest, most enjoyable, and best educational horsemanship camp possible, I do not apologize for this. The same carries over into the particular way in which I have chosen my staff for this year's Equestrian Lodge Summer Horsemanship Camps. Each of these women has worked with me extensively in the day-to-day operations of our ranch vacation business, caring for our horses, guiding trail rides, and teaching or assisting in the many lessons and clinics that we provide throughout the year. They have each received intensive training in the specific way that I teach students, and ride and train our horses, according to the Whole Horsemanship method that I have developed over the years, which is briefly described on this website on the "Our Philosophy" link. This method combines the breadth of information describing effective horsemanship that is available from many presenters and sources today, with my understanding of human biomechanics learned through my 6 years as a certified personal fitness trainer, filtered through my own intuition and experience in training horses and people. Each of these young women has worked hard to develop proper riding technique and intuition as a horsewoman. But that is not enough. Each of them has to be able to communicate their knowledge of horsemanship to others in an understandable, kind, safe, and enjoyable way.
And that they do. Each of them has a specific set of skills and traits that makes them ideal for giving your camper the best horsemanship camp experience possible, including:
1) A working knowledge of effective riding and training techniques.
2) A kind, nurturing nature that strives to help others.
3) A pleasing, yet assertive personality that encourages students to push beyond their typical limits, yet keeps them safe and happy.
4) The ability to adapt to a variety of students, horses, and situations.
5) Having a "6th sense" that keeps them constantly aware of their surroundings and that of their horses and students, and which allows them to react quickly when necessary to avoid and avert unsafe situations.
6) Patience, patience, patience!
You will find that each of our staff members embodies these qualities in a unique way that makes her ideal for filling an important role in our 2023 Whole Horsemanship Camps. I will be updating photographs and bios for each of them, on this page below, in the coming days, along with her role in our daily camp life. Meanwhile, feel free to contact me with any questions you may have.
Thank you for your sincere interest in our camps, and for taking the time to learn more about myself and our staff.
Sincerely,
2022 Whole Horsemanship Camp Staff
Dianne Lindig Lovett, Camp Director and Head Instructor.
My horsemanship skill and experience draws information from many different sources, presenters, and disciplines. I have shown and trained horses in both Western and English disciplines, including Western Horsemanship, Reining, Western Riding, and Trail, Dressage, Hunter-Jumper and Eventing. Drawing on my diverse horsemanship background and my 6 years of experience as a certified personal trainer, I developed the Whole Horsemanship method of riding, teaching, and training in 1999. In 2006 I was a featured speaker at the Alberta Horse Owners and Breeder Conference, and in 2009, I was named Outstanding teacher of the Year by readers of Horseback Magazine. I was Captain of HCEL's Team Girl Power, Dude Ranch Rodeo Champions 5 out of 8 years, from 2009-16. I ride, train, and teach at Hill Country Equestrian Lodge year-round. I have been the Director and Head Instructor of our girls' Whole Horsemanship Camps since 2009, and I will be teaching advanced classes in all Western and English disciplines for our 2019 Summer Camps. |
