It is time to get registered for the 2017 Certified Horsemanship Association (CHA) International Conference and make plans to attend this extra-special year as CHA celebrates its 50 Anniversary on October 26-29, in Lexington, Kentucky.
This will be a historic event for CHA, which is the largest certifying body of riding instructors in the United States and Canada. But keep in mind, the conference offers something for everyone…with presentations from top-level instructors, trainers, camp staff, equine facility managers, authors, and other experts from within the horse industry. There will be hands-on mounted workshops on well-trained school horses from Midway University, classroom-style presentations, and plenty of chances to socialize and network with others in the industry at the Kentucky Horse Park and at the Marriott Griffin Gate Hotel.
The conference kicks off with the CHA’s Horses in the Morning Radio Show going live with Glenn Hebert and CHA CEO Christy Landwehr on Thursday, October 26. The CHA Annual Membership Meeting will be held later that day at 2 p.m. A welcome reception brings attendees together at 6 p.m. at the Kentucky Horse Park Museum.
Friday and Saturday are packed full of presentations and workshops, along with the ability of attendees to bid on Silent Auction items. Mounted sessions will be on a first-come first-serve basis, and full conference participants may ride in one mounted presentation.
Some of the topics on Friday include what judges are looking for in hunter classes, riding biomechanics, the off-track Thoroughbred, exercises using dressage training principles, drill patterns, basics necessary for effective riding, protecting your equine business with risk management, exercises to improve flexibility and strength, working with the media to promote your business, farrier certification, and much more.
Round Table Discussions and dessert with the CHA Board of Directors rounds out the day.
Topics on Saturday include canter transitions, the mind-body connection, care and training of clients, lateral work to improve turns on the haunches/spins/rollbacks, saddle fit, teaching the older rider, engaging the rider’s core to engage the horse’s core, western dressage, horseback archery, acupressure and essential oils, and much more. CHA Regional meetings are held at 4:30 p.m. on Saturday. And the grand finale of this year’s conference is the reception and the CHA Awards Banquet, where attendees will help the organization celebrate 50 years of serving the equine industry through programs designed to help instructors and equine facilities teach horsemanship in a safe, effective, and fun manner.
For a complete list of sessions and their descriptions, along with speaker bios, please visit http://cha-ahse.org/store/pages/322/2016_CHA_International_Conference_Speakers.html.
Visitors can find out complete information and/or register online at www.CHAinstructors.com/conference.
CHA Instructors Change Lives Through Safe Experiences with Horses. The purpose of CHA is to promote excellence in safety and education for the benefit of the horse industry. CHA certifies instructors and trail guides, accredits equestrian facilities, publishes educational manuals, produces educational horsemanship DVDs and YouTube Safety shorts, and hosts regional and international conferences. For more information on the largest certifying body of riding instructors and barn managers in North America, Certified Horsemanship Association, please visit www.CHA-ahse.org or call 859-259-3399. To find a certified horseback riding instructor or accredited equine facility near you, visit www.CHAinstructors.com.
