Working With Jazz

ADVENTURES IN HORSEMANSHIP: Working With Jazz

A dear friend is dealing with some “life” and reached out to us to help her with her thirteen (13) year old Paint gelding named Jazz. Jazz is broke to saddle and has some experiences in a variety of settings and situations but could use a refresher on being a gentleman on the ground and a willing partner under saddle. We will have Jazz in our care for a few months and, depending on what the future holds for his human, we hope to be able to return Jazz in better mental, physical and emotional condition to his human or find him a new home. This “journal” is just one of the methods we use to track progress and evaluate challenges as they occur.

DAY 0: We picked Jazz up in the morning. After checking out the “new-to-him” trailer he loaded up and hauled well. We even made a stop at the local feed store. Once we got home he unloaded with a couple of false starts. We have a rule that horses back out of the trailer. No spinning around or other silliness. We back then out slowly and carefully. We fell this building both trust and confidence. He unloaded and was turned out into one of our pastures, A nice snack was waiting for him. We checked on him several times during the remainder of the day. He has settled in nicely. We also allow the horse to rest a bit before working with in in our program. Tomorrow he gets loaded up and we head down the road a bit to a local arena for a horsemanship session!

 Jazz (glamour shot)

 Rolling is the BEST!

He seems to have settled in nicely!

DAY 1: WORKSHOP PARTICIPATION – We hauled Jazz out so he and his human could attend a horsemanship workshop locally. Since we have seen Jazz and his human work together in the past we decided not to do a “full evaluation” on Day 0 and figured that today at the workshop we could get one done and see where Jazz’s starting point is as of today.

We started off Jazz’s session in the small warm up pen to check his sensitivity to pressure on the “zones”, his overall curiosity and his willingness to lock on. We performed an abbreviated “evaluation” in the 50’ x 80’ warm up pen at the facility. We checked his sensitivity to pressure (which was pretty good) played with getting consistent gaits and directions/ changes of direction (again, not bad) reactions to increases in energy/effort (a little reactive) and get the horse to relax and look at the human (lock on/ two eyes). All of this was done off the lead line (the safest way to meet a new horse is being in a controlled environment without being attached to it).

Then we moved into some lead line work. We went through nine (9) different “tests” and got a really good baseline/ starting point from which to work. Jazz seemed to enjoy the mental stimulation and was willing to accept leadership if giving in a calm and consistent manner.

Then it was time to get into the workshop! There were several horses Jazz did not know in the big arena. He was curious about them but also a little aloof. He was working with his human in the workshop. It never ceases to amaze us how much the horse reflects what the human puts out (even unconsciously). On the ground today we exposed jazz to some desensitizing exercises, lateral flexion, basic lead line work with “soft” circles and gait changes, backing up with both rhythmic and steady pressure, hind quarter yields and the 5 in 1 exercise. The workshop covered six (6) great groundwork exercises that really helped (and challenged) the horse, the human and their partnership.

Under saddle we work on flexion in the bridle, some Follow the Fence (all three gaits), the Forward/Backward/Forward transition exercise, the Charlie Brown exercise, yielding the hind end at the fence from the walk, attempted Side Passing at the fence and we rode the Serpentine/ Cloverleaf patterns. All in all the workshop covered seven (7) riding exercises that helped (and challenged) the horse, the human and their partnership. Humans hit frustration points as they broke through comfort barriers. The horses (including Jazz) reflected that. So many of the horse’s “issues” stem from their human partners which then become “bad habits” and then the downward spiral begins.

The day wrapped up with everyone (horse and human alike) feeling “full” and a bit tired. Jazz did as well as we expected. On a scale from 1 to 10 (1 being “clueless and stubborn” and 10 being “amazing”), Jazz was a good, solid 6 to 6.5. We have some room for improvement to be sure but his primary human is also going to factor into his growth and potential.

Tomorrow we get started with the program in the round pen and setting up goals to help Jazz reach new levels of performance. Should be fun!

(Sadly the battery in the camera died before we could get pictures of the workshop.)

 Checking awareness.

 Looking for "oh no" spots.

 Checking pressure sensitivity.

 Desensitizing.

 Lead line circles.

Taking a mental break.

It Is A Brand New Day!

IT IS A NEW DAY!

Anyone who takes on a “project horse” is a HERO in our book! Oftentimes these horses come with baggage, have been handled poorly/roughly, are not in the greatest physical condition and need LOTS of love, consistency and leadership to find their “best selves” in the new and improved partnership with a new human. In short it is not easy. Worth it? Oh VERY MUCH so…but not easy.

We were contacted by one of these HEROES who took on a project horse and was having some challenges. The horse is a ten year old Arab cross (we thing with Morgan but the previous owner was “unclear” about this.) gelding. His “history” was also unclear (supposedly broke to saddle but has had some bucking issues). Still our HERO purchased this fellow from someone known for being a bit of a “horse-flipper” and not the most reputable. It happens. We all have done it, when we see a horse in need. The new owner/ HERO, has been working with horse less than a month and trying to get its weight and body condition back up. We were told that in a recent session the horse, while saddled, spooked, bolted and almost jumped out of the new human’s round pen. The new human as done some groundwork and some desensitizing (even used saddle bags on the saddle so the horse could see something out of both eyes). In short lots of over-reaction/spookiness on the horse’s part. Our HERO felt they were not progressing and actually moving backwards.

We met up at a local public horse arena with a wonder 60-70’ round-pen with good footing and good railing. Since we had so little information on this gelding to build up a plan of action we figured it would be best to evaluate and work with him someplace away from “home” in a controlled environment. We wanted to check out curious and reactive he was and how “trainable” he would allow himself to be. This is REALLY important when one considers a project horse candidate. If they are damaged (mentally, emotionally or physically) enough it is often very difficult to reach their minds and is usually “more work” than most people are willing to commit to. After letting the horse get familiar with the new place on this new day we began to work on establishing a connection. After a few “almost starts” we were able to love on the horse a bit and he began to “lock on” and follow us around a bit. We then began to establish some control parameters by getting consistency in gait and direction at liberty. He was a but confused and reactive at first but soon calmed down and understood that we we simply “asking” quietly and did not “yell” without cues and body language at all. Being told a horse is reactive we made the decision that pressure/volume would only be increased in minor stages at first. This paid off well because soon the horse was looking for that leadership and wanted to be “right” in its actions. When things went a tiny bit sideways we simple stopped, rubbed/loved on him and tried again. We then moved to getting some consistent (and calm) changes of direction and gait. This went well considering some of the initial reactions and we could see that the “trainable mind” was in there. We just had to start chipping away at 10 years of “not so good” experiences and begin to replace them with calm, confident and fun ones. Once we were able to “get two eyes” and some good, consistent actions based on our “asking” for them we moved on to working on the lead line.

Because of the initial reactive responses we took our time introducing the rope halter and lead rope. The horse shied away at first but with the consistent “advance and retreat” approach he was able to feel more confident about the process and took the halter like a gentleman. We then draped the rope over the arm and walked away with the expectation of the horse following. No “pulling” or over signals, just strolled away. He followed like he was doing this all his life. It was a good sign that trust was beginning to happen. We move to asking him to follow but stay to one side of the human. This was a new concept to him and he was unsure he was supposed to be there and defaulted back to simply following behind. Once this felt “good” we really got down to business! Some of the same concepts like moving in a circle at the speed we requested and changing directions consistently and calmly were worked on via the lead line. Then we introduced some desensitizing exercises with the lead rope. We worked on some lateral softness (flexion), bending through the body and vertical flexion. We then did some more desensitizing with the stick-n-string before moving into Backing from both rhythmic and steady pressure. These “felt” like new concepts in the way they were presented. It took several tries with systematic increases in pressure to relate the concept of rhythmic pressure back to the horse but once he got it he gave honest tries. Steady pressure backing was much the same way. We introduced a new concept of the hindquarter yield. At first the actions were reactive but soon settled into calm actions based on cues. We introduced “follow the nose” which incorporated a desensitizing exercise to the rope and then by following the feel of pressure on the nose from the halter make a 180 degree turn on the hind end then the forehand followed by forward impulsion. This went very well and he surprised us with his calm and willing attitude towards it. We attempted to introduce the forequarter yield on command. This was new to him and even though he tried he struggled a bit. This is good as it provides a solid starting point for his new human to work from. We rolled into our 5 in 1 exercise which strings five distinct exercises into one sentence. This really tests the trainable mind and willing attitude. Overall the horse did well and once again established a good starting point. We wrapped up the session with a lateral flexion review and working on lateral leads by the foot ending with a desensitizing session with the plastic bag on the stick. This we knew would create the most drama in the horse’s mind but since we did it at the end of the session after building the trust/confidence level in the horse the level of “drama” while there, was manageable and encouraging.

The journey these to personalities – the horse and the human – will need to be a slow one at first. Trust, timing, feel, communication and respect has to really be developed. With a good (ie: effective) program of groundwork, desensitizing reintroduction of the saddle, the horse and the human should be able to build a strong foundation that can be built upon for years to come.

We were blessed to be a small part of this new journey.

Reflections at the Season's End

THE END OF THE SEASON: Horsemanship Reflections

Here in the Sierra Nevada foothills (we are right at the big “uphill’ into the mountains and just 70 miles from Lake Tahoe) Fall is here and Winter is close behind. Days are shorter, blankets are on the horses more often than not and we begin to go into “maintenance” mode with our equine pals and our horsemanship.

It has been one heck of a season! Here are some highlights:

HORSE SHOWS: We decided to try out a “horse show series” this year. Unlike some of the obstacle challenges and trail trials we have done in the past (and we love doing them by the way) where the partnership is judged on communication and confidence, the classic horse show is all about “slow, pretty and refined” in the riding and execution of maneuvers. Lots of tough competition at these shows where horses and humans with some real experience in this type of activity participate. We had to adapt quite a bit as did our horses to be comfortable in this environment. However, we have to say that we were really blessed and met some great folks during the show series. Other riders shared their experiences in the show pen along with much laughter and fellowship. The feeling of “community” certainly made all the hard work worth it. Everyone encouraged everyone and that means everyone improves. We focused on Trail Classes because – frankly – riding around in a big oval with 10 (or more) other people just did not appeal to us. Those that it did and that competed in those classes were fun to watch but we know our horses well enough to know that those classes would not appeal to them. Trail Classes bring all the skills needed to be successful in an obstacle challenge or trail trial to the show pen and combine them with “slow, pretty and refined.” Our horses will never have that “refined” look (Ronan is a chunky Foundation bred Quarter Horse and Argent is a Kiger Mustang) but they did well overall and rose to every challenge we placed in front of them. These shows also illuminated where we could improve our “tool box” which was good. We wrapped up the season with a wall full of multi-colored ribbons. Surprising to us Ronan won Reserve Champion for the series and Argent placed 6^th Overall respectively in the overall high point category. Not bad for our first foray into this activity.

WORKSHOPS: Wow…so many cool moments! We hosted some workshops and we were blessed to take part in others. We met so many fun people and wonderful horses! We got to spend time and (as always) learned lots with Susan Wirgler, Wendy Belt and Denise Veitz (all awesome trainers and clinicians) We traveled around a bit. Foundation Skills, Obstacles, Improved Communication, Training on the Trail, Round Pen, Confidence Building…the list goes on and on. We covered lots of miles and lots of topics with the workshops, lessons and clinics. We built up a real momentum and established some great starting points to help one another achieve our horsemanship goals. Sharing in the wins and seeing the improvements (also the “ah-ha” moments was and is such a blessing. We are really looking forward to see what 2018 brings!

PROJECT & OTHER HORSES: We had a chance to help two “project horses” this year. Both had some “unique” histories and so much potential. Each had their own set of challenges that pushed our understanding of the horse and horsemanship to new places. These “project horses” are thriving with their new families and we could not be happier. They certainly do teach us and we attempt to help them. We worked with some friends on getting their horses more comfortable with trailer loading. We helped improve ground manners and skills with other friends. Along the way we had a chance to help one another find those holes in the partnership and make the bonds stronger. Time spent in fellowship with good people and good horses is an investment for the soul.

2017 5^th ANNIVESARY SPRING EQUESTRIAN RETREAT: Five years of hosting this event. Bar SZ Ranch is, as always, beautiful. We tried some new activities and share so many awesome moments it is hard to put it all into words. This event gets better each year! For 2017 we added the City Slicker Cattle Drive, the Adventure Quest Poker Ride, the Arthouse Breakfast, and City Slicker Team Sorting as well as some fun “mini-workshops” and the Beer Truck! The Raffle is always a good time! We had lots of marksmen enjoy the shooting range and the Knife/ Ax Throwing. We even had a Poker Night! The event happens over Memorial Day Weekend and we certainly cram lots of food, and fun into the 4 day/ 3 night event! In fact this event is SO much fun that we pretty much filled up (we do a have few spots left) the 2018 registrations within 90 days of posting the details!

It was a good “season” of the horse in 2017!

2018 kicks off with a great “Spring Back Into Horsemanship” workshop in February. We working on the concept for a “Patterns, Potluck & Obstacles” workshop for March. There will be some field trips, horse shows and more on the horizon. We look forward to sharing these experiences with you in 2018!

Thanks for making 2017 so much fun!

Cheers!

Laurie & Michael

Low Budget Trail Class Training - A Video

LOW BUDGET TRAIL CLASS TRAINING

Today, we broke out our “low budget” trail class training gear (obstacles) and headed over to Pioneer Park Arena in Somerset, CA. They have a “warm up arena” that is just about the size of the one we will be competing in later this week and over the next couple of months.

After we did our “standard” groundwork to ensure communication was flowing we saddled up and got to work.
Our “course” is made up of safety cones. PVC pipes, rope and scrap wood. The goal was to make it portable. We are currently working on a real horse safe wood “bridge” but that is a story for another time. You can, with a little creativity and some smart shopping, craft your own trail class training course for under $200.00. If trail classes, trail trials and cowboy challenges are your thing then this is a cost effective way to enhance your training tools.

You and your horse need to have trust, communication and control to enjoy these types of activities. The skills most often used for these types of competitions are: Backing, Stopping, Yield the Forequarters, Yield the Hindquarters,, Side passing, Being desensitized to a variety of “scary objects”, tight turns, gait transitions and a general “ good handle” on the horse. Your seat/leg cues need to be fairly tuned in as well. Everyone can walk and jog along a rail –although doing so in a group is tough! For our show dollar, it is all about the application of a variety of skills in unique situations that is the true test of one’s horsemanship. You can find “trail classes” happening at most shows.

This video shares some ideas for a low budget trail course and demonstrates some of the basic skills needed to be comfortable in the area for a trail class.

Thanks for watching.

MORE ADVENTURES with TRAILER LOADING!

MORE ADVENTURES IN TRAILER LOADING

To paraphrase a well-known Australian horseman, “If you build a strong set of foundational skills with your horse, 90% of your problems go away.”  This means that is you get your groundwork really tight and your fundamental riding skills solid most of you behavior issues go away because you have dealt with the problems through the course of your training without even really focusing on the problem.

Time and time again we see this to be proven as “gospel truth” and are so glad we took that particular message to heart.

We also know that “the basics” are boring. It is the truth. Everyone would much rather be cruising down the trail, playing with cattle or riding is a show that working on your round pen and ground work skills. Playing over obstacles is more fun that working on your steering wheel, gas pedal and brakes. Still, if you don’t have those “basics” rock solid then the enjoyment of the cool stuff is a far off dream…or a nightmare depending on your horse! You can’t build a house without a good foundation. Taking the time to make sure the basics are really solid is an investment that pays off over and over again!

Today we met a sweet 7 year old Quarter Horse mare with limited “life” experience and a fear of getting into the trailer. This is a common issue. Humans lose their brains trying to get a horse to load up in a trailer. It is almost comical if it wasn’t s dangerous for both eth human and horse! The goals is to have the horse quietly lead into the trailer on a lose lead line…or better yet step in and load themselves.

We got acquainted in the round pen first. This is a great step to take because it tells LOTS about the horse and the level of sensitivity and training they have had. It demonstrates their attitude “today” and lays the foundation for a solid partnership. This mare had LOTS of energy. She needed to burn it off and open her brain up to communication and following our lead. So we worked on these exercises: respectful lunging, 5 in 1 circles, backing, lateral flexion and sending through. We wanted to make sure that these exercises were “on the brain” before going over to the trailer.

At the trailer we allow the horse to take time and investigate. This allows them to become familiar with the trailer on their terms. Then we ask them to load up. Why? Because with a slim minority of horses that is all that you need. Most, however, decline the offer and the humans as to get busy and start hustling hooves! We work all around the trailer and only rest near it. This gets repeated with rest only happening when more and more of the horse is actually in the trailer. Now, you often have to work through some “ugly” to get to the “good” and this mare was no exception. She crowded our space, she pulled back, reared up, jigged about, and had a hissy fit. We just make a correction and then get back to moving those hooves! When the horse quietly leads into the trailer on a loose lead line…or better yet steps in and load itself several times…we call the lesson a success and quit. The human will have to follow up with the horse several times over the next week or so to ensure that no “backsliding” happens.

We called the session a win when the mare lead quietly up to the trailer and then with a simple point loaded up several (like six) times calmly and backed out calmly.

It was a good day!

If you need help with teaching your horse to load up in a trailer just give us a call or drop us an email at luckstarhorsemanship@gmail.com!

Highlight pictures at: https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=2023571557866899&id=1857426887814701

5th Anniversary Spring Equestrian Retreat - A Journal

2017 5^th Anniversary Spring Equestrian Retreat – A Journal

If you have wondered what the Spring Equestrian Retreat is like or what goes into creating such an event then this journal is for you. Read along and share the adventure!

EVENT HISTORY & CULTURE:  This event was first organized by Michael and Laurie as an activity for The Golden State Horsemanship Club in 2012. The idea was to have a multi-day event where members of the group could do a little horse training, have some fun experiences, enjoy good food and good fellowship and perhaps try something new while relaxing and recharging themselves. The culture of the group, since its creation in 2011 has been one of support, learning, inspiration and courtesy. This is the fourth year (2017) we have opened this to the “public” and as such we want YOU, the attendees, to be aware and prepared to support the ideals of this event and to embrace them over the weekend. This is a “team” event, meaning that we all work together to make the event fun and successful.

 IN THE PREVIOUS MONTHS:  We have sold this event out to capacity three times in the past several months. In fact we were FILLED the first time (ie: no more spaces) within the first two weeks of promoting the event! Life happens and folks have had to cancel here and there but for the most part we have stayed at capacity! This is a good thing!

We have planned out activities, changed our minds, crafted menus, changed the menus, settled on the menus. Shopped like crazy for cool raffle prizes, figured out what type of beer and cider will go in the Beer Truck, got the super nice commemorative glasses ordered and explored many ways to take the FUN to new levels…without breaking the bank!

Finally we come down to the final week before the event…

THIS WEEK: It is all about shopping to FEED everyone! It is all about PACKING all the things! It is all about ANSWERING all the “last minute” questions! It is all about logistics and organization and COOKING and preparations and…well you get the picture.

Add into this joyful chaos this crazy little thing call LIFE! Dealing with automobile repair issues, school projects (Michael is working on his MBA), traveling for work, PROMOTION at work, family demands, domestic demands and…again, you get the picture.

Thursday is the BIG PACKING/LAST MINUTE ERRANDS DAY. Early Friday morning “Retreat One” heads off to Bar SZ Ranch to being set-up! Friday afternoon “Retreat Two” leaves for the site with the remaining supplies in tow.

The WEATHER looks to be great all weekend! The food will be awesome and the activities will be FUN! Since this is our 5^th Anniversary Event we are pretty jazzed! Looking forward to making new friends, seeing old friends and creating some grand memories!

Ronan and Michael- Getting ready for the Retreat! Also trying a bosal for the first time.

DAY 1 (Friday): The “staff” of Laurie, Mark and Nicole arrived on site about 12:00pm and working with the Bar SZ Ranch team began the process of event set up, registration and helping to get the incoming guests situated with housing (both horse and human), meal prep team assignments and more. It is always happy chaos with a tad bit of drama mixed in just for giggles. Still, we get through it with creativity and style. Good times.

Friday night we had a great pasta dinner. Folks were HUNGRY and we actually ran low on pasta and sauces. Note to self: We have never have too much pasta or sauce. We covered some basic “ranch rules” and event announcements, sold some commemorative glasses (gets you beer/cider all weekend) and generally enjoyed the campfire by DOC’S BAR with some fine fellowship and good country music. The “horse junkies” in the group took advantage of the lighted/covered arena and rode for a while. The evening wrapped up close to midnight and folks headed off to bed.

Always a good time!

DAY 2 (Saturday): Breakfast casserole was a hit! We set up the Adventure Poker Ride and got the City Slicker Cattle Drive groups set up. There was a mini workshop on Foundational Communication (90 minutes), Knife/ Axe Throwing got moving along, and got our “horse rental” folks all squared away. Then Group #1 headed out to play with the cows! Bridge crossings, major water crossings (like up to your stirrups in places) and lots of laughter happened as folks moved the herd around. The Adventure Poker Ride also kicked off and folks rode the Ranch following clues and picking up their cards. Yes, all of this BEFORE lunch! It was a pretty full morning!

Ranch House Chili was the feature for lunch. It too seemed to be a hit. Then Group #2 headed out to bring the cows in for Team Sorting/Penning later in the day. Tim, Michael, Colton and neighbor Tanner (a Champion in the Roping world) went out and finished building fences and setting up gates to complete the cattle corral/arena area. The Gun Range got going and had lots of folks shooting a variety of firearms. Impromptu Roping workshops happened as did some arena work and general socializing at Doc’s Bar. The Beer Truck had Coor’s Light, Blue Moon and Angry Orchard Cider on tap. Helped to slake everyone’s thirst for sure!

Did we mention the awesome trails? With over 600 acres to play on the trails were very popular!

Dinner was a Pot Pie Casserole which folks seemed to enjoy. Music, a little dancing under the starts and lots of laughter happened. A western themed Poker Game happened and the FOURTEEN Raffle Prizes got laid out for inspection. The night wrapped up a little earlier as folks were tired from a very full day.

Here are just a few pictures....

DAY 3 (Sunday): Another day in horsey heaven! Breakfast was a classic. Pancakes, sausage and all the fixings! Great way to start the day! More trail rides, more cattle drive groups, a mini workshop on Quiet Control (90 minutes). Knife/axe throwing, the gun range, billiards, darts and LOTS more of the same awesomeness that Saturday brought to the event. It was a good morning. We had a cow give birth to a new calf on Saturday. On Sunday it was noted that Mamma Cow was not taking care of her baby as well as needed. So we brought the calf in, made sure it was healthy, gave it some nutrition and later in the day reintroduced to the herd. In between everyone got to love on “Norman” the calf.

Lunch was a taco bar! This year we had marinated (and slow cooked) pulled pork carnitas and chicken ranchero along with all the fixings. After lunch the fun started all over again! Folks could do as much or as little as they wished! Folks really put some miles on their horses!

Then it was the BBQ DINNER! We had THIRTY pounds of mesquite marinated tri-tip and THIRTY pounds of teriyaki chicken that was slow grilled over oak wood coals! Sweet corn on the cob….and BEER! Did we mention the BEER TRUCK? The truck holds kegs and folks could purchase a cool commemorative glass and have access to ice cold beer all weekend long! We had Blue Moon, Angry Orchard Cider and Coors Light (we did come home with some Coors Light however). It seemed a popular feature of the weekend.

We had the Raffle! We have 14 PRIZES to raffle off. It was fun. Folks hung out and socialized late into the evening (this happens every year) and the bonds of fellowship were solidified.

It was a good time!

DAY 4 (Monday): Breakfast burritos started the day off! We announced the three best hands from the adventure poker ride and gave away PRIZES! Then folks went off for final rides all over the ranch. Some knife/axe throwing happened and generally everyone had a mellow morning. Folks also began to pack down and prep for their journey home. 

Lunch was a grab-bag affair with some fun featured items and some leftovers from the weekend. After lunch the major exodus off the property began in earnest. By 3:00pm most everyone had sad their goodbyes and hit the trail homeward. By 4:00pm the Team (Laurie, Nicole and I) said our goodbyes to the Borelands and we headed home.

Always a bittersweet day, Monday. Folks hate to go but they look forward to the next year!

Plans are already underway for the 2018 Spring Equestrian Retreat! Ranch costs of 2018 are going up a bit (like by $2000.00) but we are doing our best to keep the single and family package prices as low as we can and still cover all the expenses. Surveys have (and will continue to) go out to past Retreat Attendees so we can gather feedback. 

The struggle is not to host a great equestrian vacation event, it is to do so under $500.00 a person! When you look and unfun things like budget (ranch rental, food, prizes, insurance, clean-up crew costs and so on) and then you want to add stuff like Clinicians (who have to be paid mind you) it is super easy to blow right past the cost consideration. We spend LOTS of REAL VALUABLE TIME preparing and then marketing this event. We will do our best to keep costs low so stay with us, help out by getting in your surveys and support the Retreat as best you can!

Looking forward to 2018!