Authentic Horsemanship
“Authentic Horsemanship is our brand of relationship-based horsemanship. We communicate with our horses in a non-verbal way where we use pressure and release to encourage our horses to respond. That’s how we establish trust and connection through consistent leadership. We carry this approach of kindness and encouragement throughout our whole organization – this is the core of our hospitality culture.”
Authentic Horsemanship, our concept of Natural Horsemanship
The Hideout is a riding The Hideout is a riding guest ranch and an equestrian destination. We have the privilege to listen, talk, learn, and ride with visitors from around the world. Our guests come from different walks of life and have a rich variety of riding levels and equestrian experience ranging from beginners to intermediate and professional riders competing in the global arena. All these people share a passion for riding and horses. Our guests have a wealth of information, ideas, feedback, opinions, and experience to offer.
We also invest in training for our team by organizing clinics and training opportunities with well-rounded professional clinicians.
This is what shapes and defines our riding and equestrian culture at The Hideout. It is the way in which we handle and respect our horses, the way we train our horses and the way we teach our guests about horsemanship and horses. We call it Authentic Horsemanship. It is based on respect, low-stress, empathy, open-mindedness, and professionalism.
The Goal of Authentic Horsemanship at The Hideout
Our goal is simple; to create a fun, safe, open-minded, and respectful equestrian experience during your stay at The Hideout Lodge & Guest Ranch. We are constantly growing and shaping our program because like most things in life, it is an ever-evolving journey to reach the goals we have set for our program. The more we learn and listen, the more we notice how much we still must learn.
Our intention is to maximize the potential embedded in the relationship between each horse and rider
Natural Horsemanship Clinics at The Hideout Lodge & Guest Ranch
1. Weekly throughout the season
Riding lessons, learning the basics of horsemanship and Liberty as a hands-on activity are offered and available if we have enough participants. All The Hideout’s activities, including non-riding activities, are typically available with a minimum of 6 to 8 participants. On Wednesday morning, Marijn, one of our owners, usually offers a demonstration in the basics of natural horsemanship and playing at Liberty.
Marijn holds a Level 4 Parelli Certification, participated in Art of the Cowgirl in 2020 and rode thousands of miles on the range, working cattle, studying horsemanship, and working in Liberty. Marijn started working with horses at a later age, when first joining The Hideout.
She studied both the theoretical and practical side, attending many clinics of experienced clinicians. Marijn loves working cattle and playing at Liberty with her horses. Throughout the week, if guests are interested, our wranglers will offer tips and feedback during the rides. Both our owners Marijn and Peter ride out with our guests.
2. Dedicated Horsemanship Clinics during the Off-Season
During our Off-Season, Winter, or Spring, ahead of our guest season, we usually organize dedicated horsemanship clinic weeks, limited to a small number of participants. These clinics are limited to 8 participants to maximize the experience and book up fast. Most participants are so pleased with the clinic, they book again for the following season.
