LONDON, OH, February 2019 – Interested in improving your horsemanship skills, but not sure where to start? Equine Affaire in Ohio is the answer! As North America’s premier equine exposition and equestrian gathering, Equine Affaire offers visitors countless opportunities to learn about all aspects of horsemanship. Whether you’re just starting out in your riding career or you’ve been in the saddle since birth, there’s a clinic on the schedule for you. Equine Affaire returns to the Ohio Expo Center in Columbus, Ohio, on April 11-14. Make plans today to attend and learn from such renowned horsemen and horsewomen as Guy McLean, Julie Goodnight, Steve Lantvit, Neil Davies, Jason Irwin, and many more.
With more than 200 educational sessions on the schedule, Equine Affaire’s robust clinic program caters to equestrians of all skill levels and disciplines. Since its inception, part of Equine Affaire’s mission has been to educate equestrians and to promote communication and collaboration within the industry. Since continuing education is the lifeblood of the equine industry, clinics are an ideal way for horsemen and horsewomen to educate and inspire one another.
“At its heart, Equine Affaire is about celebrating the horse,” said Coagi Long, president of Equine Affaire. “Part of celebrating the horse is learning about ways to improve our horsemanship and handling skills. That’s why Equine Affaire focuses on bringing the best and brightest in the industry, from Olympians and World Champions to professional equestrian performers, authors, and judges. If you want to learn, there’s no better place to be.”
As one of the featured clinicians of Equine Affaire, Australian-born horsemanship trainer Guy McLean will conduct sessions on colt starting, control under saddle and on the ground, horsemanship, and liberty work. After a lifetime spent in the saddle, Guy McLean believes that the best tools to use in horsemanship are knowledge, compassion, patience, and imagination. Since 1999, Guy and his beloved team of horses have been performing for equestrian audiences around the world. In addition to teaching clinics, Guy will perform his signature liberty act in Fantasia, Equine Affaire’s musical celebration of the horse.
Julie Goodnight is known around the world for her focus on classical horsemanship and improving the relationship between horse and rider. A gifted teacher, Goodnight shares her expertise in multiple disciplines through clinics, articles, podcasts, and on-demand videos. At Equine Affaire, Goodnight will teach sessions on refining the canter, finding your balance and rhythm, developing soft hands, and teaching the horse to give to the bit. Named an Exceptional Equestrian Educator by Equine Affaire, Goodnight is also the spokesperson for the Certified Horsemanship Association and a certified Master Clinic Instructor.
Award-winning horseman Steve Lantvit promotes training built on trust, gentle hands, and true partnership. At Equine Affaire, Lantvit will present on transitions, true collection, warm-ups and exercises, and how to recognize your horse’s footfall patterns. Lantvit regularly conducts clinics and presentations at equestrian events across the United States. He also hosts his own television program on RFD-TV, “Sure in the Saddle.”
Canadian-born horseman Jason Irwin trains foundation Quarter Horses at Northstar Livestock in Ontario. In addition to owning and operating a beef farm with his family, Irwin shares his knowledge of training horses through clinics and presentations. His sessions at Equine Affaire will include side-passing, emergency stops, problem-solving in horse training for youth, and more.
Neil Davies of Fear-Free Horse Training believes in using trust, confidence, and understanding to train horses. A horse trainer and author, Davies will teach sessions on the fundamentals of fear-free horsemanship, including teaching your horse about correct forward motion, building your horse’s work ethic, and developing everyday disciplines of communication and consistency.
A host of other discipline-specific clinicians to be featured at Equine Affaire include Candice King and Ali Wolff (hunter/jumper), Mette Rosencrantz and Susan Mandas (dressage), Sandy Collier (reined cow horse), Jesse Westfall (reining), Jane Melby (barrel racing), Muffy Seaton (driving), Sylvia Zerbini and Luke Gingerich (liberty), Dana Hokana (western horsemanship, hunter under saddle), Michael Gascon (easy gaited horses), Gayle Lampe (saddleseat), Tom Seay (trail riding and camping), Kelsey Lauberth (trick riding), Sam Rettinger (draft horses), Asbury University (mounted police horse training), and more. For a full list of clinicians and a complete schedule, visit equineaffaire.com.
General admission tickets for Equine Sale are on sale now! Tickets can be purchased online at equineaffaire.com or by calling the Equine Affaire office at (740) 845-0085, Mon-Fri from 9 am-5 pm EST. Single-day adult tickets are $15. Single-day youth tickets (age 7-10) are $8, while children ages 6 and under attend free. Four-day adult passes are available for $50. For the price of general admission, visitors can shop at North America’s largest horse-related trade show, interact with hundreds of horses on display in breed exhibits, marvel at competitions, and attend all clinics, seminars, and demonstrations. Please note that separate tickets are required for admission to Fantasia, Equine Affaire’s signature musical celebration of the horse. Fantasia tickets can also be ordered online or through the Equine Affaire office.