Upcoming Clinic and Event Schedule for 2017
We are proud of the clinics we present
Each year we offer a nice variety of clinics at our ranch. Careful attention is given to the details to ensure that you have a relaxed environment that is conducive to learning. For our all day/intensive clinics, we have meal services to ensure your bellies are full and your mind has the energy to focus! There are stalls or paddocks available for the clinic participant’s horses. A few electric hook ups are available. If you have a group of friends, club or private barn who would like a private clinic, give us a call, we can put together a clinic to fit your individual needs.
For up to date clinic dates visit
our Facebook pages (Christy Bourbonnais or Cripple Creek
Ranch)
Latest News
January 1, 2016
Happy New Year - Had a great time enjoying the great company
and meeting new people! Thanks to those who helped make this
a great day.
In January look for an article featuring me
discussing how to whoa a horse in the January issue of Horse
Illustrated Magazine!
Click here to see my
2015 Year in review Newsletter
This is going to be
an exciting year for us with the variety of clinics we have
to offer.
Take a look and give us a call if you have any
questions, or inquire about group discounts.
Cripple Creek Ranch 2017 Clinic
Registration Form
Download Form Please
fill out one application for each participant and register
early to a reserve a spot.
Upcoming
Spring and Summer
Events
May 20, 2017 -
Spring Fling
Download Form
Short Course of Ground Work and Obstacle
Training and using those skills under saddle. This is a
great way to tune up your horse that has been hanging out in
the pasture all winter or taking a break from riding. You
get a great opportunity to get your horse off your property,
enjoy some training and focus and have fun at the same time.
Meet new friends and learn new skills. Great stepping stone
to our other clinics.
June 2,3,4 2017
- Cowboy & Cowgirl Adventure Clinic
Download Form
Info to follow. Check back soon.
June 4, 2017
- Introduction to Cattle Clinic
Download Form
Get a chance to warm up your horse then introduce them to
cattle in a non-threatening manner. You will get some
insight into reading a horse and cow’s body language and how
they relate to one another. This is a great opportunity to
get your horses used to cattle or over the fear of them. We
take a soft, easy approach to getting you and your horse
used to being around cattle. We take the time needed to
build confidence and knowledge you need to be safe and
secure around the cattle. We work as a group and in small
teams to establish a connection with the horse/rider and
cows. Group exercises to warm up and ensure focus and
rider’s abilities to handle the maneuvers necessary to guide
a horse around the cattle. We find that working our horses
around cattle improves their mental focus and relationship
to the rider’s cues. This is not a wild and crazy – chase
the cattle clinic. This is designed to create a learning
environment to increase your awareness and knowledge and to
build confidence for horse and rider.
July 16, 2017
-
Barrel and Pole- Gaming Clinic
Download Form We take into account
that all riders are at different levels and we work hard to
maximize your time and effort in helping your advance your
skills and your horse’s ability to work the events. We start
off with some group work and warm up exercises. Then we
advance through various gaming events and pick them apart to
help you understand how to be efficient and timely as a
rider. This is a very motivational clinic and a great way to
get a leg up on the competition!
July 23, 2017 -
Introduction to Western Dressage
Download Form I really enjoy
teaching this clinic. The riders are very motivated to learn
more and eager to work hard and build new skills. We work on
various gymnastic exercise and patterns to help you get
ready to show or simply ride with a higher awareness. Lovely
clinic for those who like details or want to know more about the
horse and rider relationship. We will discuss what the
judges are looking for in western dressage and what is
needed to show.
August 11,12,13 2017
- Cowboy & Cowgirl Adventure Clinic
Download Form
Info to follow. Check back soon.
October 6,7,8 2017
- CSany Collier / Barbra Schulte Clinic
Download Form
Info to follow. Check back soon.
Previous Clinics At CCR
April 8, 2015 (15, 22, 29th) - Colt
Starting Series!
Download Form Do you have
a young horse
or one
that you have not ridden or ridden much? Nervous about
starting alone and would like some assistance. Do you want
to take some steps to getting your young horse a solid
foundation? Then here is your chance. We have a series of
four sessions and we will help you work with your horse.
Each participant will get individualize attention and the
opportunity to learn from each other along the way. The
clinic is one afternoon/evening a week with the opportunity
for further instruction in between the sessions. Horses can
be brought in for each session or if you are looking for
further instruction or opportunity to ride at the facility,
the horse can be boarded for that time period.
April 24, 2015
-
Equine First Aid Clinic
Download Form Taught by Dr. R. Joe Peabody
DVM, owner of Lake Geneva Veterinary Clinic with Dr. Joe Peabody DVM and Christy
Bourbonnais. Be prepared to handle emergency equine first
aid situations and learn how to assess, and begin to assist
the equine until a
veterinarian arrives. This is a Friday
evening clinic. Designed to help you know how to assess an
emergency, get the pertinent information your veterinarian
will need to triage your horse until
your vet arrives. The clinic will cover wrapping,
bandaging, use of a stethascope for heart and respiratory
rates as well as learning about gut sounds. You will learn
to take a pulse and more. First aid kits will be available
for purchase or pre-order yours when registering.
May 16, 2015
- Softness of Motion Clinic
Download Form This is a fun clinic. We are looking at the details
of your equitation, horsemanship and overall movements. We
work as a group and as individual riders. Goal is to develop
better timing, feel and understanding of how our horse moves
and deeper connection with our cues. Great clinic for those
who are looking to advance themselves, new challenges for
those who would like to work on some gymnastic exercises
with their horse.
May
31, 2015 - Introduction to Roping
Basics
Download Form Learn the parts of the loop, swing, delivery,
slack management and
dally. Be sure to get your swing down correctly and
efficiently. This clinic is started from the ground. You will get a chance to get started
without having to manage the horse. This is a great
beginner’s clinic as well as for those who are newer to
roping and not catching as many as you would like. This is a
must clinic for new ropers – team, break away, or ranch
roping. We will discuss the differences in ropes and what is
needed for each event. Spread the word to your High School
Rodeo or Little Britches participants!
June 28, 2015
June 28, 2015
- “You-
According to the Horse”
Clinic
Download Form
This clinic really looks at your relationship with your
horse, with yourself and with the world around you. We take
an introspective approach and see what we find. This is a
clinic of self-examination and awareness. A great time to
analyze what you are doing in your life and how you can make
changes to facilitate the direction you wish to pursue. This
is for positive awareness and discovering how you can become
the person you want to be. This clinic provides a great deal
of info gathered from your horses mind and eye. I
love this clinic and find it very insightful! A friendly way
to have your horse show you more about yourself!
July 26, 2015
-
Mounted Shooter’s Clinic for Beginners
Download Form Here is a
chance to learn about the sport of mounted shooting, assist
your horse with handling the noise of the gun shots, and
getting the rider familiar with handling their gun. We will
do individual work with gun basics. Horses will be exposed
to the noise of shooting in a non-threatening manner. We
will introduce pattern work, rate, turn, while handling a
gun safely.
August 9, 2015
-
Ranch Party
Download Form Ride and dine. Come when you can
and leave when you have too! We will ride and hang out in
the arena having some games and mock shows! No show attire
necessary. Just bring your horse and a smile on your face!
Bring a dish to pass and your beverage for after riding, all
the wranglers will be hungry so well have a feast together!
August 16,
2015 Ranch Versatility Clinic
Download Form
We will go over the different classes and what is expected
in them. We discuss the rules and judging of the class. We
will work on some of the skills needed for each class as
well as work on group and small team exercises to help
establish some of the learning goals. We will have some time
working on cattle classes and building cohesiveness as a
team. This clinic is best suited for someone who has already
exposed their horse to cattle or taken our Introduction to
Cattle Clinic.
Upcoming Fall and Winter
Events
September 27,
2015 (12:00-5:30pm) -
McHenry County Farm Stroll
Click here to download flyer with
info and map
Click here to go to McHenry Farm
Bureau website
A littlle about The tour at Cripple
Creek Ranch
Christy
Bourbonnais is the owner/operator of Cripple Creek Ranch.
Cripple Creek Ranch is a professional training and boarding
facility that offers boarding, lessons, training, equine
rehabilitation and clinics. She teaches Western riding
lessons (with a bit of Dressage & Vaquero combined) mixed
with old time cowboy/cowgirl wisdom, new age technology,
holistic elements and natural horsemanship rolled into one
package! She has learned from many in the horse industry
including Ray Hunt, Martha Josey, Bryan Neubert, Buster
McLaury, Craig Cameron, Richard Shrake, Charymane James and
many more. She has taken what she has learned and combined
it with her experiences and created an approach to working
with horses and students in an easy, effective manner. Her
style is soft yet gritty enough to get the job done, and not
only develops the minds of the horse, but also looks at
developing the character of the rider. She loves working
with young students who would like to advance and gain
equine scholarships. She has worked with various
veterinarians and uses what she has learned to help rehab a
horse back to health using many modern technologies and old
school medicines. Christy has joined forces with Dr. Joe
Peabody, DVM of Lake Geneva Veterinary Clinic and the two
have created a unique equine program of feeding, rehab work,
horse training and winning! They start about 15 to 20 colts
a year and take in a variety of horses for training and
showing. Christy ropes, barrel races, pole bends, and shows
ranch horse classes. Dr Peabody, DVM ropes, runs cattle and
shows in ranch horse classes. On top of it all, Christy is
certified in Western Dressage and is an prestigious AQHA
Professional Horseman.
During
the McHenry County Farm Tour, Christy will have a the
facility open for guided tours, with various equine
demonstrations. There are horses to pet, goats to see, cows
to view and lots to learn about horses, veterinary work,
Cowboy/Cowgirl wisdom and more! The tours/demonstrations are
scheduled as follows:
12:00 -
1:00 Tour with Barrel Racing/Pole
Bending Demonstration
1:30 - 2:30
Tour with Roping Demonstration
3:00 - 4:00
Tour with Cattle Work Demonstration
4:30 - 5:30
Tour with Ground Work Demonstration and
Veterinary Rehabilitation Demonstration.
For more information about the
tour or if you would like to volunteer with us,
give us
a call
at 847
533-4513