Women’s Applied Horsemanship and

Stockmanship Workshop

with Erica Mannix

September 27th & 28th 2024

Big Timber, Montana

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HOSTED BY

Erica Mannix is partnering with Abby Nelson of Wide Sky Adventures to bring you a workshop in horsemanship and delve into a diversity of applied ranch-related activities. Leave with a greater level of experience and the confidence to pursue new skills for continued practice of horsemanship and stock-handling.

Are you pursuing growth and improvement, or wanting to feel more confident when working? Are you willing to explore your connection to self and others to improve your relationship with your horse and livestock?

This workshop is designed for women in the ranching community who are looking to increase competence in horsemanship and cattle handling within a supportive community of women.

Agenda

ARRIVAL

- 4:00 – 5:30pm Introductions + Team Orientation
- 5:30-6:30pm Appetizers + Arena Demos with Erica
- 6:30pm Dinner
- After dinner Settle into base camp + fireside chats

- Morning Trailer to fairgrounds for the day (10 minute drive)
- Fundamentals of horsemanship on horseback in arena
- 12:00 Lunch at fairgrounds
- 1:00 – 4:30pm More advanced horsemanship concepts
- 4:30pm Trailer back to the ranch
- 5:00 – 6:30pm Facilitated conversations with WIR Cheri Trousil
- 6:30pm Dinner
- After Dinner Fireside Hangout with Erica + Team

DAY 01

• Morning Arena work + pasture work with cattle
• 12pm Lunch
• Afternoon Open range cow move
• 3:00 Facilitated wrap up
• 4:00 Departure

DAY 02

Why this workshop?

Erica’s relationship with horses is initially what fed her connection to the family ranch business and grew her love for land. Pursuit of horsemanship not only drove her own personal growth, it opened up countless opportunities, allowed her to work with really incredible friends and mentors, and has helped her to be more effective on the ranch in many ways. This workshop is an invitation to participate in a learning experience. Our aim is that you go home more grounded, confident, and competent in your skills; knowing that you have developed a new community of women that are there to support you on your journey.

Who is this workshop for?

This workshop is designed for women in the ranching community who are looking to increase competence in horsemanship and cattle handling within a supportive community of women. Are you pursuing growth and improvement, or wanting to feel more confident when working? Are you willing to explore your connection to self and others to improve your relationship with your horse and livestock? You should join us!

“Horses have been my largest connection to land and my best opportunity towards personal and professional development.” Erica

What skills do I need to participate well in this workshop?

We have 7 spots available for those of you who can bring your own horse and 3 spots available for those of you who need to lease a horse from Wide Sky.

Whether you are bringing your own horse or leasing from Wide Sky, you need to be able to:

Mount and dismount with zero assistance
Walk, trot and lope your horse with full confidence
Control your horse independently outside the corral
Work cattle on horseback without fear

The Team

Erica Mannix. Erica Mannix grew up on her family’s multi-generation cattle ranch in western Montana. She feels a profound connection to land and ranching, and a love of wild spaces. In truth she attributes much of that to a deep connection to horses, which have helped shape a life of purpose and allowed her a front row seat to incredible wild landscapes.

Erica works on the family ranch doing any number of ranch related jobs, but her time is largely focused on animal health and stockmanship. For the last 4 years in addition to ranching, she has spent her time helping mentor ranch apprentices through the Quivira Coalition’s New Agrarian Program, and continuing her own personal horsemanship journey.

She has been blessed in her life to have found mentors that were willing to share so much time and knowledge with her from colt starting, to reined cow horse training, to low-stress livestock handling. She feels extremely grateful for the opportunity to share some of the lessons she has learned, her connection to horses and livestock, and the wild Montana landscapes with other women.

Abby Nelson. Abby is a student of the natural world, and a mule and horse enthusiast. Prior to creating these fun and meaningful experiences, she spent 18 years working for federal and state agencies as a wildlife biologist. Given this line of work, Abby traveled thousands of miles each year covering some of the most remote and wild landscapes in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem – a lot of which was made possible by the strong legs, backs and minds of her horses and mules. For the past 8 years Abby has lived and worked on her in-laws family ranch in Big Timber, MT where she currently resides with her husband Alex, and their four-year old daughter Mabel.

Equines have enriched Abby’s life in so many ways throughout her lifetime riding, and it is a dream for her to offer experiences where people can simply enjoy this beautiful ranch on the back of a horse, or learn about the land, cows and wildlife while exploring themselves and developing skills.