On Target Training

By Gail B. Mackie

I was fortunate enough to attend the Dutch Warmblood meeting in Arlington, Wa. in March. One of the seminars presented was Shawna Karrasch of On Target Training. Shawna spent nearly ten years working at Sea World, with killer whales, dolphins and other marine animals. She both trained and performed while there. Her infectious enthusiasm, sense of humor and rapport with an audience make for a fun and excellent learning experience. She is very high-energy and gets people excited, though her way with the horses is very calming.

In 1992, Shawna attended her first Grand Prix jumping event in Del Mar, California. She was curious to learn more about how horses were trained and if the training methods she was using at Sea World were applicable to horses. Two years later, she took her first riding lesson. While there, she met Vinton Karrasch, a veteran of the Grand Prix Circuit, who later became her husband and business partner. Vinton and Shawna decided to try the training method Shawna had mastered with marine animals on the horses. Convinced that they could accelerate a horse's learning curve and encourage the horse to want to perform, Vinton persuaded close friend and top trainer, John Madden, to look at their system. John was so impressed that he invited Shawna and Vinton to work out of the world-renowned training facility he and his wife Beezie Patton-Madden (an international show jumping team member) operate. In 1995, the Madden farm became the testing facility for adapting the training process for horses. Beezie found her horses "began to have an idea of when they were doing something right, and then clearly had the desire to do the right thing."

Vinton and Shawna have brought this remarkable process to the equine world for horse enthusiasts and professionals alike to use. One of their most famous pupils is "Judgement", a successful world-class jumper owned by Iron Spring Farm. They used On Target Training to help "Judgement" work through a severe water phobia. He has since gone on to love water, in fact nickering when he gets near in warm-up, knowing he will be rewarded.

Shawna and Vinton have won the praise of the USET, as well as many universities, pony clubs and mounted police units around the country. They have demonstrated the On Target Training system at prestigious equestrian events such as:

USET Festival of Champions National Hunter

Jumper Annual Meeting

American Riding Inst Cert Program Equitana USA

Fair Hill International 3 Day Event Equine Affaire

NA/WPN Annual Meeting Horse World Expo

Winter Equestrian Festival

Spokane Sport Horse Farm is hosting a Shawna Karrasch clinic here in Spokane on June 7-9. The clinic will be a benefit for SpokAnimal C.A.R.E. For registration information, go to spokanesporthorse.com. This clinic will include a lecture and live demonstrations with horses. However, the techniques learned are applicable to other species as well.

For more information on this presentation, please contact Spokane Sport Horse Farm at 509/448-5064.

 

Reining Horse
Issue
May 2002

Local Reining Clubs

Equine Massage & Injury Rehabilitation - Part II

PMU Foals and Their New Lease on Life

Recent Equine Herpes Myeloencephalopathy in N. Idaho - Facts About the Disease

Baxter Black - Not Easy Being Against Everything

Frozen Semen -
Easy as 1, 2, 3

The Gallop Pole:
Fencing Figures

Why not try a Poker Ride?

Tri-Star Futurities Payback Over $25,000

On Target Training

Career Connection Trail Ride

Mark Rashid in Corvallis Montana

Real Estate Section -
Real Estate
Ads Online

The Dream of Living in the Country - part III

 

 
May 6, 2002 7:54 PM