Young Riders Find Island 4-H Animals Aren't 'Push Button Horses'
Lessons Teach Equestrian Skills
By Sean Ely

Leanne Brodeur (middle), 4-H leader and director of Mackinac Island Horsemen's Association, guides a group of children out of Mission Hill Stables Tuesday, June 19. Hailey Bean (left) and Kyra Kolatski (right) are taking horseback riding lessons from Ms. Brodeur. The group headed to the riding ring in Great Turtle Park for their hour-long lesson, which included circles, diagonals, and side-by-side riding.

A lot of work goes into learning to ride a horse.

A half-dozen children and teenagers here prepare for their riding lessons by scraping hooves and applying oil, brushing coats, "tacking up," or positioning saddles, adjusting stirrups, and putting on bridals.

"One of my favorite things to do is to come down here and take care of the horses at the stables," seventh grader Hailey Bean said. "I enjoy washing them and spraying them with water. It is fun just caring for and being around the horses."

Miss Bean usually rides Lucky, which she describes as gentle and loving. Leanne Brodeur, 4-H leader and director of the Mackinac Island Horsemen's Association, matches each student with the correct horse. More experienced riders get the spunkier horses.

Leanne Brodeur (left), while riding Skamper, instructs Hailey Bean to keep Blaze from cutting corners in the riding ring in Great Turtle Park.

"One of the challenges of this job is actually pairing up a horse and a rider, and finding a good match. You don't want someone to have a bad experience with a horse which causes them to become scared of riding, because fear is another one of the challenges that come up while learning how to handle a horse," she said. "It's tough to get your confidence back after something happens."

Another hurdle for some is to learn to take a leadership role with the horse.

"Many begin riding on pushbutton horses, and when they get up here and ride one of our horses, they're lost," Ms. Brodeur said. "They don't understand how to make a horse refrain from doing something they don't want it to do. They've had it incredibly easy, so it takes time to transition. These horses aren't trained, but they're getting better over the years, with the kids teaching them. But they can't make them do exactly what they want without practice, because they aren't push button horses."

The stable at Mission Hill holds seven horses, all used for 4-H riding lessons. Two of the horses, MICF Skamper and MICF Salsa, were purchased with a grant from the Mackinac Island Community Foundation, so they are identified with MICF before their names.

Tuesday, June 19, Ms. Brodeur rode MICF Skamper from Mission Hill to Great Turtle Park, where she started the hour-long lesson in the riding ring. Class began with a quick lesson about keeping all cellular telephones clipped to the person, and not in a pouch on the horse, especially when riding alone on trails. If a rider ever falls off a horse and it runs away, the phone will be gone, too.

Walking and trotting around the ring, riders focused on keeping their horses and ponies from cutting corners. In horse shows, it is crucial for horses to get as close to the fence in the corner as they can before turning and continuing the other way. Ms. Brodeur stressed that the riders should avoid sudden turns with the horses, even though they are trying to go deep in the corners.

Katy Penney was one of the teenagers taking lessons, and her mother, Kitten, came to the park to take photographs. The Mississippi resident has spent many summers on Mackinac, and the family is spending two months here this year. She hopes to purchase a horse for her daughter for riding on their seven acres in Mississippi.

"I can't say enough good things about the 4-H program that Katy is in," Mrs. Penney said. "It teaches safety first, and that's incredibly important. Leanne has taught Katy so much. It's amazing how much she has learned since she started with this program when she was seven years old."

Other lessons reviewed that day were turning on their haunches, walking and trotting in circles and diagonal lines, and side-by-side riding with a partner.

"This will break it up, by running some patterns," Ms. Brodeur said. "It takes their mind off certain parts of riding while they have to focus on what their partner is doing, instead of riding in circles."

As an instructor, she keeps safety in mind, her eyes scanning for trouble.

Balance is another early lesson in riding, and students are taught to ride with their feet in the stirrups and out of them so they learn to stay on the center of the back.

"The thing I most enjoy is seeing the kids canter with their horses," she said. "It's so unbelievable for their selfconfidence when they realize they can control an animal like this."

Cantering is when a horse is running, faster than a trot.

Teamwork and cooperation are also taught.

"The camaraderie that these girls experience is absolutely great," Mrs. Penney said. "They're all out there learning the same things, and doing it all together. One thing is for sure: They are having a blast out there."

Leanne Brodeur has taught riding lessons since she was a teenager, borrowing horses from Jack's Livery Stable and Cindy's Riding Stable.

"They were very kind for letting me do that, but the only thing that was hard about it was the fact that the horses would get done after working all day, then I would take them and make them work up here in the park, and it wasn't the most pleasant thing in the world," she said.

After nine seasons at Mission Hill, Ms. Brodeur can say that she is thankful for the situation she has now.

The Mackinac Island Horsemen's Association started with rented and borrowed horses at the stable, and has now purchased several.

Mackinac Island Carriage Tours purchased the property several years ago, and lets the organization continue to use it.

"It's worked out really well," she said. "It's not a moneymaker, and it was never meant to be. Carriage Tours bought the barn, but they went ahead and let us stay there. It's been really great, and I enjoy being a part of all this."