2023 events
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Past events
2023
Equine Affair
November 9-12 2023 at Eastern States Exposition (W. Springfield, MA)
Chelsea is a clinician at this year's Equine Affair! With a general admission pass, you can attend Chelsea's sessions and all clinics, seminars, and demonstrations. You will also have admission to the trade show, specialty pavilions, and competitions.
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This is an equestrian gathering you don't want to miss!
A Weekend with
Lauren Sprieser​​
September 9-10, 2023 at Unexpected Farm (Wales, Maine)
We are thrilled to welcome Lauren Sprieser back to Unexpected Farm! She will be teaching private lessons focused on each horse and rider's needs.
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Lauren is a USDF Gold, Silver, and Bronze Medalist with Distinction and an international Grand Prix dressage competitor. Her enthusiasm and wit have made her a popular trainer with students from the grassroots to the international levels in both dressage and eventing.
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Lauren and her students have produced nine Grand Prix horses and 17 Prix St. Georges horses, as well as 22 USDF Bronze, 14 Silver and three Gold Medalists, many with Distinction.
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At this time, only auditor spots are available. Please contact Katie at unexpectedfarmmaine@gmail.com to be added to the waiting list for riding spots.
International Liberty Horse Festival
October 13-15, 2023 at Kenntucky Horse Park (Lexington, KY)
Join Chelsea in Kentucky as she presents at the International Liberty Horse Festival!
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During the three-day festival, you will have the opportunity to attend education sessions taught by the leading liberty clinicians, as well as attend a liberty showcase featuring Ben Atkinson and Dan James of Double Dan Horsemanship, top liberty performers.
Liberty clinic with
Dan james
Aug 28 - Sept 1, 2023 at Unexpected Farm (Wales, Maine)
We’re excited to welcome Dan James back to Unexpected Farm for 3-day and 5-day liberty clinics!
About Dan
Dan is a world-renowned horseman, whose love of the horse guides his training and teaching. He holds multiple world championships in reining and colt starting and has been wowing crowds with his liberty freestyle performances for years.
He and his horses have worked in television and movie production, most famously, for the long-running show, Heartland. More details coming soon! Email us with questions and to reserve your spot.
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About the Clinic Options
For horses and handlers new to liberty, Dan will be teaching a 3-day liberty clinic. This is a fantastic introduction for those who have never done liberty work before.
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For horses and handlers with some prior liberty training, Dan will be teaching a 5-day clinic. This is an opportunity to work on more advanced training.
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Auditor passes are also available.
June 10-11, 2023 at Unexpected Farm (Wales, Maine)
Working Equitation Clinic with Stephanie Hayes
Working Equitation (WE) is the fastest growing equine sport in the US and is comprised of four trials – dressage, ease of handling (obstacles), speed, and cattle work.
This clinic is suitable for first time WE riders and for anyone with experience in the sport already. Both English and Western riders are welcome, as well as all breeds and gaited horses.
Option to participate in one or two days of the clinic.
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One day participates will focus on the ease of handling (EOH), basic rules, description and execution of obstacles, and course set up.
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Two day participates will focus on WE dressage based instruction and EOH on Saturday. On Sunday, participates will ride elements of the dressage test for their level and school an EOH course with feedback and scores.
Riders will be grouped in 2-hour sessions (no more than 4 riders per group).
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About Stephanie: Stephanie Hayes has been a professional in the horse industry for over two decades as a natural horsemanship clinician, trainer, and competitor. In 2017, she attended her first WE clinic and was inspired to incorporate the training benefits into her programs. Stephanie conducts clinics throughout the U.S., co-founded New England Working Equitation, Inc., is a USA WE Recognized Coach, USA WE "L" judge candidate, and serves on the USA WE Executive Committee. She has been awarded National and Regional Championships on several horses at Level 1 through 4, and coached her junior rider to National Championship honors.
Participants: $200 per day
Auditors: $20 per day
For questions and to register please contact Stephanie Hayes at vtblackpony@aol.com or 802-730-5400.
New England Spring Symposium
May 26-28, 2023 at Unexpected Farm (Wales, Maine)
Tik and Sinead Maynard will be joining us for the third annual New England Spring Symposium!
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This new three-day format allows us to offer a more personal experience for each horse and rider pair. Participants will have a semi-private lesson each day, with opportunities to ride with both Tik and Sinead.
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All participants have access to auditing the entire weekend as well as socials, demos, and talks as part of your clinic fee. Horse and rider pairs must be comfortable jumping. As we get a sense of rider levels and who will be participating, we will send out a schedule of events. Horse and rider pairs must be comfortable jumping 2 feet.
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Contact unexpectedfarmmaine@gmail.com to be added to the wait list for riding spots.
2022
Understanding Positive Reinforcement
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April 9, 2022 at Unexpected Farm (Wales, Maine)
Positive reinforcement training (clicker training) is gaining some recognition in the competitive sport horse world, especially as more riders begin to see the benefit of groundwork and how it can bridge the gap to the ridden work. R+ work is backed by neuroscientific research, which makes it even more intriguing as a tool to add to your training toolbox!
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Come spend the day with Chelsea Canedy, learning about the science behind R+ training, and the basics of its practical application. The day will begin with a talk that everyone should attend, then a demonstration of the basic idea and techniques, and then we will work with horses individually for one short session each in the morning, and then one short session each again in the afternoon. There will be plenty of time for questions and answers, and participants should plan to attend for the entire day.
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Participants: $100
Auditors: $40
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To reserve your spot, go here:
Spring Tune-Up with Virginia Leary
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April 23-24, 2022 at Unexpected Farm (Wales, Maine)
Virginia Leary is a former international level eventer with placings in the national advanced, 3, and 2 star championships. Virginia now focus more on dressage, having produced and competed horses to the Grand Prix level. Virginia has coached students in world championships, eventing selection trials, and currently has students competing successfully in the FEI levels of dressage. Virginia has worked with notable trainers such as Jim Wofford, Bruce Davidson, and Jack LeGoff, David Hopper, Ulla Salzgeber. Christopher Hickey, Bo Jenna, Morten Thompson, and Catherine Haddad. Virginia now specialize in off the track thoroughbreds as well as rider biomechanics. Her interest in biomechanics stems from her work with Andy Thomas the former USEA rider symmetry coach.
Virginia is offering multiple options for this clinic:
45 minute Private Dressage Lesson - $200
45 minute Private Biomechanics Lesson- $200
Gymnastics Group (group of 3)- $100/person
Fix a test (20 minutes)-$100
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When registering please click semi private to register for a gymnastics section or a fix a test.
New England Spring Symposium
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May 7-8, 2022
Tik Maynard and Sinead Halpin are returning for our second annual New England Spring Symposium!
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Join us for 2 days of riding, auditing, and learning in a supportive, welcoming environment (with a great auditing layout!).
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Learn more about the clinic on its very own Facebook page.
Questions/Sponsorship: 276 698 8366 or cheleventer@hotmail.com
Bit Fitting Clinic with Stephanie Brown-Beamer (Horse By Horse)
June 11-12, 2022
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Horse By Horse Bit Specialist will have a variety of snaffle and double bridle bits for clinic participants to try during their sessions. They will measure the horse mouth and look at the shape and overall anatomy of the mouth to help determine the best type of bit for the horse. The goal is to find the bit that the horse is the most comfortable in and the horse demonstrates this pretty clearly. Typically horses become better in the mouth and become softer and swing more in their bodies when the right bit is found. They also see happier riders, as there is a better and more harmonious connection between horse and rider.
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The day runs like as a standard private session riding clinic and auditors are encouraged to learn by watching the individual sessions.
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Sessions are $175, and auditor tickets are $40.
Dan James - Liberty and Riding Clinic
Liberty: September 17-19, 2022
Ridden: September 20-21, 2022
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Born in Queensland Australia on a small cattle farm, James’ lifelong passion for horses began when he was just six weeks old. From the family milking goat to his first pony to the first colt he started in his early teens, Dan’s hunger to learn about training and understand horse’s thinking patterns has only increased. After studying at Longreach Pastoral College, Dan began traveling the world to gain a better understanding of horses. From starting colts in Hokkaido, Japan to starting over 300 horses a year at Washpool Lodge, Australia to working cutting horses for trainer, Punk Carter, to learning Liberty training from world renowned Heath Harris to managing horses on a cattle station in Western Australia, Dan has studied with and learned from the best of the best. Dan has successfully competed in Dressage, Show Jumping, Eventing, Camp Drafting, Cutting, Reining and Colt Starting. Along the way James met his Quarter Horse stallion, Ari, Australian Stock Horse mare, Amelia, and Quarter Horse, Apollo, who were his first performance horses and remain part of the DDH Team today.
James is a two time international World Champion Colt Starter, a multiple time Freestyle Reining Champion, a muli-discipline Crowd Favorite several times over and a Mustang Makeover finalist. From winning the “Way of the Horse” at Equitana Asia Pacific in 2008 to winning the coveted Road to the Horse International Cost Starting World Championship in 2012 to winning two consecutive Quarter Horse Congress Freestyle Reining Championships and earning Reserve Champion multiple times to representing Australia in the 2018 World Equestrian Games James continues to wow judges, fans, and audiences alike with his incredible training techniques, elite showmanship, and unique understanding of how horses learn.
In addition to competition, Dan has worked on multiple TV, film, and photography projects featuring his horses and their unique skills. From the fan favorite TV show, Heartland, to the 2016 Versace Spring campaign, to the Vogue 125th Anniversary to a feature in Country Music Weekly Magazine, Dan’s famous horses and elite horsemanship are in high demand.
Lauren Sprieser Clinic
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October 22-23, 2022
A student of Lendon Gray in college, Lauren competed three times at the North American Young Rider Championships, earning Team Bronze in 2003, and Team Gold in 2005, placing as high as fifth individually. She was also successful in the U25 ranks, qualifying three horses for the National Championships, including one made completely from scratch, all before her 25th birthday.
With a semester while in college spent working for 3 time Olympic Gold Medalist Monica Theodorescu and her Olympian father Georg, Lauren knew horses were more than just her passion – they were to be her career. Upon graduating from Sarah Lawrence College with studies in Public Policy and Urban Planning, Lauren spent a year as a working student for several exceptional trainers, including Olympic Bronze Medalist Carol Lavell, before setting up her own business in Marshall, Virginia in the fall of 2007.
Lauren quickly established herself as a top trainer of riders from green to Grand Prix across several disciplines, with students ranging from local walk-trot champions to CDI Grand Prix. But she also has become well-known for producing FEI horses, as well as helping her students to make their own.
Lauren and her students have produced 7 Grand Prix horses and 16 Prix St. Georges horses, as well as 19 USDF Bronze, 14 Silver and 2 Gold Medalists.
Contact Katie at unexpectedfarmmaine@gmail.com to be added to the waiting list for riding spots.
Laura Graves
Laura will be teaching a clinic (auditors welcome) at Unexpected Farm in Wales, Maine.
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Riding spots are currently filled.
Auditing passes can be purchased here.
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*NEDA members receive a 15% discount on a full weekend auditing pass. Email kliscovitz@gmail.com
Questions/Sponsorship: 276 698 8366 or cheleventer@hotmail.com
August 28-29, 2021