Choose the Clinic Type that is Right for You

Jaquima de Freno

Making of a Traditional California Spade Bit Horse

I have an insatiable desire to reach levels I don’t yet know exist.
In building a traditional Californio spade-bit horse, there are no shortcut—it’s a lifelong commitment to refinement.

Every ride, every day, I uncover something small: a subtle feel, a tiny adjustment, a deeper understanding of how this gear communicates with a horse’s body and mind. Those moments continually challenge my skill and invite me to level up—again and again.

So what does this mean for you?

Maybe you’re simply curious about the mystery of the spade bit.
Or maybe you feel a deeper pull—a genuine desire to dedicate your horsemanship journey to developing a true bridle horse.

Wherever you are, I can walk you through it.
One ride at a time.

Woman riding a horse while holding a lasso, wearing a cowboy hat and blue shirt, in an outdoor arena with trees.
Woman riding a brown horse inside an indoor riding arena, wearing a wide-brimmed hat, plaid shirt, and gloves, with cows in the background.
Begin Your Journey Here
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Cattle Handling Clinics

Whether you are looking for a safe environment to expose your horse to cattle for the first time or getting serious about your stockmanship, I can support you and your horse at every level of learning.

Introduction to Cattle Handling

  • Introducing horses to cattle for the first time

  • Using cattle to help horses learn to regulate their nervous system

  • Improving your proficiency in reading and handling cattle

  • Beginner rope handling, if interested.

Come for the day and learn skills for a lifetime.

Whats available…

There are several ways to get your fill of playing cowboy!

  1. Private packages for you and a small group or friends or clients.

  2. Single day Cattle Handling Clinics.

Dates and Sign Up for upcoming clinic dates!
Two women riding horses in a fenced outdoor area with cattle and hills in the background.

All Skill Levels Welcome!!

A person riding a horse in a fenced outdoor area with several cattle gathered nearby.
Schedule a Small Group Cattle Clinic
Two children riding horses while a man guides them, with a herd of cattle in an outdoor farm setting with trees and a fence.
A cowboy on horseback herding black cattle on a dusty ranch with open dry hills in the background.
Two people riding horses in an outdoor arena, surrounded by trees and fencing, with clear blue sky overhead.
A woman riding a horse in a fenced pasture with cattle, set against a dry, hilly landscape under a clear blue sky.
Person riding a horse in a dirt arena with cattle, dry hills in the background on a sunny day.

Advanced Stock Horse Series

Out of the arena and into the ranch!

Lets start by defining what it means to be a traditional Stock Horse.

Versatility is the key component that sets these horses apart. They are developed with time and patience to be able to perform any task called upon in any given day on ranch. They are bred and trained for long days of working cattle, able to travel sound in rough and varying terrain, respond quickly and lightly to the riders signals and remain regulated and mentally steady.

This is a perfect summation of my goal for every horse I encounter.

Whether your priority includes ranch work or not, this series will help you and your horse achieve the partnership and versatility to reach any of your horsemanship goals.

People riding horses in an outdoor arena with a backdrop of hills and a clear blue sky.

Participation in this series requires the following prerequisites:

  • You must have attended at least 1 Introduction to Cattle Clinic Days or attended at least 1 Private Intensive that were focused on cattle handling and horsemanship.

  • You horse MUST be able to be ridden outside and comfortable in all terrain.

Person riding a horse, wearing a large wide-brimmed hat. The person holds a lasso and a coil of rope. The horse is moving forward in a dry, hilly landscape, with another person on a horse in the background.
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  • Attending cattle working clinics with Heather has done more for my horsemanship and my horse’s progression than anything else I have done! Heathers clinics aren’t like most clinics, where the curriculum is pre-set and standardized. Heather has a talent for seeing what each horse and rider needs and is able to guide them through advancing their skills in a safe way. Working cattle with Heather has not only advanced my horse Elko’s abilities, but it has made huge and unexpected changes in his general calmness. Oh, I should also mention it’s FUN! Heather and Wacey are welcoming, approachable and have a killer sense of humor. Additionally, everyone I have met at these clinics have been humble, kind, and supportive. Truly a great experience in every way!

    ~ Zack Waddle

  • "Creative, reliable, and genuinely passionate about what they do."

    —Former Customer

  • "A professional team that delivers on their promises."

    —Former Customer

  • "Every detail was thoughtfully executed. We're thrilled with the outcome."

    —Former Customer

Balance Through Movement Method

Three women are interacting with a brown horse inside a large wooden indoor riding arena with a sandy floor. One woman is kneeling and holding the horse's hoof while the other two assume a position close to her, observing the activity.

Balance Through Movement Method™, developed by Celeste Lazaris, a revolutionary approach to balacing the body and resetting the nervous system. The 3 Pillars of the BTMM are centered around treating and preventing nerve and spinal compression and solving undiagnosed lameness.

This performance training system is designed to help the horse achieve optimum balance and strength through the development of body and mind.

Pillar 1
Principles of Connection

 At BTMM, we emphasize the importance of a horse’s nervous system in how it relates to their relationship to connection as the foundation for their overall well-being.

This principle is our top priority in all aspects of our work.

Two side profile views of a black horse, one with a handler holding its bridle, demonstrating the horse's sleek coat and muscular build in outdoor settings.

Pillar 2
Center of Balance

 Taking the relaxation and gentle activation found in Pillar One into finding core stability and developing the muscles necessary for self-carriage from the thoracic sling down through the hind end.

Pillar 3
Spinal Integrity

Many horses tend to over-rely on their neck and back due to inadequate range of motion (ROM) in their limbs. This overcompensation can lead to a myriad of issues, including nerve dysfunction and dural torque resulting from compromised spinal integrity, as well as excessive wear and tear on joints, so this last pillar is focused on restoring just that.

Click here to learn more about BTMM
Click here to attend a BTMM with Heather

“Horses feel safe within boundaries. These boundaries must be presented with confidence. Thats what make sense to the horse.”

-Heather Kornemann