Welcome - Birch Springs Ranch-Horse Camps

Sherri is a long time horsewoman; she competed as a young girl in barrel racing, western pleasure, trail and gymkhanas. Sherri had her first horse at the age of 11. Satchel was a wild pony from the auction yards. As an enthusiastic horse girl, Sherri had no idea her parents bought her a wild 3 yr old with a deep dislike for humans. She was so worried her parents would sell the horse that she said nothing about this predicament.

 

Instead she unwittingly began her horse career with a wild bronc, a nylon bridle and a bareback pad. Nevertheless after repeatedly being bucked off, stepped on and chased, Sherri learned to stay on. Over the next year Satchel and Sherri struggled their way through some dangerous times. At the end of that year Sherri had trained her first horse without knowing it.

 

Today her love for horses stands un-wavered. Sherri continues to train horses for liberty, trail class, tricks and general purpose saddle horses. Sherri has countless years of experience working with and around horses. She has trained with the exceptional horsemen Jonathan Field and Steve Rother. She has studied fine horsemen such as Pat Parelli, Tom Dorrance and Dr. Miller.

 

Sherri believes that horses are no longer just service animals, they are unique and talented partners in our journey towards becoming fully human. Sherri also employs her horses to provide riding lessons, liberty demos and equine assisted life skills coaching.

 

In addition to her horse career, Sherri has spent the last 25 years in the field of social work and child care. She has a BSW from Simon Fraser University and countless certificates in social service related field.

 

Sherri has interwoven her passion for horses and her commitment to young people to provide camps, lessons and life skills in order to give children the opportunity to experience the amazing, unforgettable journey with horses. Sherri believes that “horses ground us back to our roots”

 

I have the following academic criteria to support my program:

 

Bachelor of social work degree

12 years front line child protection experience

8 years working with and for aboriginal agencies and communities

5 years as a guardianship social worker with high risk youth and children

1 year as a director for antipoverty agency

5 years as an adoption social worker

2 years’ experience as a crisis line counselor

5 years as a child and youth care worker

6 weeks cultural awareness training (Jan Derik)

Equine assisted learning certificate (in progress)

Level 3 natural horsemanship training

3 years as an experiential life skills coach and counselor for at risk youth

Conflict resolution and conflict negotiation course (justice institute)

FASD training (Diane Beniot) 13 years farming and ranching experience

35 years’ experience with horses and other animals