Horse trainer holds Sisters clinic

Richard Shrake. Photo by Kathryn Godsiff

Richard Shrake, one of America's most highly regarded horsemen, lives right here in Central Oregon. Last week saw him at Cisco Stables in Sisters where he held one of his Resistance Free Training clinics.

Drawing 14 participants from around the country and locally, Shrake shared his philosophy and techniques of a kinder, gentler way of training horses.

Some of the participants were there with their horses, to become more adept horsepeople. Some, like Sherry Gregory of Middletown, California, were apprentices, training to become Resistance Free instructors.

Gregory had taken her own horse through a series of clinics, then decided on a career change and undertook the training necessary to become an instructor. Upon completion of three clinics as an apprentice and one conducted by herself, she will be certified and able to take on her own stable of students.

Shrake brings a lifetime of experience with horses to the clinic arena.

Growing up on a ranch in the Willamette Valley he worked with a wide variety of horses. A show career on the national level in the Western disciplines led to owning a show barn in the Portland area. He trained many hundreds of young people to championships and became a highly respected show judge. Shrake has judged 1,000 shows and 16 World Championships in his career.

As all this training and winning was taking place, Shrake was developing and perfecting his Resistance Free techniques. He freely admits that they are really not very revolutionary and have been around in one way or another for many centuries.

Shrake credits an ancient Greek, Xenothon, with some of the earliest writings on horsemanship. Shrake, however, was among the first to make the methods available to the modern public through clinics, videos and written material.

These days, Shrake's passion is to share some of that past experience with clinic participants.

"My goal is to see people become good horsemen," he said.

No longer coaching show riders, his time and energies are focused on his apprentices and the people they will ultimately be teaching.

He sees many older riders attending the clinics who have either been away from horses for several years or who are just starting out.

What makes the Resistance Free clinics a bit different from many is that the riders are being trained as much if not more than the horses. Riders will take tools away from the clinics that will enable them to continue to improve their skills. And if they get stuck and Shrake isn't anywhere around, there are always the videos and books.

Shrake is generous in his praise and encouragement, which endears him to clinic participants and his apprentices.

"I'm very blessed with the people I have worked with," he said.

He possesses patience and a happy outlook that looks for the positive in every situation.

Shrake travels the world spreading good cheer and proven methods of horse and rider training. For more information, see www.richardshrake.com.