Successful Fall First Responders Horse Handling and Safety Clinic

Goodtoknow Horses and Maplewood Stables are thankful for the great turn-out for the fall First Responders Horse Handling & Safety Clinic on November 29 at Maplewood Stables in Reno, Nevada!

We appreciate everyone joining us to learn more about the nature of horses and safely handling them. We also thank the Maplewood staff for all of their assistance!

Under the umbrella of the non-profit Goodtoknow Horses, we offer two clinics annually that seek to fulfill our mission of “Educating People for the Good of the Horse.”

The clinics are led by Maplewood's resident horse trainers and focus on educating first responders and other good samaritans who would like to learn how to safely handle horses in emergency situations. The events, from 2 to 5 p.m., are free and open to the public.

The non-profit Goodtoknow Horses was launched in 2018 to help provide the equestrian community with educational opportunities to advance horsemanship and horse care in all disciplines.

In addition to learning how to properly catch, halter and lead a horse, attendees also experience loading a horse into a trailer, received hands-on training in corralling and penning horses and learned how horses typically react to fires and other stressful situations. This clinic also emphasized educating attendees on the nature of horses and their herd instincts.

Julie Winkel explains how to halter a horse as attendees observe.

"For each clinic we enrich the curriculum so that those who join us regularly can expand upon their skills with handling the horses," said Julie Winkel, founder and president of the 501(c)3 Goodtoknow Horses and Maplewood owner and operator.

Winkel originally established the First Responders Horse Handling & Safety Clinics after fires and floods destroyed many homes and horse properties in the area. The biannual clinic, now in its fourth year, helps firefighters, search-and-rescue, sheriff's departments and local volunteers learn how to properly handle, halter, lead and load horses into a trailer.Maplewood Stables and Goodtoknow Horses are thankful for the great turn-out for the fall First Responders Horse Handling & Safety Clinic on November 29!