A Well-Matched Team
Farm & Ranch Living Magazine February/March 2015
This Canadian couple parlayed their horse sense into a variety of rewarding businesses. (by Edna Manning)
Between them, Clarence and Lee
Walerius have more than a century of experience breaking and training horses.
Not bad for a grown-up farm boy and the former city girl who met and fell in
love with him when he boarded her very first horse.
But the Walerius’ do much more for
horses these days than training them.
Their love of all things equine and their growing skills as artisans
have led to a second career making saddles, tack and accessories for other
horse people.
Clarence 74, and Lee 57, manage a
herd of 60 paints and Quarter horses on their ranch north of Saskatoon. They’ve raised and trained Appaloosas and
Arabians in the past.
“We use natural methods in our
training,” says Lee, who also holds a full-time job off the ranch as executive
director of 4-H for the province of Saskatchewan. “That means building a strong rapport between
horse and the person. Connecting and
building this relationship has a lot to do with respecting and understanding
the animals. The horses have been our
teachers – they teach us respect, empathy, problem solving and forgiveness.”
Adds Clarence: “Horses have their own
personalities and are much more intelligent than we give them credit for.
Problems arise because people don’t understand their behaviour. They need to be treated with respect if we
want them to cooperate.”
While Lee does much of the initial
training, Clarence does the first rides; then they work together to finish the
training. The Walerius’ have worked with
barrel horses, working cow horses and pleasure horses.
Both are certified in Equine Assisted
Psychotherapy and Equine Assisted Learning; Lee is also certified in Equine
massage therapy. She uses aspects of
both the psychotherapy and learning programs to work with corporate groups on
team-building exercises.
Lee also judges 4-H and Western shows
and works with at-risk youth from dysfunctional homes. She says it’s always rewarding to see young
people overcome hardship, learn to communicate and gain confidence through
their connection with horses.
Though she grew up in Saskatoon, Lee
always liked visiting her father’s hobby farm out in the country, and it wasn’t
long before she fell in love with horses.
She was just 15 when she met Clarence, who boarded her first horse and
19 when they married and she moved with him to his ranch.
Clarence, who grew up on another farm
about an hour away, recalls that even as a boy he liked working with leather,
and learned to make and repair reins, bridles and halters. As he approached retirement age, he decided
to pursue his lifelong dream to building saddles. So 10 years ago he enrolled in a four-week
course in Elko, British Columbia. When he came back home, he almost immediately
began receiving orders for his custom-made saddles.
Saddle making is a joint venture for
the couple that involves many hours of handiwork. Clarence does most of the building, while Lee
tackles the tooling and carving. They
make a variety of styles, including roping, reining, pleasure and barrel
saddles.
They prefer to use all-natural
materials in their saddles for the benefit of both horse and rider. “We use cowhide leather and a sheepshin
underside,” Lee notes. “We don’t use any
synthetic materials, except for maybe the tree and the foam in the padded seat.
The wool adjusts to the different sizes and shapes of horses, from a mature
animal to a colt. It also absorbs
moisture and breathes, so for longer rides the horse will be more comfortable.”
They’re busy these days, and they
like it that way. It’s a good life for a
veteran rancher and his city-girl bride.
TAKE THE REINS
In addition to saddles and horse
tack, Lee and Clarence Walerius also make and sell purses, belts, jewellery,
chaps, home décor items and other leather products.
Love of horses inspires joint venture
Saskatoon Sun - February 13, 2011
Couple does everything from making saddles and tack to raising and training horses
When Clarence Walerius retired six years ago, he decided the time had come to pursue his dream of making saddles. Both he and his wife, Lee, have been working with horses nearly all their lives and have always made and repaired their own tack—including reins, bridles, halters and cinches.
“I’ve been doing leather work since I was 10, and over the last 60 years I’ve repaired a lot of saddles for people, but never built one from scratch. So when the opportunity came up to take a four-week course in Elko, B.C., I signed up,” says Clarence.
He completed the course in three weeks, and built two custom-made saddles during that time, one for Lee.
“I never thought a custom-made saddle would make such a difference compared to a manufactured saddle like the one I had before. I was impressed with the custom fit he had achieved without me sitting in it. I use it for everything now, whether I’m pleasure riding, checking stock, or teaching a cow horse clinic where I’m doing a lot of cutting and reining maneuvers. I can use it on a colt or an older horse and it fits well,” says Lee.
The couple, who work from their ranch north of Martensville, say the saddle-making business is a joint venture. They make a variety of saddles: roping, reining, pleasure, and barrel saddles. Different components of the saddle will vary for each of the disciplines. Clarence does most of the construction, while Lee assists with different parts and does the majority of the tooling. The entire process involves multi-steps and can take many hours of molding, sculpting, machine and hand-stitching, and tooling.
“We believe it’s important to use only high-quality natural materials for the benefit of the rider and the well-being of the horse. We use cowhide leather, and a sheepskin underside. We don’t use any synthetic materials except for the tree itself and the foam in the padded seat,” Lee says.
“We prefer wool saddle pads and footpads because you can use the same saddle on a colt that’s not mature body-wise as well as a mature horse. The wool compensates for that difference in the shapes of their bodies. The depth of the sheepskin fleece underside of the saddle also allows for some play. Wool breathes and will also absorb moisture. So if you’re putting in a long ride on a horse, the wool tends to whisk the moisture off its hide and also alleviates friction. We also cover our cowhide cinches with sheepskin to provide that freedom of movement,” she explains.
Besides the tack and saddles, the Walerius’ make and sell a variety of other leather products such as wallets, purses, belts, home décor, jewelry and chaps.
The couple also raises and shears their own sheep. Lee used to wash and card the wool and tan the sheepskin hides. That became too labour-intensive, and she now ships the wool to a mill for processing, but continues to spin and dye the yarn from which she creates mitts, socks, boot liners, scarves, sweaters and vests.
For over 40 years Lee and Clarence have been raising and breeding horses. They currently have a herd of 60 quality-bred Paints and Quarter horses. Both have acquired extensive horsemanship skills, using natural training methods to start and train the colts.
“We try to build a strong rapport between the horse and the person so you get the ultimate result of the horse willing to cooperate with you when you ride it. In return they have your respect,” says Clarence.
“I do a lot of the initial groundwork with the colts, and Clarence does the first rides. Between us, we get those final rides on them and finish off the training. We’ve had everything from barrel horses to working cattle horses to pleasure horses. We breed for all of those different categories. The work is sometimes challenging, but always interesting and rewarding as you build that relationship with an animal. I believe it strengthens and grounds you as a human being as well,” adds Lee.
Both Lee and Clarence have been 4-H leaders for close to 30 years. Lee is also involved in 4-H and western shows, and is a certified instructor in Equine Massage Therapy, Equine Assisted Psychotherapy and Equine-Assisted Learning. She is a clinician in western riding and training, and gives private and group lessons at their ranch and other locations across the province.
With over 40 years experience, working with over 400 horses over that period of time, Lee says the horses have been their teachers. “They teach you so much—respect, empathy, problem-solving and forgiveness, for example.
“Horses have their own personalities, and in some ways they’re very much like people. I work with at-risk youth where I have them interact with the horse. What this does is mirror their inner feelings and emotions and helps them to understand better how to communicate, diffuse anger and learn how to deal with their own emotions because the horses won’t tolerate abuse. It’s gratifying when you see the development of this horse/human relationship and the difference this can make in the lives of these young people,” Lee says.
“Being a 4-H leader is very rewarding because you see the growth in the young people. Many are very shy when they come in, but over the course of a year there’s a lot of change. They learn how to communicate, how to confident, and learn important life skills. It’s a sense of achievement for them at the end of the year,” adds Clarence.
The Walerius’ joint interests in working with horses and creating a variety of high-quality leather products has strengthened and bonded their marriage relationship.
They are also pleased to have the opportunity to turn their hobbies into a home-based business that provides them with a modest income, and their customers with quality custom-made horse and riding gear and gift items for the western person.
For more information about CR Ranch Saddle and Gift Shop, please visit www.crranchsaddleshop.weebly.com or phone (306) 933-4611.
“I’ve been doing leather work since I was 10, and over the last 60 years I’ve repaired a lot of saddles for people, but never built one from scratch. So when the opportunity came up to take a four-week course in Elko, B.C., I signed up,” says Clarence.
He completed the course in three weeks, and built two custom-made saddles during that time, one for Lee.
“I never thought a custom-made saddle would make such a difference compared to a manufactured saddle like the one I had before. I was impressed with the custom fit he had achieved without me sitting in it. I use it for everything now, whether I’m pleasure riding, checking stock, or teaching a cow horse clinic where I’m doing a lot of cutting and reining maneuvers. I can use it on a colt or an older horse and it fits well,” says Lee.
The couple, who work from their ranch north of Martensville, say the saddle-making business is a joint venture. They make a variety of saddles: roping, reining, pleasure, and barrel saddles. Different components of the saddle will vary for each of the disciplines. Clarence does most of the construction, while Lee assists with different parts and does the majority of the tooling. The entire process involves multi-steps and can take many hours of molding, sculpting, machine and hand-stitching, and tooling.
“We believe it’s important to use only high-quality natural materials for the benefit of the rider and the well-being of the horse. We use cowhide leather, and a sheepskin underside. We don’t use any synthetic materials except for the tree itself and the foam in the padded seat,” Lee says.
“We prefer wool saddle pads and footpads because you can use the same saddle on a colt that’s not mature body-wise as well as a mature horse. The wool compensates for that difference in the shapes of their bodies. The depth of the sheepskin fleece underside of the saddle also allows for some play. Wool breathes and will also absorb moisture. So if you’re putting in a long ride on a horse, the wool tends to whisk the moisture off its hide and also alleviates friction. We also cover our cowhide cinches with sheepskin to provide that freedom of movement,” she explains.
Besides the tack and saddles, the Walerius’ make and sell a variety of other leather products such as wallets, purses, belts, home décor, jewelry and chaps.
The couple also raises and shears their own sheep. Lee used to wash and card the wool and tan the sheepskin hides. That became too labour-intensive, and she now ships the wool to a mill for processing, but continues to spin and dye the yarn from which she creates mitts, socks, boot liners, scarves, sweaters and vests.
For over 40 years Lee and Clarence have been raising and breeding horses. They currently have a herd of 60 quality-bred Paints and Quarter horses. Both have acquired extensive horsemanship skills, using natural training methods to start and train the colts.
“We try to build a strong rapport between the horse and the person so you get the ultimate result of the horse willing to cooperate with you when you ride it. In return they have your respect,” says Clarence.
“I do a lot of the initial groundwork with the colts, and Clarence does the first rides. Between us, we get those final rides on them and finish off the training. We’ve had everything from barrel horses to working cattle horses to pleasure horses. We breed for all of those different categories. The work is sometimes challenging, but always interesting and rewarding as you build that relationship with an animal. I believe it strengthens and grounds you as a human being as well,” adds Lee.
Both Lee and Clarence have been 4-H leaders for close to 30 years. Lee is also involved in 4-H and western shows, and is a certified instructor in Equine Massage Therapy, Equine Assisted Psychotherapy and Equine-Assisted Learning. She is a clinician in western riding and training, and gives private and group lessons at their ranch and other locations across the province.
With over 40 years experience, working with over 400 horses over that period of time, Lee says the horses have been their teachers. “They teach you so much—respect, empathy, problem-solving and forgiveness, for example.
“Horses have their own personalities, and in some ways they’re very much like people. I work with at-risk youth where I have them interact with the horse. What this does is mirror their inner feelings and emotions and helps them to understand better how to communicate, diffuse anger and learn how to deal with their own emotions because the horses won’t tolerate abuse. It’s gratifying when you see the development of this horse/human relationship and the difference this can make in the lives of these young people,” Lee says.
“Being a 4-H leader is very rewarding because you see the growth in the young people. Many are very shy when they come in, but over the course of a year there’s a lot of change. They learn how to communicate, how to confident, and learn important life skills. It’s a sense of achievement for them at the end of the year,” adds Clarence.
The Walerius’ joint interests in working with horses and creating a variety of high-quality leather products has strengthened and bonded their marriage relationship.
They are also pleased to have the opportunity to turn their hobbies into a home-based business that provides them with a modest income, and their customers with quality custom-made horse and riding gear and gift items for the western person.
For more information about CR Ranch Saddle and Gift Shop, please visit www.crranchsaddleshop.weebly.com or phone (306) 933-4611.
Couple using skills to help others
Experience with horses leads to positive endeavours
Grain News - May 2, 2011
Clarence and Lee Walerius have acquired extensive horsemanship skills over the 60 years they have been breaking and training horses. They currently have a herd of 60 quality-bred Paints and Quarter Horses, and in the past have also raised and trained Appaloosas and Arabians.
“We use natural methods in our training,” says Lee. “That means building a strong rapport between the horse and the person. Connecting and building this relationship has a lot to do with respect, and understanding the animals.”
“Horses have their own personalities and are much more intelligent than we give them credit for,” adds Clarence. “A lot of problems evolve because people don’t understand their behavior. We’re invading their territory when we work with them, so they need to be treated with respect if we want them to cooperate.”
Both Lee and Clarence, who ranch north of Martensville, Saskatchewan, are certified in Equine Assisted Psychotherapy (EAP) and Equine Assisted Learning (EAL). Lee judges 4-H and western shows and does clinics for training both horse and rider and also is certified in Equine Massage Therapy. Using her skills developed with EAP and EAL, Lee works with at-risk youth that come from dysfunctional homes.
“By paying attention to the way the horses react to the actions of these kids, I can tell whether they’ve had a bad day and when there’s a lot of anger coming out. The actions of the horses tell me a great deal if we are willing and open to listen. So understanding the psychology of the horses gives me insight as to where these kids are at and how to help them.
“A person who is stressed or has suffered a loss and is hurting—perhaps the death of a parent or grandparent—will generate a response from the horse. The horse or horses will gather around for a group hug. They’ll approach very softly and stand there for the longest time. Or if a youth is acting tough and macho, or has a wall up, the horse could run off, bucking and kicking, in effect saying, ‘you’re not being your true self.’ So again that tells me a lot. It’s very interesting,” says Lee.
Lee also uses Equine Assisted Psychotherapy or Equine Assisted Learning to work with corporate groups to do team building exercises or to assess the dynamics among their staff.
They concede their work is at times draining, but is always rewarding and exciting. “I think it also gives us an insight into life and helps us appreciate what we have and the relationships we have with other people.”
Clarence and Lee are also skilled leather craftspeople and recently decided to open CR Ranch Saddle and Gift Shop on their property. Both have been doing leatherwork for over 40 years—repairing and rebuilding saddles and making their own tack, reins, bridles and halters and other leather products.
When Clarence retired from his city job about five years ago, he decided the time had come to pursue his dream of making saddles. After completing a course in Elko, BC, he came home and was soon receiving orders for his custom-made saddles.
The saddle-making process is labour intensive and requires many hours of molding, sculpting, machine and hand stitching, and tooling. It’s a joint venture—Clarence does most of the building and Lee concentrates on the tooling and carving. They make a variety of saddles—roping, reining, pleasure and barrel saddles.
They prefer to use all-natural materials for the benefit of the horse and the rider. “We use cowhide leather and a sheepskin underside. No synthetic materials are used except for maybe the tree and the foam in the padded seat. “I like the wool saddle pads for several reasons. The wool compensates for the differing sizes and shapes, from the mature horse to a colt that’s slightly smaller. The wool also absorbs moisture and breathes, so for long rides, the horse will be more comfortable,” Lee says.
Besides the tack and saddles, the couple also make and sell a variety of other leather products such as purses, belts, home décor items, jewelry and chaps.
The couple also raises a small flock of sheep, which supplies the wool for the saddle pads and other items such as mitts, socks, and boot liners that Lee makes and sells in the gift shop.
“I’ve always said I was born 50 years too late,” Lee says with a chuckle. “The things I enjoy are what our grandparents and great grandparents had to do. It’s an awesome opportunity to be here on the ranch, and make a modest income from doing what we both love.”
“We work with many families in 4-H and the horse industry, and want to provide them with the quality products they need for their horses and for themselves,” adds Clarence.
For more information, visit www.crranchsaddleshop.weebly.com, phone
(306) 933-4611 or email: [email protected].
“We use natural methods in our training,” says Lee. “That means building a strong rapport between the horse and the person. Connecting and building this relationship has a lot to do with respect, and understanding the animals.”
“Horses have their own personalities and are much more intelligent than we give them credit for,” adds Clarence. “A lot of problems evolve because people don’t understand their behavior. We’re invading their territory when we work with them, so they need to be treated with respect if we want them to cooperate.”
Both Lee and Clarence, who ranch north of Martensville, Saskatchewan, are certified in Equine Assisted Psychotherapy (EAP) and Equine Assisted Learning (EAL). Lee judges 4-H and western shows and does clinics for training both horse and rider and also is certified in Equine Massage Therapy. Using her skills developed with EAP and EAL, Lee works with at-risk youth that come from dysfunctional homes.
“By paying attention to the way the horses react to the actions of these kids, I can tell whether they’ve had a bad day and when there’s a lot of anger coming out. The actions of the horses tell me a great deal if we are willing and open to listen. So understanding the psychology of the horses gives me insight as to where these kids are at and how to help them.
“A person who is stressed or has suffered a loss and is hurting—perhaps the death of a parent or grandparent—will generate a response from the horse. The horse or horses will gather around for a group hug. They’ll approach very softly and stand there for the longest time. Or if a youth is acting tough and macho, or has a wall up, the horse could run off, bucking and kicking, in effect saying, ‘you’re not being your true self.’ So again that tells me a lot. It’s very interesting,” says Lee.
Lee also uses Equine Assisted Psychotherapy or Equine Assisted Learning to work with corporate groups to do team building exercises or to assess the dynamics among their staff.
They concede their work is at times draining, but is always rewarding and exciting. “I think it also gives us an insight into life and helps us appreciate what we have and the relationships we have with other people.”
Clarence and Lee are also skilled leather craftspeople and recently decided to open CR Ranch Saddle and Gift Shop on their property. Both have been doing leatherwork for over 40 years—repairing and rebuilding saddles and making their own tack, reins, bridles and halters and other leather products.
When Clarence retired from his city job about five years ago, he decided the time had come to pursue his dream of making saddles. After completing a course in Elko, BC, he came home and was soon receiving orders for his custom-made saddles.
The saddle-making process is labour intensive and requires many hours of molding, sculpting, machine and hand stitching, and tooling. It’s a joint venture—Clarence does most of the building and Lee concentrates on the tooling and carving. They make a variety of saddles—roping, reining, pleasure and barrel saddles.
They prefer to use all-natural materials for the benefit of the horse and the rider. “We use cowhide leather and a sheepskin underside. No synthetic materials are used except for maybe the tree and the foam in the padded seat. “I like the wool saddle pads for several reasons. The wool compensates for the differing sizes and shapes, from the mature horse to a colt that’s slightly smaller. The wool also absorbs moisture and breathes, so for long rides, the horse will be more comfortable,” Lee says.
Besides the tack and saddles, the couple also make and sell a variety of other leather products such as purses, belts, home décor items, jewelry and chaps.
The couple also raises a small flock of sheep, which supplies the wool for the saddle pads and other items such as mitts, socks, and boot liners that Lee makes and sells in the gift shop.
“I’ve always said I was born 50 years too late,” Lee says with a chuckle. “The things I enjoy are what our grandparents and great grandparents had to do. It’s an awesome opportunity to be here on the ranch, and make a modest income from doing what we both love.”
“We work with many families in 4-H and the horse industry, and want to provide them with the quality products they need for their horses and for themselves,” adds Clarence.
For more information, visit www.crranchsaddleshop.weebly.com, phone
(306) 933-4611 or email: [email protected].