Horsemanship Merit Badge

Lindsey Vortman on Mahoney Feathers - 14.3 hands

Click the Photograph

Like many girls, 24 year old Lindsey Vortman loves horses. She has a degree in Equestrian Studies from Rocky Mountain College in Billings, Montana. It is actually a BS in Biological Sciences with a minor in business, but instead of studying rats and Guinea pigs, Lindsey studied horses, and took riding, barn and ranch management, and other horse related courses.

The Vortman family has several horses stabled at the Evergreen Equestrian Center next door to Bridal Trails State Park in Kirkland. They have three sizes, small (14.3 hands), medium (15.3 hands), and large (16.2 hands) – a size to fit every Scout. Lindsey runs a horse and rider training program at Evergreen Equestrian.

Lindsey has submitted her Adult Application and Horsemanship Merit Badge Counseling Application to the Chief Seattle Council so she can help our Scouts achieve their Horsemanship Merit Badge.

The general plan is that after Scouts have completed the academic part of their Merit Badge Worksheet for the Horsemanship Merit Badge, then two Scouts at a time would spend a couple of Saturdays or Sundays with Lindsey at Evergreen Equestrian for the “hands on” and riding aspects of the Horsemanship Merit Badge.

There would not be any cost, but Scouts would need to provide for their transportation to Evergreen Equestrian, bring a sack lunch, and be prepared to get really grubby. Brushing and saddling horses, riding, and cleaning up after them is a dirty job. Although Evergreen Equestrian is a Hunter/Jumper facility, Scouts would only be arena and trail riding. They would not be doing any jumping.