Hats, hats, hats....I am a person who wears a lot of hats. This Equine Studies Institute website features me as a horsemanship coach and instructor. I also offer week-long full-body horse anatomy intensives (often in cooperation with Debranne Pattillo's excellent Equinology program -- go see her website at www.equinology.com).

 

But that's not all. I am also a longtime feature researcher and writer, and now a Consulting Editor, of EQUUS Magazine. I write substantial articles for The Eclectic Horseman magazine, and occasionally also for other magazines such as The American Farriers Journal. I occasionally help a breed club out with a livestock judging project or do a private farm consultation.

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Beyond that, one of my great pleasures in life is performing and publishing research in vertebrate paleontology and zooarchaeology, and what I especially do is commonly known as "bone I.D." Sometimes I get a commission from an archaeological site, such as Vindolanda ( a World Heritage site in northeastern England) to identify animal bones that they have dug up. Other times I am employed by law firms to do forensic I.D. on animal bone or to differentiate human vs. animal remains. I've recently been elected to the board of editors for the professional journal Archaeofauna, published by the University of Madrid in Spain. I'm also very proud to have been designated a Research Associate at my home museum, The University of Kansas Museum of Natural History, and I try to be back in Lawrence for at least one month every year to work on various research projects. When I return to my office in California, I then have to find time to write the results up for publication and create all the necessary illustrations and maps, charts and graphs that show the data.

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On two occasions I've also had the great fun of consulting for the film industry; I have screen credit for "Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron" and "Hidalgo". If you want to see more about those "hats", please hop over to my brand-new website at  www.jayhawkartandimage.com, which also highlights my activities as a technical, scientific, medical, veterinary, and magazine illustrator. 90% of the illustrations or photographs that you see accompanying articles under my authorship were made by me. However, I also sometimes take commissions from other scientists, lawyers, book authors, and others who need graphics to complete their own projects. If you go over to the Jayhawk Art and Image website, you will find fully seventeen galleries featuring my work in numerous different categories. Plan on spending some time....there are over 200 images to enjoy.

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So, what am I saying here? Wearing different hats takes time. It takes up as much of my time as it probably would yours. Over the years, this has meant that I have accepted fewer invitations for Horsemanship Improvement Clinics than some of my friends and colleagues, such as Buck Brannaman (www.brannaman.com), Harry Whitney (www.harrywhitney.com), or Josh Nichol (www.joshnichol.com) who do only that.

 

For the past twenty years, I have been invited every year to Australia or New Zealand (or both) for horsemanship clinics and also to teach horse anatomy. My U.S. clinics have been less frequent -- although sometimes very prestigious as when I work with George Morris/USET, or speak to a the national convention of a breed club or riding organization. Currently I have no engagements in the U.S. on the docket. Want to work with me in your area? Please click on the red "Sponsoring Dr. Deb" button below.

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2019 HORSEMANSHIP IMPROVEMENT CLINICS LED BY

DR. DEB BENNETT

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April 7 - 9, North Island, New Zealand. Organizer Jenny Paterson, to be held at the National Equestrian Centre. Contact office@calmhealthyhorses.com.

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June 28 - 30, Southern British Columbia. Organizer Yvonne Miller, to be held at a private residence with excellent facilities. This clinic is already nearly full, so please contact totalbalancenutrition@gmail.com.

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