Regardless of your age or level of experience, my teaching style provides many ways for you to enter into the realm of unity with your horse. My students range from trail riding retirees to dressage riders of all levels, eventers, show jumpers, barrel racers, competitive trail riders, reiners and ropers. Among my students, my patience is legendary  because I NEVER GIVE UP ON A PERSON OR A PROBLEM. I have studied many learning and teaching styles and I can present information in many unique and often entertaining ways.

            I fully encourage and thrive on questions. I make every effort to create a safe environment on all levels in my lessons, clinics and Intensives. I will not skip any steps to building a safe seat for the rider. Therefore, my lessons last as long as necessary to reach the day’s objective. Over the years, I have found that this compassionate yet persistent style of teaching has a positive impact not only on my students’ riding, but also on their lives. I frequently receive reports of decreased overall stress levels along with descriptions of dramatic improvements in riding as well as non-equestrian athletic activities.

            In the early lessons, I work primarily with the body mechanics which underlie all styles and techniques of riding. I allow the horse to participate in communicating what the focus of the lesson needs to be. If the horse is not producing the desired result it is often not him, but the rider who needs to make adjustments. In these early lessons, communication skills between horse and rider must be comfortably established before advancing to working on exercises with the horse.

 The first lesson always focuses on unique exercises that increase body awareness.  Through these exercises, you will release mental and physical tension, and can learn to find a state of relaxed awareness that increases your sensitivity to your horse.  This in turn relaxes the horse, and creates an effortless unity that allows better horse-rider communication at any gait, in any discipline.  You will actually be learning the essentials of body language, which is how horses primarily communicate. 

The results of this first lesson are dramatic to watch.  As your posture and ability to use your body improve, your horse will respond immediately to each change by relaxing and opening his stride, lowering his head, and letting go of resistant behaviors. I always tells my students that my style of riding comes with a warning,  “Your horse won’t let you go back to your old riding habits once he knows that you understand that there is a different way to do things.  He will let you know instantly when you fall back into an old habit by showing immediate resistance.”

            I concentrate on posture and  position intensely until it becomes natural for you.  I do this for three main reasons:

My teaching style helps both horse and rider to resolve negative compensation patterns resulting from trauma on any level. My attention to every detail of the rider’s position can help riding become much more comfortable for both you and your horse. When your horse is more comfortable, he can open up his stride and move from his core strength as well.  This makes for a better topline, stronger back, and less pounding and stress on joints and legs. 

Once  this basic posture is achieved, I expand my focus to include the horse’s needs.  I am well versed and intuitive in my approach to improving a horse’s way of going, muscle base, condition, suppleness, understanding, and cooperation.  In addition, I do not hesitant to help a rider to understand what their horse is trying to communicate to them.  Horses frequently have a way of “pushing our buttons” in order to mirror to us where a problem with them carries over to life in general.  I tell my students, “You always acquire the horse who will teach you what you most need to learn in life.”  Let me be your guide as your horse teaches you how to reach your highest potential!