“Where in this world can you find nobility without pride, friendship without envy, beauty without vanity? Here where grace is laced with muscle and strength by gentleness confined…..He serves without servility; he fought without enmity. There is nothing so powerful, nothing less violent; there is nothing so quick, nothing more patient…”

Robert Duncan captured in words what I feel in my heart. He was speaking the undeniable truth about the horse.

“Through The Eyes of Equus”… That is how I try to see things whenever I am working with horses.

The Beginning
Growing up in rural New England, my experiences and training with horses were quite traditional. How the horse felt about things was not a consideration. Therefore, the ride to get from there to where I am now took years of dedication and hard work. I knew in my heart that there had to be a better way to work with horses. What I experienced as a child no longer worked for me but I had no idea where to go for information. The real inspiration in my thinking was sparked when I first heard of “Natural Horsemanship.”

The Journey to a Better Way
The term “Natural Horsemanship”, like any other training method, is a broad based description that includes numerous approaches and philosophies. In many ways, this diversity is a good thing as it creates an opportunity for growth. On the other hand, I think it can be confusing for a student who is trying to improve their horsemanship skills. To whom do I listen? What method is best? I understand and empathize with anyone in that situation. I went through it myself during the time that I spent improving my own horsemanship. As in any good horsemanship program, the key is a solid foundation. To accomplish that I made it my goal to learn as much as I could from a variety of sources, then make choices according to what worked for me and most importantly, what did not. I’m lucky. I’ve had some masterful teachers for whom I have the greatest respect.

Although I value and use the education I got from the fine men and women who helped me back in the beginning, exposure to Natural Horsemanship was to be my launching pad to the next level. I have turned yet another corner in my understanding of what it takes to successfully work with horse, human or both. This level of insight can only be reached if keep your mind and heart open to the fact that the concepts of horse training are primarily the result of human invention and although valuable, they are subjective at best.

I have reached the point in my quest where I can no longer label myself a Natural Horsewoman or a Classical Horsewoman. I can only say with absolute certainty that I am a horsewoman who now has humbly placed herself in hooves of the master himself, the horse. It is quite simple. Humans have opinions about horses and horse training, but the horse has the facts.

Did I waste all those years looking to others for my education? Certainly not! A good foundation is crucial if one ever expects to progress with their horsemanship. I wouldn’t know what I know now if I hadn’t started at the beginning and sought most solid foundation possible. I still keep my eyes and ears open for bits of helpful information and I am grateful for every piece that comes my way.

There is no time limit on horsemanship education. You are only limited by the time you are willing to spend getting educated. I have devoted my career and a good part of my life to horses. I believe no matter how accomplished you are, it is essential to give yourself the opportunity to be better. The horse is teaching me an entirely new way to see. Horses have showed me not only how to view them, but all life as well.

What You Can Expect
While the use of horses for transportation, work and war was a matter of survival for our ancestors, in this part of the world, we do not use our horses for those functions anymore. Although there are still working cowboys that depend on their horses to do their job, they hold a different place in most of our lives.

Owning and riding a horse should be fun. For many of us, it becomes a struggle at one time or another. My job is to help turn the struggle into joy for both of you. Like fingerprints, every partnership between horse and human is unique. Your relationship with one horse will be distinctly different from your relationship with another. Your relationship with the same horse may be different on any given day at any given moment. We must be careful not to take things for granted. The moment you become complacent, things start to happen, not all of them pleasant!

Some people that have owned horses for years still lack solid foundation. I can help you gain better horsemanship skills. I help people to look at things from the horse’s point of view. I use “Feel”… the language of the horse as the basis for everything I do with horses. “Feel” is a word used to describe how to work the horse not only in a manner that he understands, but a manner that generates positive understanding without the use of undue or excess pressure; pressure that can do more harm than good. I work with my students on improving their feel for the horse. I find that once a person learns how to use feel, there are no limits to what you can accomplish with a horse. The beauty of feel is that with a relationship based on communication and respect, there is no need for harsh equipment and gimmicks. With feel, riding becomes natural, effortless and fun!

I teach a holistic approach to horsemanship. I believe that horses are our mirrors. If something is going on with your horse, take a look at what might be going on with you first. I assist my students in recognizing when their emotions or mental processes are getting in the way of fostering better communication with their horses. I facilitate and support you in keeping both you and your horse healthy, happy and safe.

When I train horses, I believe it is crucial for them to have a solid foundation before moving on to whatever discipline the owner has planned for their future. You can usually bet that a problem your horse is having now is either health related or stems from a hole in their foundation or a hole in yours. Whether I am working with a colt or a mature horse, I start from the beginning to build a solid foundation one block at a time. There are no short cuts in good horsemanship.

I believe my diverse education has enhanced my ability to help my students and their horses. One thing I learned over the years is that if something works well for you and your horse and enhances your relationship; keep it in your bag of horsemanship skills. Conversely, don’t make the common mistake of closing your mind to new things or hanging on to something that keeps you from evolving into a better horsewoman/man.

I spend a large portion of time with students working on improving their equitation. Whether you ride English or Western your feel will be considerably less effective if you are continually getting in the horses way of doing what you ask by poor riding skills.