Build a Partnership With Your Horse

Just like so many other little girls, I was horse crazy as a child.  When I was two years old, I started begging my mother to ride a horse.  She wasn't even sure how I knew what a horse was, let alone that they could be ridden!  So she found a local lessons instructor, and I started English Equitation riding lessons when I was three years old.  Later, in grade school and junior high, I would try my hand at Western Equitation lessons. 

My professional riding lessons were always based in safety and doing it myself.  I had to learn how to halter and lead a horse, tie him off, how to groom him, saddle and bridle him, and mount on my own.  I showed several times as a child and was in the blues, although my favorite color was actually pink.  I pouted when I got my first blue ribbon--I wanted the pink one, and blue is a boy's color!

In 1998, I was given the opportunity to go on a rented horse trail ride with a co-worker and her brother and some friends.  This was my first introduction to gaited horses.  It was also my first introduction to my future husband, the co-worker's brother.  He already owned his own Tennessee Walking Horse, so we always joke that I only married him for his horse!

My first horse was a Spotted Saddle Horse mare named Apache.  She was my dream horse from when I was a small child--a black and white mare with blue eyes.  After buying Apache, I went through the gauntlet of training and riding techniques.  I learned quickly that the equitation riding lessons I'd had as a child paid off for I'd learned proper balance and how to keep my seat if something went wrong.  However, I started out by doing a lot of stupid things, including beating on my horse to get her to behave.

I have since learned that relying on spurs, whips and bits to get my horse to behave and riding in anger are not condusive to a successful relationship with a horse.  After a few years of working with a John Lyons certified trainer, I learned that there are much better ways to gain trust and respect from a horse, and that positive reinforcement gets us a lot further than negative does.  I started seeking out better ways for training and riding horses, especially gaited horses.  I learned that the natural gait is not "nailed on" or by using one certain bit in a gaited horse's mouth--it is brought out through proper exercise and basic principles that help a horse correctly use his body.

I call my relationship with my horses a "partnership" because we have learned how to understand each other and to know what each other needs.  I have learned throughout the years that if we work with our horse rather than force him to do what we wish, the possibilities of what we can do with our horses are endless.  I have also learned that without a sound foundation, for both horse and rider, there will always be gaps in the training that must be bridged to build our success.

I have also learned that there is so much more to learn.  We must all be open to new ideas and new possibilities in order to solidify our partnership with our horse.

Feel free to visit my website at http://www.silverphoenixranch.com/ to learn more about my philosophies and about gaited horses.

My goal is to become a certified judge with NWHA and to find quality riding instructor programs to better my skills and knowledge to help horse owners even more.  The following are my credentials based on my extensive experience.

• 10+ years of experience in various kinds of training with gaited horses, particularly the Tennessee Walking Horse.
• Study with gaited horse trainers and owners to learn the mechanics of the correct gaits and why each gaited breed moves the way it does.
• Extensive show career with FOSH and NWHA.
• Extensive volunteer work with FOSH and NWHA to help end the illegal practice of soring, which is using chemical or mechanical means to make a horse step higher in the show ring.
• Experience in judging multiple small and fun shows for all breeds, including shows for non-profit fundraisers and 4-H.
• Understanding and training in classical, basic dressage methods to develop a horse's core and help it use its body to its full potential.
• Excellent people and horse skills in establishing and explaining goals and techniques. 
• Individual evaluation of horse and rider to find out what the team needs to build their partnership.

References are available upon request.