I feel that all activities done with the horse whether on the ground or in the saddle becomes a metaphoric learning experience building healthy, supportive relationships that strengthen this bond. My goal is to promote awareness, teach communication, trust, responsibility, accountability, partnership, and empathy. The equestrian that rides within this philosophy becomes an outward expression of these principles reflecting humility, grace, balance, sensitivity, as a true partner to the horse.
I also feel that it is very important to conform my teaching to each student I work with rather than a student laboring to conform to a standard set program. I do not just teach "riding techniques", but teach horsemanship which I feel encompasses communication, understanding and acceptance of the horse and his way of the viewing his world.
I believe that through education, understanding of ones’ self, seeking and acknowledgement of another’s point of view and experiential opportunities, humans and horses can be positively transformed together, empowering each to grow to their full potential. From day one, I hope to provide each one of my students with an indestructible foundation that will not erode in times of play or of emergency. I feel this knowledge that can prevent them from being a potential victim of horse related accident.
Being a forth generation instructor/trainer and 25+ years as head teacher and trainer operating a public riding academy, I had the great privilege and joy to have under my tutelage several thousand students. I have found that within the interaction between a student and a horse, the student is provided an opportunity to become more self-aware through the metaphors of how the horse relates to them, their herd, and their environment, and how they relate to the horse.
I developed a program that is based on each student’s individual strengths and lesson plans are carefully matched to the needs, temperament and emotional or personal goals of the individual. Sessions are process-oriented and solution focused by combining the skills of communication, awareness, technical know-how, and mental relaxation, which are the essentials for safety and required by all riding disciplines at all levels. I teach to think outside the box and problem solve while working toward harmonizing the rider and the horse.
I believe the relative and sometimes whimsical way in which information is presented makes it appealing and more retainable to students, young and old alike. To sculpt the presentation of information that works for each individual student, I first must learn and understand our student’s way of processing information, their comfort zones, what drives them.
During my performance years I also witnessed many riders reach an impasse with their horses and many trainers just remark “stop that crap of thinking and just do as I tell you” because the trainer was not equipped to deal with the emotional dynamics that arouse when teaming up a human and a horse. These opportunities and observations gave me the research information to hone my teaching approach which became an advantage over many other instructors and trainers.
I believe that an appropriate blend of classic horsemanship skills and innovative thinking concepts create better learning/training techniques. My riding and driving programs are built around a core belief that horsemanship is created when these techniques evolve around the makeup and learning curve of each horse and their human counterpart. I believe the components of horsemanship are technical skills, physical, and cognitive, awareness and intent of self and others, emotional and relationship abilities of both the human and the horse.
Over the years, many of my students have found themselves facing life or family obstacles - health, grief/loss/divorce, depression, anxiety, ADD/ADHD - and expressed the benefit of how their horse lessons blended into their everyday lives. They felt the program which had been developed for their riding lessons gave them support, strength and courage to positively deal with their life issues. Because of this student feedback and personal observations, I developed a different philosophy from most riding programs and raised the bar of my teaching making it far from industry standard.
It's a blend of classic horsemanship and innovative learning concepts. Therefore, I believe whole-heartedly that horses are partners in learning and emotional growth. As a result of this partnership humans develop greater self-esteem, confidence, responsibility, ability to plan, teamwork, empathy and a deeper understanding of themselves, their relationships, and their world. The joy, confidence, and infectious sense of accomplishment that a rider gains by sharing power and developing a partnership with a 1000 pound animal is a tremendous contribution to their lives. These same skills have the added bonus of being “life skills” readily transferable to our students’ lives outside the barn such as home, classroom, office, and relationships. They are positive behaviors that are not only taught but experienced through learning with the horses.
Psychologists have determined that less than 10% of all human communication is verbal. Emphasizing vase nuances of information arise from nonverbal communication by way of behavior, emotion, intent, and more subtle energetic exchanges. This is the language of the horse as well. Yet, most people still see the horse as an instinctual being. Yes, horses are more likely to emphasize emotion over reason. However, a horses’ brain is capable of learning which evolves into higher thought. The experience of living with human beings has allowed horses to advance many of these instinctual reactions into more sophisticated skills.
When I work with a student I try to incorporate their horse as a partner while teaching competent, practical and safe riding skills. Using the language of the horse makes demands of the student to stay plugged into the horse and themselves, to be observant, focused, all the while maximizing the performance and relationship between the student and the horse. I also feel that it is very important to conform my teaching to each student I work with rather than a student laboring to conform to a standard set program. Not to just teach "riding techniques", but teach horsemanship which I feel encompasses communication, understanding and acceptance of the horse and his way of the viewing his world.
I feel that all activities done with the horse whether on the ground or in the saddle becomes a metaphoric learning experience building healthy, supportive relationships that strengthen the bond between the human and horse. The goal is to promote awareness, teach communication, trust, responsibility, accountability, partnership, and empathy. Riding within this philosophy becomes an outward expression of these principles and the equestrian rides with grace, balance, sensitivity, and as true partner to the horse.
I recommend to anyone interested in engaging in Equine sports to begin with a year of basic horsemanship riding lessons, for the opportunity to explore this interspecies partnership.