|
Growing up with horses is one of the greatest gifts I could have ever been given. It gave me an appreciation for things that are within, and outside, of my control. It gave me a sensitivity to those around me, which I believe, has helped me to be a good teacher and trainer. The experiences with horses while growing up helped to shape who I am and what I do. As a child I was deeply involved in the horse division of 4-H and later was very active in the United States Pony Club. I achieved a "B" level rating at age 16 and then went on to college, where I had to concentrate on school and not horses.
|
|
Barney - Virginia Horse Trials 1994
On the farm at home, I was exposed to many different horses, none of which were trained for what I wanted to do with them. I attempted to turn my mother's barrel racer into a jumper, then settled on using her for Pony Club Games. I transformed the western pleasure appaloosa into a polo pony for 4-H. The appy/morgan who was only used for dressage, as she "could not jump", ended up being my first event horse, taking me through novice level.
When it seemed to my family that this horse obsession was not going away, we went on a search for a real event prospect. After about a year of dissapointments, we found "Tory". She was only 15.1 hh and a 5 yr old TB/Clyde mare imported from Canada. She was with a prominent dressage trainer, so knew her basics very well, but had never seen a jump. We started from scratch and progressed by leaps and bounds. "Tory" took me through Preliminary level eventing and second level dressage before I was out of high school. |
|
Tory - Wheeler Green Horse Trails 1985 
After struggling through various colleges and disciplines and always being drawn back to the horses, I decided to go back to school for an Equine Studies degree. I chose Averett College, in southern Virginia, for it's BS degree and the focus in eventing and dressage, rather than hunt seat like most colleges offer. It was here that I sold "Tory", after an 8 year partnership, to an 11 year old girl who was just starting out and needed someone to show her the ropes. At school I flourished, having an unlimited supply of fresh horses to mold. One of these horses was a 7 yr old draft/Trakhener gelding named Barney who started with a blank expression and after a year was eventing at Training level.
When I returned from school, I found myself deep into the miniature horse industry. My mother was now one of the largest breeders in the state, and I found there was a real need for a good trainer for these little equines. I also found them very fun and rewarding as they are smart and wanting to please. That was over a decade ago, and I have found a happy medium between the large and small of it. I still train full sized horses, all types, and I am teaching young riders how to become the best they can. I also enjoy training miniatures for driving and halter. Hope you enjoyed my history! |
