If you have a horse, a place to ride and are looking to grow your equine relationship this might be for you. Want to ride smarter, not harder? Are you looking for a better connection with your horse? Let me help. English, balanced riding lessons based on good biomechanics. You can be a Western rider or an English rider, it's all horse to me. Feel secure while you ride, and do so effortlessly.
The horse is a beautiful teacher, if one knows how to listen.
Make an appointment to ride with me!
Private Riding Lesson (approx. 45 to 60 minutes): $50, 10 lessons: $450
Group Lessons (2 to 4 persons) upon request: rate to be determined.
Horse Training/Conditioning, Foundation/Groundwork, Riding/Schooling: rate to be determined
Serving the Loma Rica to Penn Valley area, or anyplace not too far away.
Since visiting Wellington, Florida for the first time in the late 1980s, I became fascinated with the sport of Dressage. Which is, simply put, the training of the horse to use it's body under the rider in an optimal manor. I was so impressed by these amazing horses and riders doing these seemingly effortless movements.
As I started riding, I volunteered at a therapeutic riding center, Kiwanis Horses and Handicapped, Inc. in Miami. At the time, they were in desperate need of a certified therapeutic riding instructor. So I learned what I needed to, to become a Path International Advanced instructor (formerly NARHA), working with both physical and mental disabilities. As I write this, my favorite motto comes to mind: "it's all about ability."
For 16 years, I ran the program, which included teaching riders, training volunteers, writing grants, administrative duties, and fundraising. Along the way, I met some pretty special people and horses. Always wanting to learn, I attended many Path functions and was introduced to Horsemanship with John Lyons, Centered Riding with Sally Swift, T-Touch by Linda Tellington-Jones just to name a few.
My riding education has been a blend of strict Classical Dressage as taught to me by Charles DeKunffy and numerous clinicians, and many versions of basic Horsemanship as taught by Tom Dorrance, Buck Brannaman, Pat Parelli, Ken McNab, John Lyons. I find they complement each other very well, as long as the welfare of the horse stays a priority.
Saddle fit has been my nemesis, and a driving force in the quest to ride better. I took so many lessons over the years, but sometimes discomfort and lack of balance kept me from advancing. Sore knees and bumm pushed me to search for balanced riding. I scraped the expensive custom-made dressage saddles, and got a cheap jumping saddle. Low and behold, I finally found my balance. I'm not a jumper, leave that to the younger folks, but sometimes you have to think outside the box to find your way.
Then a couple of highly sensitive horses made sure I learned more about biomechanics and horse/human relationships. Riding effortlessly and in unison with your equine partner is a wonderful feeling. Every day we learn and grow. I am deeply grateful to all of my instructors for teaching me to ride with feel.
After Miami, we lived in the Chicago, IL area for 13 years. There, I loved trail riding through the forest preserves. It was also a wonderful place for attending or auditing riding clinics. From the Temple Lipizzaners and the head riders of the Spanish Riding School, to Buck Brannaman, to Custom Camp with Jake Biernbaum and Ryan Rose, to Working Equitation Clinics, the horses and I traveled to Wisconsin, Minnesota, Michigan, and all around Illinois. We also competed up to second level dressage at many local horseshows.
My husband and I moved to Browns Valley, CA end of 2018. Here I hope to pass on some of my knowledge to others, to make their riding quest simpler and successful.
Thank you to just a few of my teachers:
Audits:
