"Horsemanship is a journey, and there are no shortcuts. You get there by staying true to the path with eyes open and one foot in front of the other."

So, I suppose I should say a little something about me. I can’t tell you that I’ve won a long list of championship titles and trophies in competitions. I don’t compete. But I have been riding for 27 years and spent the last 20 years working in the horse business in various disciplines.

I have learned a tremendous amount from my teachers, my students, and most of all from the many horses with whom I have crossed paths. I have learned from instruction, from experience, and from the stark contrast of what I saw being practiced vs. the kinder, more effective horsemanship that I knew existed. They say that contrast gives birth to preferences and new ideas. For every demonstration of force against a horse that I witnessed, I had a greater desire to find a better way.

So, what you will find in the content of my teachings are the lessons that I have learned and new ideas to which I have been inspired. They have evolved tremendously over the last 20 years, and they will continue to evolve. More depth is added to the layers of my current knowledge, as horsemanship and life unfold together.

I am very intentionally representing myself as a student as much as a teacher or trainer. If you think about it, any teacher must learn as fast or faster than they can teach to stay fresh and leading edge. It is my obligation to keep reaching and evolving, so that I can pass new information on to my students. Being a good learner is also a very important part of the skills that I want to demonstrate for my students.

Ultimately, it is a student's perception of their experiences that shapes their learning. What I try to offer my students is clarity of perception.

I encourage them to identify exactly what they want from themselves and their horse.

I teach them to view situations from the horse's perspective, to build stronger working partnerships.

I try to teach the skills that will make a solid foundation from which to go forward.

And most of all, I encourage them to keep the attitude of problem solvers and game players.

People need to reflect more often on what it is about horses that felt so good that they entered into such a relationship. Attitude is everything!