Training

About Lisa.....

I have been training horses for over 15 years. I graduated from the UWRF Equine program in 1991. My show specialties are Western Pleasure and Longe Line and have trained and shown multiple winners in those events in the past five years including the MQHA Reserve Open Versatility Champion, Top 10 at the PHBA World, Dixie Nationals Reserve champion and the 2005 Region 3 High Point Novice Amateur. I also specialize in starting young horses, putting a good foundation on them to go in whatever direction you like, using sound proven methods keeping the horse quiet, willing and happy. Horses I have put foundation training on have gone on to become AQHA World and Reserve World Champions in numerous events.

About Our Training Methods....

At UWRF I was taught the philosophies of Ray Hunt, one of the true legends of horsemanship. Just a few of his philosophies which I utilize in my training practices are as follows:

If you are going to teach a horse something and have a good relationship, you don't make him learn it - you let him learn it
Make the wrong things difficult and the right things easy
Notice the smallest change and the slightest try and reward him
Let your idea become the horses idea
Adjust to fit the situation
and most importantly of all, THINK

In my opinion the first thirty to sixty days of riding a youngster can be the most rewarding. It is in those first rides that the horses pattern of learning is set. They also seem to learn so much very quickly during those first days. That is why it is so important to put a good solid foundation on a horse. A young horse will learn a wrong thing just as easily as a right thing and almost always learned wrong behavior will be much harder to fix than teaching them the right thing in the first place. This is why its very important for riders who have never trained a horse before to ask the help of a professional. If you have a good foundation put on your horse you will be able to continue much easier

I will not push a young horse just to get a win, not every horse is going to make a two year old futurity horse but if you train them at a rate they are comfortable learning you will end up with a much better horse years down the road. My goal is for all my training horses to be happy doing their job, if they are not happy then perhaps we are asking them to do the wrong job. I am always honest with my clients and I will let them know if I feel their horse is not suitable for what they are expecting. Sometimes they don't like to hear that but honesty is the best policy!