Training Techniques & Philosophy
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Bobbie (at 6-7yrs) on Dusty, Welsh Pony Gelding
Bobbie with Casper, Arab/Appy Gelding (SPCA Rescue)
Bobbie with Sampson (BS Paint) just minutes old
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Personal History with Horses
I (Bobbie) have been riding and playing with horses since I was a toddler. I got my very own pony at the age of 5 years old, and it's been a pleasure and joy understanding and playing with these beautiful creatures every since! I’ve always been absolutely and emphatically driven and addicted to horses. I spent over 15 years learning from many different trainers many different methods of training or controlling the horse, everything from Halter, Showmanship, Hunter Jumper, Saddleseat, Western Pleasure, Reining, and Dressage. I regret to say that sometimes during this timeframe, showing and winning became more important than the relationship and partnership with the animal. Peer pressure and lack of understanding the horse in his natural state didn't make it any easier. These methods and techniques are NOT the same methods that I use today because they were harsh and forceful, and created a broken spirit and lack of curiosity or enthusiasm. I realized that I wanted more out of the relationship with my horse, and that I would need to start giving more to get more. Some of the remarkable “natural horsemanship” trainers who have influenced me in one way or another would be Pat Parelli, Clinton Anderson, Monty Roberts, and John Lyons. When I was young, I spent 1,000s of hours just watching horses interact with each other, watching their body language and playing with them on the ground. Through some motivation and guidance from natural horsemanship trainers, I began to utilize the “natural” horsemanship skills and find ways to relate that with what I’d learned when I was young. If I wanted to communicate with a horse effectively, I would need to communicate with them in a way that they understood, which would be using their natural instincts and body language to work in my favor. I've found that I'm not the only person with this type of history, so I began teaching others and training horses in 2002. I have been privileged to work with many horses of many breeds with many different vices or dangerous behaviors and have effectively worked through them through these natural methods (as you will see through a sampling on my Training page). I have also taught children through adults starting at age 5 and up, and I’m always thrilled to see the bonding and blossoming relationships that they experience with their horses. My goal is to help create more mutually beneficial relationships between horses and their handlers, where humans bring more to the table to form a lasting partnership with their horses. We can start this from the ground up, so that no horse or human ever has to experience anything other than "natural horsemanship". Ultimately, I find that many people see that a genuine, trusting partnership between horse and rider is FAR more rewarding than anything else related to horses. This is the foundation that you build on to do everything else. I believe that there are many, many horses and people out there who can benefit from learning to allow the horse to take the time to make decisions on it's own through a series of pressure and release techniques. I am proud to say that I have followed this philosophy for roughly 10 years now, and have had great success assisting other people in creating great bonds with their horses while developing a confident, trusting, willing partner on both sides of the equation.
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Our Basic Principles & Beliefs
Here are a few of our core beliefs, which stand behind why and how we operate our facility, teach our students and play with our horses.
- Safety first. When playing with horses, learn to observe everything around you, read the horse accurately, and anticipate their reactions to both the environment and you.
- People and horses learn best through confidence, security, dignity, and purpose.
- When horses are learning, they like consistency. When they understand skills, they like to build on them using variety.
- Horses are social herd animals.
- Horses can already perform anything that we ask of them naturally. We are not teaching them anything new. They just don't know how to do it on our cue.
- Employ a sense of humor; NEVER lose your cool or get frustrated with a horse or student. Patience is the key to unlocking the potential within.
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Horses can perform anything we ask of them naturally on their own. Here Andie is performing a collected trot without the help of a halter, bridle, or a rider.
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Bella, Appaloosa Mare (SPCA Rescue Horse)
Horses learn best when they are confident. Here Bella is wearing a "once scary" tarp.
Casper, Arab/Appy Gelding (SPCA Rescue Horse)
Horses learn best when they are confident. Here you can see Casper being confident on a very windy day near balloons, cloth strips, tin pans, and noodles hanging from a frame. Not only are these objects not found regularly in the pasture, but they are also raised up, making them more "scary". If your horse in confident in you, you can make them confident in almost anything else. This was Casper's 7th ride EVER, and he was ridden in a hackmore (no bit).
Buttercup, Quarter Horse & Doodle, Welsh Pony Cross
Horses are herd animals, and one horse always leads. Just as with horses, become the leader, and your horse will follow you. |
What We offer
We cater to the horse community by offering lessons and training for individual horses and students. We primarily teach children through adults that want to improve or learn how to ride and handle horses, and we also work with "problem" horses or horses that need to be started under saddle. Our facility and staff offer the environment, guidance, and support to lead both you and/or your horse into a foundation of a mutually beneficial, safe, and enjoyable relationship. In other words, we offer the foundational building blocks upon which everything else is built.
Whether you are young or old, own a horse or not, or are a seasoned rider or have never ridden before, we offer lessons that ensure a very well-rounded, mutually-beneficial approach to riding and handling horses. Lessons include safety practices, horse care, proper tack, body language, clear communication between horse & rider, training techniques, equitation, fluidity, and finally the goal of continuous self-improvement. All this combined will create a communication channel between horse and rider that clearly travels both ways.
"Problems" that horses have can be attributed either to their natural instincts or a learned behavior. These are typically symptoms of a weak relationship or foundation, which is why these building blocks are so vital. Have you ever heard, "I have the perfect horse, except he has ____ vice." It's very common, and a good foundation will always create a more willing, reliable partner who wants to please.
Not only do we love what we do, but we believe in what we do, so it's extremely important to us that the owner/rider/handler be heavily involved in any horse training that we do, so that they can maintain what we teach going into the future.
Click the links below to learn more about what we offer.
Bella, Appaloosa Mare (SPCA Rescue Horse)
You can understand much from reading a horse's eye
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Bella, Appaloosa Mare (HS/SPCA Rescue Horse) with Gary Adams
A moment of connection and desire to "partner up".
Proud, Appaloosa Gelding (HS/SPCA Rescue Horse)
Teach the horse the "alphabet" before you teach them to read. Here Proud is investigating a saddle pad for the first time.
Casper, Arabian/Appaloosa Gelding (HS/SPCA Rescue Horse) with Bobbie
Casper goes through water on his 7th ride ever. This was his first time going through water under saddle, and he did great. Teaching a horse to be confident in a variety of environments with multiple obstacles teaches them to trust almost unconditionally.
Casper, Arabian/Appaloosa Gelding (HS/SPCA Rescue Horse) with Bobbie
Another fun obstacle on Casper's 7th ride. A springy mattress to walk over. He was very curious and interested, and thought it was great fun to paw at it and watch his foot spring back up.
Casper, Arabian/Appaloosa Gelding (HS/SPCA Rescue Horse) with Bobbie
Another fun obstacle on Casper's 7th ride. Casper walked through tires. This obstacle teaches confidence and sure-footedness when walking through unique or uneven ground.
Bella, Appaloosa Mare (HS/SPCA Rescue Horse)
Bella first becomes confident walking OVER the tarp, then she learns to WEAR and DRAG it, too.
Create a playpen out of your roundpen.
Albert, Spotted Saddle Horse Gelding with Gary Adams
Teach confidence and curiosity on the ground first.
Albert, Spotted Saddle Horse Gelding with Bobbie
Playing with obstacles builds and strengthens the partnership and relationship.
Merle, Tennessee Walking Horse Cross Gelding with Gary Adams
Gary and Merle did a great job of conquering this obstacle and Merle's 5th ride under saddle!
Merle, Tennessee Walking Horse Cross Gelding with Roy, his owner
Roy and Merle conquer the pedestal!
Wrong Way, Miniature Horse Gelding
Wrong Way gathers some courage to get up on the pedestal.
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