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Training ~ The Early Years: Started riding at age 2 on the family ponies, Butch Smokey and Socksy. Started training at age 7 with a 2 yr old Appaloosa filly Dad bought. Her and I showed English, including Jumping, Western and Gaming with 4-H, every year going to State during my intermediate and senior years. We also showed Open including "B" system shows. We did parades, drill team, trail rode and even had my Senior picture taken with her. We still have a standing record at State in Gaming. At age 12 I started working the off the track Thoroughbreds and training them for either At ages 14-18 I was also hired to do Driving with Draft horses as a Junior Exhibitor at the Draft Horse Extravaganza in Monroe, WA and at the NW WA Fair in Lynden, WA.
As an Adult:
I was continuing to claim race horses off the track in Cloverdale and retrain them as Hunters or Jumpers and sell them to big stables up in Canada and often they would go on to win for their new owners. One such horse was French Fox whom I claimed for $2000, sold for $17,000 and he went on to become Canadian National Champion in Jumper.
I was also taking in problem Show horses, both English & Western and would find and fix the problems and then be hired to show them on the Circuit for the owners. There were times that I had show strings of up to 6 horses often a mix of Hunter/Jumpers and Western horses.
I took an interest in Reining back in 4-H before it was called Reining, when it was just pattern work and called Western Riding. While I have been training for Reining only since 2003, I was already instinctively putting a lot of bend into my horses, believing that if your horse could bend, you could do anything with them. It was something that came from the experiences with the track horses that literally had NO bend to the right and I worked hard to make them equal in their flexibility. I start all my training horses with the basics of this.
I believe that Dressage and Reining are basically the same thing. Both are disciplines that require total collection and drive from behind, with the difference being that in Dressage you drive from behind and push the horse up into the bit and with Reining you drive from behind and bringing them up under themselves and they have a more natural headset and thus have to balance themselves. Both are acheived with a lot of bending, circles, lateral movements and placing the horses feet from their back. I give Dressage lessons up thru Level II.
I have been employed at various different stables over the years as the on site trainer but am currently in my own facility.
Lessons:
At age 14 I started giving beginning lessons to the younger kids just coming into our 4-H club, Western Wranglers. I found that I had a way of articulating things from the horse's perspective that was clear and easy for the kids to understand and this made it easier for them to learn.
I have given lesson to children as young as 3 and to adults as old as 72, who was a "re-ginner". A re-ginner is an adult who had previous riding experience as a youngster but had been away from it for so long it is like re-beginning.
I have given and offer lessons in the following disciplines:
Judging:
I have been judging since 1989 and realized that I have had a great knack for being objective and despite often having students in classes, I have never be accused of being partial. I am able to judge each class like it's the first without using a horse or rider's previous class performance against them.
In 2005 I enrolled in the Washington State Horsemen Judges Learners Program. It is a program that requires participation in judging conventions and documented experience as part of the certification.
Each year I receive the breed Rule Books from each Breed Association as well as USEF (the "Bible" of show judges) and I study these, paying particular attention to any changes made so that I am judging each class, horse and rider based on current standards and not outdated trends.
I am in high demand as a judge because I run classes in ways that can challenge the more advanced riders and horses and I am knowledgable about discipline and breed specifics. I judge each horse or rider on their own merits and put safety of all involved first.
I am available for judging your shows. Contact me well in advance to get on my schedule.
2008/2009 Shows I am currently slated to Judge:
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Credentials:
Tel: 360-318-0838 or 360-223-3080 Contact Us
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