When I was 3 years old, my father taught my sister and me how to ride. We had 2 ponies that had never been ridden before. My parents led us around bareback for a while until we got the hang of things. We and the ponies grew up together and trained each other. At ages 5 and 6 my sister and I would saddle up in the early mornings while my parents were still asleep and spend hours galloping around the Virginia countryside.
I had some wonderful horse and human teachers as a kid, riding the meadows and forests of Virginia and Massachusetts and competing in gymkhanas, dressage, and eventing. I did some hunter/jumper shows, too, and learned a lot in Pony Club and 4H. I was fortunate to study with Kathy Connelly for several years. She represented the U.S. in dressage at the World Cup, and she’s an internationally-renowned dressage trainer and FEI judge. She taught me about precision, excellence, and competition, while always remembering to have fun and to put the welfare of the horse first.
I’ve never sent a horse to a trainer; I’ve always trained them myself, often with the help of other teachers. I believe in a growth mindset and continual learning. The so-called “natural” way of working with horses has been practiced by people in different disciplines for centuries, from classical dressage to vaquero ranch riding. It’s more an attitude than a rigid system, and it’s about thinking like a horse, mastering our energy, being gentle yet clear, putting the connection with the horse first, being very patient, and letting laughter be our guide.
Photo Credit: Kathy Meidell
I have a Masters degree in Fine Arts and spent 30 years as a community-based artist creating large, public, mosaic artworks made of handmade tiles, as well as showing my artwork nationally and internationally. Being an artist has given me valuable skills that inform the way I work with riders and horses – skills in the areas of collaboration, research, listening, teaching, mentoring, leadership, consensus-building, respect, dreaming the future into being, and learning from everyone I work with. If you’re curious about my art work, you can visit lotustileworks.com or almatile.org.
I see every client and every horse as a teacher as well as a student. If this way of learning appeals to you, then I’d love to work with you and learn from you.