Horses
Humans
Energy
I don’t remember learning to ride. My first riding memory is a walk-trot class on my welsh pony, Stratford. I’ve worked with horses for over 50 years, from trail riding with my best friend to all that my wonderful, local pony club had to offer. I learned the old school way - ask, tell, demand. There was a lot of “make them do what you want, be in control”, without a lot of clarity on how to get a 1,200 pound animal to do what you wanted. I am eager to share a better way to work with horses.
Me and Stratford, Pony Club camp. The challenge - no stirrups, drop the reins and close your eyes 3 strides before the fence.
Pony club offered a huge variety of opportunities, from fox hunting to games day to drill team to vaulting to dressage and combined training, my personal favorite. I rode multiple horses in these years, including an off-track thoroughbred and a green, six year-old backyard bred appy/TB cross who I trained for eventing, Archie.
I sold Archie after my first year at college. After graduating I put my biology degree to work…mucking stalls and doing artificial insemination for Standardbred racehorses at Hempt Farms in Owego, NY. I learned a whole new set of skills, from exercising the stallions on the track to collecting semen and inseminating mares.
A masters degree in science teaching and poorly paid non-profit work kept me from horses until the 1990’s when I purchased a quarter horse mare and then an Arabian gelding who lived alone and was sad and lonely and had managed to scare his mom. Mookie was a great trail horse and we roamed the 16,000 acre Natchaug forest in CT for many years.
I moved to VT in 2003 and in 2007 I found a new home for Mookie with a young girl as finances and time both got tight.
In 2016, I met the incomparable Melissa Ellis, and became mom to Hannah, a green five year-old who came off the truck heading to auction. Melissa found Harmony Horsemanship and I happily followed her lead. Since then I have had the opportunity to attend clinics with equally amazing clinicians like Charlotte Canon and Chris Lombard. With my very fortunate retired life that takes me to Southern California from December through April, I found a new home for Hannah with the amazing Charlotte. I still work with Melissa’s wonderful Morgans, attend clinics and am taking clients for one-on-one coaching sessions.