From the Begining
From the time that I had my first horse at about 11 years old I have enjoyed working with horses. I have learned many horsemanship techniques by studying natural horsemanship professionals, working with trainers and friends who have horses, and most of all simply spending time riding and training and showing different horses. I still have a lifetime more to learn. With the experience I have I consider myself able to start horses and give them a solid foundation, as well as getting horses very soft and responsive in the bridle. Many of the horses I have worked with have been Missouri Fox Trotting Horses and Tennessee Walking Horses so I am uniquely aware of differing gaits and how to help a horse achieve its individual style.
Training Theory
From the time that I was a little boy till now I have learned and am still learning the art of patience and quiet around animals. As a little boy I used to tame wild cats and feed and photograph birds, later on I learned to handle and gentle cattle. Those things took a lot of quiet patience and gentleness. When I got my first horse I was introduced to a whole new set of skills and practices needed to train and ride a horse. The basic principals still apply but I had to learn to be firm, authoritative, and I had to learn how to discipline. Once I began working with horses I quickly learned the greater importance of exercising quiet patience. I do not at all claim to be a master at exercising quiet patience, but I do attempt each day to learn better how to properly balance all of these skills. My favorite aspect of horse training is starting young horses because it requires an extra amount of quiet patience and gentleness. I could go on and on about training horses, but this is the foundation on which I built and am building my method.
