About Me
To get to know me is to find a person that I often say is not a “one trick pony” and what is meant by that is that I did not take up dressage to make it my living, or to have it as a hobby to dabble, but as a driving passion that seemed to sweep me away as I started to explore its depths. I think that is what sets me apart from any other instructor/coach/teacher/trainer that I have encountered: I did this FOR ME and to become my personal best as a human being through the medium of the horse and the passion of dressage with my horse. My motive to learn the sport/art was not one of business but as personal enrichment and therefore, the agenda I had was not one of ego but of mental, physical and spiritual growth. This path/journey is the one I bring to each lesson as well as drawing from the other myriad aspects of my life’s long learning: music, singing, performing, writing, spiritual development, philosophy and psychology.
I have studied the sport /art of dressage for over 40 years and am an FEI level rider. I finished competing at Prix St George level but went on to train to Grand Prix. I did not have the financial security to abandon my life’s survival needs to pursue dressage solely but that did not stop me from wanting to ride to Grand Prix if that indeed were possible. With this goal in mind, I had to maximize my time, my finances and my priority to educate myself. I did not have the resources to seek medals or accolades because in doing so, I would have used the time and money I needed for education. Therefore, I trained in my backyard as I would be going to any recognized competition with one of the best trainers in our country. I worked tirelessly to learn not just dressage but horsemanship to be able to have that cooperation of oneness with the horse and to learn to understand ‘horse’ in order to approach training from not only a person’s needs but the horse’s as well. These aspects of my commitment to a partnership with the horse have also led me to be a rather uncanny match maker of student and horse!
My trainer, mentor and coach for the past 27 years with whom I have worked when available, Susan J. Williams, is a biomechanical wizard and instilled in me the necessity of training ANY horse for its well-being in body and mind to have it blossom to the best of its ability no matter its confirmation while developing confidence and creating a bond. I have trained many horses past what their bodies may have told us they could do. Horses are remarkable animals in the right guidance and explanation. In other words, I never let dressage get in the way of me training it. I sought horsemanship (much of which is drawn from TRT Method) first as the priority and then through biomechanical incremental training have brought many a horse and rider team to their best no matter the breed, budget or time frame the student could offer. I meet students where they are at, find their strengths to develop the weaker places of understanding, offer respect and support for this very difficult art to be learned. Only on the other side of FEI did I understand how difficult indeed this process can be which in turn has allowed me the compassion to the process.
I did all this holding a full-time job, home, husband and life of many other dimensions. I have always been a great student which I believe has made me a fine instructor and coach. I love words and am particular as to their usage and meaning. I see myself as ‘the people’s’ dressage trainer knowing that we that pursue this above our life’s demands, are indeed driven and ambitious people. We are hard enough on ourselves so what is needed from a coach is support in the process.
If you choose to have me as part of your village that it takes to ride this sport/art to its finest aspects, you can expect a trainer that is fully invested in you as a person, in your horse as your partner and hopefully family member, and in hearing your dreams to help you make them real. I am rather a unicorn of instructors and am proud of that. I will help you and your horse attain self-carriage and throughness with dressage and the beauty of life itself.