# Shout outs to the good trainers out there



## LittleBayMare (Jun 2, 2014)

There seems to be so many threads lately of horror stories of trainers gone wrong etc. I thought it would be nice to have a thread where we could collect some trainer success stories to show that there really are some good trainers left out there. 

I actually have two. 

The trainer for my college western show team is fabulous. Our team is going to be entering our second full season this coming school year. She has been with us from the beginning through all of the ups and downs of starting a team like this. Outside of IHSA she does a lot of AQHA and App shows at all levels, even up to the world level. She is very competitive, but she also understands if some of the other riders only want to be on the team for fun and enjoyment of learning something new and being around horses, but not actually for the showing part. She pushes those of us on the show team really hard while still keeping it enjoyable, but the members on the "fun team" she lets take things at their own pace. 

Then there is my new trainer that I am going to at home over the summer with my mare. She is actually a dressage trainer, but she lets me ride in western tack and she understands that my goals with my mare are in the western disciplines, so she adjusts a few things, mainly the amount of contact I use, to fit those goals. Both my mare and I have blossomed under her guidance and I will really miss our lessons when I go back to school at the end of august. 

Anyone else have any positive trainer experiences they would like to share?

:cowboy:


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## kewpalace (Jul 17, 2013)

My "regular" trainer, Matt Sheridan, is fantastic. Good with people and excellent with horses. He always seeks to find the softest/kindest way to accomplish the goal with the horse, but will not hesitate to get stern if need be, but I have never seen him lose his patience with a horse (I've been riding with him for 14 years). He also constantly seeks to increase his knowledge and is open to hearing new or different ways to do things. He took me from someone who knew nothing to starting to compete in reined cowhorse on a non-conventional horse (my half arab mare).

My cowhorse trainer, Christina Allen, is the very similar. In a discipline where it is not hard to overdo the discipline/training, she, like Matt, seeks to accomplish the goals with the softest/kindest way possible for both horse/rider. She is blunt & to the point as to rider criticism - which I really appreciate since without that, it is easy to find an excuse for why the horse is doing what it is doing (yea, most times it rider error or failure of the rider to recognize what is happening :lol. Again, tough when need be but only up to a point. She has improved my riding and given me confidence to start racking up respectable scores on my greenie QH mare (who is not so green now!).


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## jaydee (May 10, 2012)

I'm not naming names but we met the trainer at the barn we're going to use for jumping/indoor school facilities and it was like a breath of fresh air - she's older generation and immediately we were talking the same language. She said
"I can see we're going to get on really well'
My feelings were exactly the same!!!


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## BreezylBeezyl (Mar 25, 2014)

Can we include riding instructors as well? I am going to mention names because, well, I *want* people to know about these trainers. They are professionals after all.

I'm in Alberta, Canada and Lisa Harrison is amazing. I think she specializes in Western as she is a Paint breeder, but she has an English background too. Her ideal is to make sure all of her beginning students get a taste of everything. She takes us to Gymkhanas even if we've never done one before, just for the experience. If you want to jump, she will let you jump. If you want to to switch between English and Western at the drop of a hat, she will accommodate you without a fuss. This was so big for me when I was in my "I don't know what I want to do" phase. Unlike other instructors who wanted me to get serious right away, she gave me an entire year *to do whatever I wanted* with my horse. And I don't regret a single moment of that. It gave me so much confidence and it gave me the solid basics of different disciplines. I got to go to open/fun shows just to get some experience. She really helped me ease into everything, with no added pressure from her. 

I think she keeps her horses sane by the amount of trails she does. She is an ATRA leader and is always inviting people out on rides with her and her husband. She sets up several over-night mountain trips each summer.

You will always get honesty and support from Lisa. She is a certified coach but is more laid back and less competitive than some; this is NOT a bad thing, people. She has a huge client list because of this very trait.

I will actually be leaving her barn in September to pursue Saddleseat with my National Show Horse. It's how I got into riding and it's where I would like to go with my riding career. Unfortunately Lisa does not teach this discipline so am off to ride under Sandra Fenstad-Sanche. I've heard so many great things about her... In a few months, I'll be able to determine whether or not she belongs on this list, too.


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## LittleBayMare (Jun 2, 2014)

Shout outs for riding instructors are more than welcome too! My IHSA "trainer" is more of a RI since we're riding her horses. My dressage trainer actually fills both roles. It's great to hear some good experiences for a change. I think too many times we get too focused on the bad apples in this part of the forum. I think it's good to highlight those that are actually representing the equine industry in a positive light from time to time. Keep those stories coming!


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## Incitatus32 (Jan 5, 2013)

Got a couple then again I love to gush about my trainer! 

1) Had a horse in for saddleseat training and he absolutely hated it. So my trainer spent the next four months convincing his owner that the horse needed to be in hunter/jumper training and he was much happier. Meant that he was going to a different barn but the horse (and owner) were much happier. 

2) My trainer has literally sat with me all night when a horse is sick and when I've done something good or something's went wrong we go out for a beer. When I lost my mare, my trainer went over, put a halter on a stud colt she had and handed him over to me and said: "Training's free, boards free, horse's free as long as you give him a good home." My trainer turned down about $8k for this colt if not more consistently. 

3) Whenever I mess up we laugh about it. From not hooking a horse in properly to not understanding how to do something we're never too serious!


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## boots (Jan 16, 2012)

I have a friend who finishes any rope horse for me. I'll get them going, and the horse and I could get the job done, but this guy just takes them a lot further than I could. 

I hate, hate messing with foals. Really hate it. I have picked up a couple mare/foal pairs over the years and the foals always go to a woman named Cindy. She is just superb with them. Does a bit with halter breaking and general handling, then I turn them out for another year. Then Cindy gets them again and gets them behaving wonderfully well. Then they go back out until they can be started.


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## BlueSpark (Feb 22, 2012)

I'll pitch in, my riding instructor that I've taken a few hunter lessons off of has been awesome. I've learned so much. Strict but reasonable and willing to listen when you have questions about what your doing.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## greenhaven (Jun 7, 2014)

I will gladly add to this!

I have only recently met Dave and Brenda McCartney in Cassopolis, Michigan, but he is an outstanding horseman and she is equally awesome a person. I have had conversations and a meet and greet with them, and had my horse in for a lesson prior to getting put on the list for training. It was positively invigorating!

So it is too early for stories per se, but I am very much looking forward to a good working relationship with them.


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## mslady254 (May 21, 2013)

I've got a list of awesome instructors !
Carol Coppinger-Mt. Juliet Tn
Robin Harris-North Alabama
Tiffany Rowe-Kentucky
John Baar-Kentucky
Kathy Baar-Kentucky

All of these are Parelli Professionals and will travel to you! Except for Carol, she is so booked up that you have to get into one of her prescheduled clinics. All of them are excellent, I can't say enough good things about them to cover it. Reading horses-confident Vs unconfident--so knowing and teaching the correct action in the moment,, motivating student and/or horse, rope handling and technical skills, can and do start you toward bridleless riding, liberty handling skills (Carol has 30 horses and students LOOSE in a huge arena and there is no chaos...an occasional hiccup that is quickly resolved..it is A M A Z I N G and one reason I have attended as many of her Camps as I can afford,,such a great experience for me and for Sonny.

My non-Parelli, but still 'Natural Horsemanship' instructor is Josh Guinn in Nolensville, Tn. ...he is fabulous---reads me and knows just exactly how much push I need or how much I can't handle. Gets me out of my comfort zone *just enough* to learn without shutting down or blowing up. Has helped me with riding and ground skills with Sonny and is very positive and encouraging. I often give his name to people looking for a trainer/instructor. I believe he also will take horses for training.

I so appreciate good instructors!

Fay


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## blue eyed pony (Jun 20, 2011)

Incitatus32 said:


> When I lost my mare, my trainer went over, put a halter on a stud colt she had and handed him over to me and said: "Training's free, boards free, horse's free as long as you give him a good home." My trainer turned down about $8k for this colt if not more consistently.


Talk about generous. What a beautiful gesture! :loveshower:


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## starfast (Aug 30, 2014)

I've been riding with the same trainer for I think around seven years and she's the best! She used to ride in Grand Prix events, so she has lots of experience. She's been really helpful these past few years. She never gets mad at me, even when I make the same mistakes over and over again. I'm not even too sure where to begin in terms of stories. There's a lot, but I'll share a few.

1. Today I fell off my horse at a show. Nothing too serious, but we still had two more classes and I wasn't sure if I still wanted to do them. It was pouring rain, I was upset, sore, and not really feeling like I could do two more events. I talked to my trainer about it and she was super understanding. After getting a few jumps in the warm up ring, I decided I would still do our last two classes but my trainer still gave me the option of not doing them since she knew I was still a bit nervous. 

2. I bought my first horse, Halo, from my trainer. At first I didn't really like her, but then my trainer switched my lease to Halo because she was closer to what I was looking at (I wanted something under 10 years old, my lease horse was a 20 year old Grand Prix veteran so this made a lot of sense). After leasing her for a few weeks, I decided that I really liked her but she was waaaay out of our price range. Our trainer gave us a huge discount on her since we would be keeping her at her barn. 

3. I actually tried two of my trainer's horses that she was selling. While I was riding them, my trainer said to my parents that she thought I would like Halo better than the other horse. Well, she wasn't wrong. My trainer has set me up with some really great lease horses in the past so she really knows what I like in a horse. 

I think I'll just leave it at that for now. I don't want this post to be super long.


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## Tihannah (Apr 7, 2015)

Awesome posiitve thread!

My current trainer, Olivia, is the best!I always leave our lessons feeling like I've reached another accomplishment. She just has this amazing ability to see your issues and talk you through them while in the saddle. Being so green, I like to ask TONS of questions and she's great about trying to explain things so that you understand.

My second fav is HER trainer, Vicky. She is just as sweet as can be, and even though she works with some very high level riders, she never makes you feel like you have any less potential. I've learned SOOO much from these two in the past few months and feel like I am ages beyond where I was when I left my other barn back in May!


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