Many horse people I work with ask “where did you learn this, or who did you study under?” I am always confused by this statement and usually sound awkward when I respond. I don’t know how to answer because I have taken information from dozens of horseman who took the time to teach me directly or through clinics, DVDs or written articles.

I am the kind of person that learns from almost anyone and fully trusts in almost no one. I learn what they teach go out and try it on the horses that happen to be in my life at the time. If they improve and therefore approve I keep using it until I find a better way. With horses, as with any aspect of life, it’s not so much what you do, but who you are. It’s more about who you show up as when you arrive at the barn. Your horses deserve the most benevolent of leaders. Once you step into those boots, everything else comes much more naturally.

For the vast majority of us horses are no longer about just getting a job done. Horses are about aesthetics and recreation. Aesthetics is all about beauty. I drawn to horses for their beauty, strength and grace. I seek to move and interact with them simply because it is beautiful. I choose horses for recreation because I am re-created after every encounter.