I want to introduce you to a few of my long-time learners who have graduated from student to teacher. I was thinking about how many years had I been a professional horse person and the people I have worked with. Then I started to think of the people whom I met when they were pretty novice at working with horses in the way I teach and how they have evolved into incredible professional horse people.
There are many more people I know who have become amazing horse people over the years, but today I want to mention the ones who are now proudly making a living out of their talent.
Let me say, that each of them is brilliantly talented and has a lot to contribute to the horse industry. Add to that that they are all very special people with the interests of the horse and owners at the pinnacle of priorities. They are good people, not just good horse people, and I’m proud they are my friends.
It needs to be clear that they have achieved their professionalism and expertise through their own hard work and obsession. I take no credit. Without my influence, they would have figured it out just fine because their passion is so great. They have achieved what they have achieved because of them, not me or any other professional. I thoroughly recommend all of them.
Lastly, I am not ashamed to admit that once in a while my ego gets a little boost when one of them contacts me to ask about a tricky problem they are having with a horse. It’s nice to know they don’t know everything yet and they believe the ‘ol man still has something to offer them.
_________________
Let Me Introduce You To (in alphabetical order) …..
AIMEE HARMAN - Pakenham, Victoria, Australia
https://www.facebook.com/aimeeharmanhorsemanship
I first met Aimee when she was about 11 years old and she had a pony that needed some help. More than 20 years later Aimee is making a name for herself as a horsemanship instructor, trainer, and classical dressage coach. She lives in Victoria, Australia, and takes horses in for work as well as travels to teach.
Aimee’s passion for her work is obvious and only equaled by her passion to learn more. As well as being a long-time student of mine, Aimee has been a student of Manolo Mendez for many years and worked for him as a working pupil.
Aimee is a lovely rider with a brilliant talent for teaching the unteachable aspects of horsemanship. She is smart, intuitive, and has a lovely feel around horses and people
________________
ELLEN KEALEY - Northfield, MN, USA
https://www.facebook.com/ekhorsemanship/
The first time I met Ellen she was 20 years old. She was still in college and just starting her part-time business as a horse trainer and teacher. Sara Etter was hosting a clinic for me in Iowa and she told me to watch out for this girl named Ellen Kealey who was coming to watch.
My first memory of Ellen was that I couldn’t get more than two sentences out before she had a question. And another question. Then another question. And another. Who was this woman?
On the last day of the clinic, one of the participants asked Ellen if she would ride her horse. I watched with a smile on my face. Ellen had the nicest touch on a horse I had seen in a long time. We instantly became friends and I have been mentoring her for the past 9 years.
As a horse person, Ellen’s strength is her passion for helping troubled horses. Ellen has ‘feel’ in abundance and working with her is a joy. Ellen’s business is a mix of training and lessons and she is in constant demand for both. Ellen hosts clinics for me twice a year and I always make sure we have some non-clinics days to work together. She has reached the stage where she keeps me on my toes and makes me think. I am very excited for her future as a professional horse trainer.
__________________
LAURA DICKERSON - Colfax, CA, USA
https://www.facebook.com/laura.dickerson.100483
Laura lives in northern California, USA. I was introduced to Laura when she was a student of Shea Stewart. We got to know each other when Shea hosted clinics for Michèle and me. And later we spent time together in Arizona at Harry Whitney’s. Laura came from the hunter/jumper world and latched onto the horsemanship principles like a dog with a bone. When I substituted training horses for teaching horsemanship clinics full-time, Laura was one of the first to put her hand up and offered to host me in Colfax. That was 10 years ago.
Laura has evolved from being a brilliant student to a brilliant teacher. Each time I teach a clinic in Colfax, I see the remarkable improvements in the students due to Laura’s diligence. Her talent as a teacher is evident in the enthusiasm of her students. Laura has an excellent eye for detecting the changes in a horse’s thoughts and feelings and then explaining them to her students. Her energy never seems to run low because her enthusiasm to make things better for both horses and their owners has no limits. More recently, Laura is teach a few clinics. I urge folks in northern California to familiarise yourself with her work. She is smart, talented and a wonderful teacher and very approachable.
________________
LORENA RUSSELL - Harcourt North, Victoria, Australia
https://www.facebook.com/LorenaRussellHorsemanshipSupportandCoaching/
Lorena might be the person on this list I’ve worked with the longest. It started with me training some of her horses and then evolved into Lorena attending clinics. In more recent years Lorena has become an avid host of clinics for me. Lorena’s business is mainly horsemanship lessons, but she has expanded to begin teaching clinics.
Lorena has a very astute sense of what a horse is feeling and her mind is always busy looking for better ways of assisting a horse. Perhaps what most impresses me most about Lorena is her outstanding ability to teach. Students love her and I see their progress with every visit I make. Lorena is a very supportive instructor which gives students the courage to push the boundaries. She also has an excellent knowledge of the intricacies of riding and how to improve position and feel. She never fails to impress me with her insights and ability to explain them.
__________________
SHELLEY FORCEVILLE - Canberra, ACT Australia
https://www.facebook.com/shellyforceville
Shelley resides in Canberra, Australia. I met Shelley approximately 9 or 10 years ago and she has attended at least two clinics a year since. Shelley is one of those horse people who always has a question at the ready because of her inquisitive mind. I think every good horse person needs an inquisitive mind like Shelley.
For several years she worked as a barefoot trimmer. However, in more recent times, Shelley has taken her passion for riding and horsemanship to a professional level where she now teaches students an understanding of how horses operate both emotionally and mechanically. She is furthering her understanding of classical dressage and biomechanics with the help of Belinda Bolsenbroek. It is wonderful to see her incorporate her knowledge and skill of horsemanship into the field of classical dressage.
