Having always loved horses, my earliest memories are of pretending I was riding. I didn't grow up on a farm or ranch, so I had to just imagine what it would be like to have a horse and ride. Between the ages of 12 and 17, I was able to own three different horses when we moved to some acreage on the edge of town. I had no formal training and just learned a little from my friends. We tore all over the countryside having a great time and doing many dangerous things with our horses.
In my 30's my husband and I moved our family to 35 acres in Black Forest, which is just north of Colorado Springs, Co. For the next 15 years I enjoyed horses as a hobby and worked hard to learn the techniques of the most progressive trainers in the industry. I was always impressed with the Lyons method. It treats the horse as a partner, and the top priority is safety for both you and your horse.
In November of 2007 I graduated from the John and Josh Lyons Certification Program. John and Josh are excellent teachers and their method of conditioned response works with all breeds and personalities of horses. I have woven the best ideas from all the trainers I have studied into my training technique and I stay current on new trends and techniques, but the Lyons method is always the foundation for everything I do.
photo courtesy of Charles Hilton