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I have been so lucky in my life to receive such a vast and encompassing education from riding Dressage in Germany, Show Jumpers in England and Iran, and Dressage / Eventing in the United States. I have had wonderful trainers (both human and equine) and not-so-wonderful trainers. I owe all of them for the knowledge that they imparted to me.
My first lessons on horseback were courtesy of a very small pony, named Cookie, at Tatersalls Stables in England. I was 4 years old and Cookie was 30 or 40 or so, depending on who you spoke with. To me, she was perfect. We moved to Germany when I was 8 years old and my real training in the saddle started there, with many hours spent on the lunge line.
I began my teaching and training career at age of 11 when I hired myself out to exercise all the "wild ones" in the stable. Six years later, I was still alive (by some miracle) and working for the Shah in Iran as an instructor at one of his stables there.
In 1976, at the grand age of 17, I took a three month hiatus from Iran for the summer and parked myself at Windmill Hill Riding Academy in England. It was there that I took the first of my teaching exams.
As the years have gone by, I've occasionally felt the need to add more initials after my name and therefore tacked on credentials from the US Pony Club and the United States Dressage Federation. I do believe in education and I do advocate having a standard testing procedure for anyone that wishes to take on the responsibility of the brain and body development of people and / or animals. My own "pieces of paper" as a recognized Instructor are as follows from the National / International organizations listed below:
- 1976 British Horse Society
- 1988 US Pony Club
- 1995 United States Dressage Federation
In 1978, after a happy employment at Blackacre Stables in Austin, Texas, I opened my own teaching and training facility nearby. Although I moved this facility one time (to come closer to Austin), it was in operation for 23 years (until 2001) when I decided to move into straight freelance training. I remain a freelance trainer to this day, working primarily out of Pony Palooza in Leander, Texas. I welcome all ages and levels of riders (competition driven or not) who understand that riding is a sport. I encourage interested persons to visit the barn to watch any of our lessons. Please feel free to call or email to schedule a visit.
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