“Whatever you do, work at it with all you hearts, as working for the Lord, not for men.”
Colossians 3:23
We specialize in developing softness, communication and willing attitude in performance horses.
100% success rate
Young horses correctly started
Training Program geared to bring your horse to full competitive potential with a willing attitude
Helping you and your horses become a winning team
Specializing in warmbloods Dressage, Eventing and Jumping
David's philosophy and approach to training applies to any discipline of riding and any breed of horse. His focus is in softness and communication through the reins. With this type of foundation, any horse can excel in their discipline. The key to Dave's training is to develop a willing attitude in the horse and open a line of communication so horse and rider can work as a team.
So often behavior problems in a horse stem from miscommunication between rider and horse. The problem can manifest itself in many different ways and the horse usually gets blamed for the issue. If the rider has a better understanding of the way David communicates through his training techniques, there becomes a unity and partnership that creates a winning pair.
All horses are started in the round pen. David's training works on a cue based system. For every maneuver there is a specific cue. Cues (not voice commands!) are what David uses to communicate to the horse. If you don't have a clear cue for each request, the horse will not understand what is expected. These cues are gradually developed in steps.
The key to training is to develop a willing attitude in the horse and open a line of communication so horse and rider can work as a team.
There is a cue for the trot. There is a cue for the speed of the trot. If you are not clear in your communication with your horse as to when you want the trot or a canter, or how fast or how slow, then you will not have a relaxed willing partner. David's theory is so clear to the horses on the ground in the round pen that when it is time to mount and ride, the same cues apply and the horses are ready to learn and move on.
Some horses take longer than others, especially theses that have already had negative reinforcements. Owners need to commit to these needy cases and learn the basic theory of communication by watching David work with their horses. After the horse is trained, one of David's most important jobs is to educate the rider on how to communicate with their new partner.
Horses are accepted into the program in 30 day increments. While your horse is in training, you are welcome to visit during training sessions. David enjoys breaking young horses that have never been touched. He also specializes in horses with problems. These horses are quite often labeled "spooky, nasty, buckers, biter,” and so on. Through the methodical steps that are built in on a day by day process, all of these "bad attitudes" disappear and all horses are cured.
Every horse is treated as an individual. They are not separated out by breed or how badly they bucked off their last rider. David starts each one with an open mind and begins teaching each horse the basic cues that build the foundation to develop into a brilliant animal. They are all trainable, from weanlings to the aged with mileage.
When you watch David work with these equines, you can see the expression in their eyes actually soften and they love to work for him. The horses wait for their cues with eagerness and the way they stay relaxed and steady is like watching an artist painting a picture. Horses are thinking animals, and it is how they are thinking that makes a difference in their performance. If their thoughts are on the rider or their job, and not on the spooky plastic bag that just flew past on a windy day, you now have an animal that is going to give you his heart. David has a 100% success rate in this training. References are available upon request.
Doesn’t your young horse or problem horse deserve a better way?
