Catherine and Mark
“I met Dave back in 2015 when I signed up for one of his group clinics. I grew up showing a western pleasure horse that was already trained and had learned how to ride but not how to train a horse. My goal was to eventually buy a horse of my own and try to train it. In Dave’s clinic we did an exercise where we all round penned the same horse and watched this horse react differently to each person. This was fascinating to me because I realized that it was the persons energy (too much or not enough) that was making the difference in the horse. Dave showed me how he trained his horses using natural horsemanship and gain their trust and respect. He also did this with a soft touch and only used the amount of pressure that was necessary for the desired outcome. I learned the importance of becoming a leader for the horse and the bond that could be built with the horse. I had never done ground work when I was riding western pleasure and never understood things from the horse’s perspective. Dave has a gift for matching horses with people and he lead me to my first horse Mickey. I have enjoyed the journey of training this horse and bonding with him.
Fast forward to 2019 and I now have 2 Haflingers that I purchased from Dave and they are just the coolest and goofiest horses ever! I have learned so much from them and have become a better person for it. It is a dream come true to be able to go trail riding with my husband. I am so grateful to have met Dave, it has changed how I understand and communicate with horses. If you are looking to buy your first horse or just understand them more Dave is truly one of a kind!”
~Catherine
