A life with horses, and a tradition worth keeping.

Through my studies I have met many well-known instructors in the US and Europe, exploring the subtle differences in breeds, dressage philosophy and training approach. As a student, I wanted explanations to the instruction I received, in order to truly understand what approach was correct and most cohesive with each individual horse and his nature. My desire to learn about the methodology of training is what has kept me in the search for teachers that could expand my experience.

This tradition of German classical riding, as taught in the cavalry and the halls of famed riding masters, is what captured my interest. In recognizing the concise and clear nuances of communication that were to be learned through traditional training principles, I made a decision to fully immerse myself in its practice.

Melissa, a long-time trusted pupil of Herr Egon von Neindorff, was able to reshape my awareness and approach to horse training. Her guidance brought an emphasis to the importance of all riders having correct equitation. This is to be learned in lunge line lessons for many hours of one's life and countless hours of riding without stirrups. In this time I was lucky enough to acquire a position assisting Melissa in her training business. As a young rider in my twenties with enough experience and ability, I proved to be useful. I also kept full-time training with two of my horses for the next four years while she resided in California.

With constant strengthening and reinforcement of my equitation, I was immersed in the daily training process of a multitude of horses besides my own. We trained up to ten or more horses per day with a variety of challenges, circumstances and levels.