Six years ago I had two young horses I had bred who were in different stages of development and temperament; one was two years old, the other four.  The older horse, Bart, was pushy and nippy, a typical “teenager” who needed firmness and knowledge of what worked with horses that age.  I had neither!  The younger one, Tanzeer, was timid and shy and worried about practically everything.  I didn’t know how to proceed to help bring him some confidence.  At this point, serendipity brought Lisa into my life and things began to change.

Lisa at once began to help me set some boundaries for Bart and encourage him to be more cooperative, both when I was riding him and when we were on the ground.  In the past six years, he has gone from being a real handful to a real gentleman and a pleasure to ride and to be around.  His pushy behavior has been modified to an attitude of courage and curiosity in his surroundings.  He has become the ideal trail horse and seems to look forward to his frequent forays into the woods.

Tanzeer has also changed quite a bit.  We worked with him for many months on groundwork and helping him to deal with the scary world around him.  He had never been ridden when I met Lisa, but after most of a year of the groundwork lessons, we eventually worked up to the day when I first swung my leg over his back…..what a thrill!  Since then, he has progressed steadily and is performing very well in the arena at all gaits and is extremely responsive to my requests in the saddle and on the ground.  Going out on the trail alone is still a challenge for Tanzeer, but with Lisa’s wonderful advice and programs, he is doing better and better and one day will have all the confidence he needs to succeed here, too.

I feel that Lisa just made a huge difference in the development of these two young horses….the first time I’d ever dealt with such young ones!  They are both such a pleasure to work with, thanks to the endless tips and instructions from Lisa on how to get the best out of them.  Thanks a million, Lisa!  I don’t know where I’d be if you hadn’t come along when you did!!

-Judith Rothman - San francisco, Ca