BIO, MONTHLY NEWSLETTER & TIPS PAGE

My Biography

I was born and raised in the mountains of Northern California, was gifted with a six month old Pony of America's stud colt for Christmas at the tender age of two.  We grew up together and I have the scars to prove it.  Ringo Star became a wonderful pony but there are many good reasons why young riders should have older horses, and vice versa.  When I was nine, I got a green broke two year old for my birthday (did my parents hate me???!!).  No, they were searching for that mythical CHEAP kids' horse.  Why people think the words "cheap" and "kid horse" belong in the same sentence just beats the heck out of me.  That mare turned me into a lawn dart more times than I care to recollect.  A couple of good things did come of all the dirt dining.  I became committed to finding an effective NO BUCK training program, and over the years May Day (yes, that really and truly was her name. What COULD my folks have been thinking of!) became a good and reliable saddle horse. Read on for "the rest of the story."

I began training for the neighbors and local clients when I was ten or twelve years old.  It wasn't yesterday but I recollect it was around that time.  I made my first unassisted horse trade when I was fifteen.  Boy, was that trader surprised when he found out the power of the deal lay with the stubborn teen age girl and not the adult man standing in the background, laughing at him.  That trade netted me Cisco, who was the first horse I owned that I didn't have to break and train, myself.  We gymkhana'd and it was a rare day we didn't bring home the high point.

I was in love with speed, and it wasn't until I had a bad wreck on my barrel horse, Skeeter (another home raised, home trained gelding) that I learned the value of rating, making a pocket and paying attention to the then boring and technical stuff of building a good foundation BEFORE going for the gusto.

In the early 80's I worked for a horse trader out of Las Vegas, Nevada and got my first real taste of assessing unknown horses and fixing them up for resale.  That was an eye opening experience, let me tell you!  After that, I did a brief stint managing the Mount Charleston riding stable, where I learned about bulk nutrition and how to save pennies by administering my own vaccinations.

After marriage, kids and divorce, I found myself in the 90's, wondering what I had really been planning to do with my life.  A day spent riding with a friend, and a dream and a lifestyle were born.  I bought and sold a pony with Walt Werre, who has become a dear friend and who was then to become a business partner.  Good Hands Horse Training and Sales limited mobile operation celebrated it's first year of existence in 1993 and we've been toddling along ever since.

I have worked hard to develop a solid program of natural horsemanship techniques to assess my training and for sale stock.  I look for compliance, education, talents and conformation.  I like to see kids and beginners handle the horses before a purchase is made, and there are three answers to the question: Can I buy this horse from you?  They are: 1: Yes, absolutely (we like that one) 2: Yes, as long as you and/or the horse get more education and 3: Nope, this horse is not going to work for what you are looking to do.

Folks who know me will tell you they have heard me give all of those answers.  Yes, I want to sell you horses or train yours, but I will not tell you what you want to hear if it isn't something I am confident I can deliver.  I'd have been out of business a long time ago, were that my way of doing business.  Check out my testimonial page, and there will be more added to that one, and the rest as time allows.

Thanks for stopping by!  Come back again real soon :-))