Mentor Interview
How long have you worked with horses and what was your beginning experience like?
Since 1964. My first experience was absolutely totally non controlled non educated. The worst case scenario that I could talk about is when I got a pony at 4 and half. It was me, the pony, and the equipment and we were set free. Nobody to guide me, nobody there to teach me anything. The most dangerous. How I survived it, barely, is amazing. But not what I would allow someone who I was responsible for experience with horses.
If you could relive the past 5-10 years of your life, what would you do differently professionally?
Professionally, I don't have any regrets for how my business has progressed over the last five to ten years. It definitely made major shifts away from the monetary gain to more of a spiritual gain for all involved. So the difference would be, since the monetary losses are catching up to me, I could look at it and say, "I probably should have stuck with boarding more horses, or asking for higher costs per lesson, or made a change in the clientele, staying in the active marketing of horses rather than seeking quality homes for some of the horses." But I think if I did that I would be very unhappy with the way the business would be, because I've made a commitment and concerted effort to putting the beauty back into why I have a horse business rather than having a business of having horses.
What is your training experience like with horses?
I've been trained in horses from about every aspect of horses that you can think of. Certain ones much more than others, but I have experienced every discipline of horse business or competition or style that is out there. Mostly because of the longevity that I have been doing horses and also with the purpose of experiencing it, to learn from it and then to realize that that is not what I want to or use, or what could I take away from it. So there isn't anything that I know of in terms of dealing with horses on a large scale that I haven't experienced.
How did you choose the training technique that you use now?
The horses taught me it. The horses that I work with today require and know that this is the method that they were breed for, for hundreds of years, to bring out the best in them as athletes and as companions. They told me, and I listened.
How did you choose lipizzans and andalusians?
I had always admired their athletic ability, as I was progressing in the world of true combined training where I was doing dressage, show jumping, and eventing with either quarter horses, warm-bloods, thoroughbreds, a few Morgans and other horses that people would ask me to use, or train for them for those sports. And I always said that there is probably a horse out there that’s got all of the athletics, but also the trainability. And the lipizzan and the andalusian, that was definitely what they were breed for for 4 or 5 hundred years, is athletics and trainability.
What is your favorite part of working with horses now and in the past?
In the past I measured my favorite parts more by successes, literally what we could do. Almost a material success: I'm now jumping three feet with this horse or I'm accomplishing this with this horse or we won this show. And that was not just the part that I enjoyed the most, but more of how I felt we got the most gratification. Today in learning more about them and being even more connected to them, it can be as simple as just knowing that I am appreciated, wanted, and that I made their day as much as they make my day. That is the part that I strive for more than just accomplishments that we make and measure, because that’s really what is more important to them. They don't care that they had won the show or not, they know that they got grain, energy and positive. But its not as important to them as it is the fact that we get to spend time as partners in any way shape or form, even if its just a few neck scratches or something. That’s whats more important to them and that’s what my favorite part is today.
If you could sum up everything you've learned from working with horses, what would you say?
I would say: Listen to what they have to say. Work with them, rather than against them. Cherish every moment of connection that you get because its something that only horses can give you. And they are such a great gift to us.
What is the purpose of Weaselskin Equestrian Center?
The purpose of what I want to offer here is more for people to find out about themselves, about other beings, and making good choices that equal good relationships with horses or other humans that they also may have to work with with the horses and then carry that over to away from here and put into lifelong lessons. Relationship education, not just riding horses. That’s the benefit. The purpose being learning how to work well with another being.
Since 1964. My first experience was absolutely totally non controlled non educated. The worst case scenario that I could talk about is when I got a pony at 4 and half. It was me, the pony, and the equipment and we were set free. Nobody to guide me, nobody there to teach me anything. The most dangerous. How I survived it, barely, is amazing. But not what I would allow someone who I was responsible for experience with horses.
If you could relive the past 5-10 years of your life, what would you do differently professionally?
Professionally, I don't have any regrets for how my business has progressed over the last five to ten years. It definitely made major shifts away from the monetary gain to more of a spiritual gain for all involved. So the difference would be, since the monetary losses are catching up to me, I could look at it and say, "I probably should have stuck with boarding more horses, or asking for higher costs per lesson, or made a change in the clientele, staying in the active marketing of horses rather than seeking quality homes for some of the horses." But I think if I did that I would be very unhappy with the way the business would be, because I've made a commitment and concerted effort to putting the beauty back into why I have a horse business rather than having a business of having horses.
What is your training experience like with horses?
I've been trained in horses from about every aspect of horses that you can think of. Certain ones much more than others, but I have experienced every discipline of horse business or competition or style that is out there. Mostly because of the longevity that I have been doing horses and also with the purpose of experiencing it, to learn from it and then to realize that that is not what I want to or use, or what could I take away from it. So there isn't anything that I know of in terms of dealing with horses on a large scale that I haven't experienced.
How did you choose the training technique that you use now?
The horses taught me it. The horses that I work with today require and know that this is the method that they were breed for, for hundreds of years, to bring out the best in them as athletes and as companions. They told me, and I listened.
How did you choose lipizzans and andalusians?
I had always admired their athletic ability, as I was progressing in the world of true combined training where I was doing dressage, show jumping, and eventing with either quarter horses, warm-bloods, thoroughbreds, a few Morgans and other horses that people would ask me to use, or train for them for those sports. And I always said that there is probably a horse out there that’s got all of the athletics, but also the trainability. And the lipizzan and the andalusian, that was definitely what they were breed for for 4 or 5 hundred years, is athletics and trainability.
What is your favorite part of working with horses now and in the past?
In the past I measured my favorite parts more by successes, literally what we could do. Almost a material success: I'm now jumping three feet with this horse or I'm accomplishing this with this horse or we won this show. And that was not just the part that I enjoyed the most, but more of how I felt we got the most gratification. Today in learning more about them and being even more connected to them, it can be as simple as just knowing that I am appreciated, wanted, and that I made their day as much as they make my day. That is the part that I strive for more than just accomplishments that we make and measure, because that’s really what is more important to them. They don't care that they had won the show or not, they know that they got grain, energy and positive. But its not as important to them as it is the fact that we get to spend time as partners in any way shape or form, even if its just a few neck scratches or something. That’s whats more important to them and that’s what my favorite part is today.
If you could sum up everything you've learned from working with horses, what would you say?
I would say: Listen to what they have to say. Work with them, rather than against them. Cherish every moment of connection that you get because its something that only horses can give you. And they are such a great gift to us.
What is the purpose of Weaselskin Equestrian Center?
The purpose of what I want to offer here is more for people to find out about themselves, about other beings, and making good choices that equal good relationships with horses or other humans that they also may have to work with with the horses and then carry that over to away from here and put into lifelong lessons. Relationship education, not just riding horses. That’s the benefit. The purpose being learning how to work well with another being.