Creating Willing and Confident Partnerships
Dressage and Jumper sales, young horse training, re-educating behavior problems, and foal handling.
Dressage and Jumper sales, young horse training, re-educating behavior problems, and foal handling.
I grew up riding horses in Australia, my family had a limited budget so I rode whatever horse I could get my hands on. This started with the horses at a therapeutic riding school and progressed to difficult horses nobody wanted to ride. My first horse was given to me because a rider could get on but when it came time to dismount the horse lost his mind. Such was my introduction into the world of horse psychology.
After completing a degree in equine science from the University of Charles Sturt University, I went on to work at Kooringal Stud, a large thoroughbred breeding and training operation in NSW Australia. It was here I disovereed the ins and outs of managing a farm and colt starting. A few particularly difficult horses that came across my path changed my career trajectory and horse training methods forever. I fine tuned my skills as a horseman and turned into a sought after trainer who traveled through France, Spain and Portugal working with difficult problem horses and starting youngsters. I have started and worked with several horses that have gone on to compete in Dressage, Eventing and Show Jumping at both the Olympic and World Cup level.
I moved to the US in 2010 after accepting the job as General Manager of Rancho Corazon, one of the largest Holsteiner breeding farms in North America. I oversaw the breeding program and training of the young horses. In 2015 I started my own training business developing young horses and focusing on my dressage career. I have earned the USDF Bronze and Silver Medals and continue to develop myself as a rider, trainer and young horse specialist.
My training program is located in Templeton, California where I train young horses, problem horses, and have a boutique sales program focusing on talented Dressage and Jumper prospects.
I have started over 1,000 horses over the span of my career, not one of them has ever bucked, reared or bolted. I strongly dislike the phrase "breaking" and I think it's too common a practice. The last thing I want to do is "break" a horse. Thankfully "colt starting" has become the more common phrase but I prefer young horse education. Just like for children, the early education we provide (or don't) has an impact on the horse for the rest of its life. In my horse training method, I foster the horses natural curiosity and develop trust and relaxation. I teach the horse how to learn, a skill that will serve it for the rest of it's life with humans. Using equine psychology, body language and patience the young horses learn to trust and accept pressure in a way that gives them confidence and reduces fear. My young horses learn to look to their rider/handler for direction and reassurance.
The young horses in my program will walk, trot and canter under saddle and go on the trail. They learn to trailer load easily, stand quietly for the farrier and develop outstanding ground manners. I find all of these elements to be critical to the future success of the horse. It's my passion and my privilege to be able to create a strong foundation for the horse.
I've worked with many "problem horses". I think most of these horses actually have people problems and it's my job to figure out where the breakdown in communication happened so I can rebuild the natural trust and confidence. My entire dressage record is built on horses that came to me with rearing or spooking issues. Through my training techniques I am able to turn them around and make them into happy athletes and most of them become amateur friendly, good citizens. Occasionally, behavior issues are physical and even the best training can't resolve the issue. I always evaluate horses from this perspective and involve veterinarians, chiropractors, and farriers when necessary.
During my time at Kooringal Stud in Australia I developed a method to handle foals that made them easier to start and safer for everyone involved in handling them. I was responsible for trimming up to 100 foals feet at a time. We worked with the horses in large fields with many other foals and mares around. I became adept at "baby talk" and learned how to work with the foals in a way that made them feel safe and secure and made my job of handling them much easier. I also developed a foal harness that is still in use today.
I will work with weanlings up to two years old in my Foal Handling program. They will learn the basics of being a well mannered horse that is prepared to excel as they reach their 3rd and 4th years. I train them to lead, to have their feet trimmed, to load in a trailer, and to grasp the basic concept of walking on a longe line in both directions.
I accept a few quality sales horses into my program. I believe in honesty and integrity in the sales process and strive to make all parties, especially the horse, benefit from the process.
2016 Hanoverian Mare by Sir James
2012 KWPN Gelding Schooling 4th Level
2016 Oldenburg Gelding
2010 KWPN Gelding 4th Level
2010 KWPN Mare by Tuchinski
PSG Hanoverian Gelding
Copyright © 2022 Forster Equestrian - All Rights Reserved.
We use cookies to analyze website traffic and optimize your website experience. By accepting our use of cookies, your data will be aggregated with all other user data.