“Success with horses is not something you can buy. It is not something you can expect someone else to give you. It cannot be inherited nor can it be passed on genetically. At the end of the day success comes from your own efforts.”
Ian works with riders of all levels, and is passionate and committed to teaching safe and effective horsemanship.
Ian teaches in a polite and straight forward manner – and will encourage and challenge riders to make progress, and sometimes make changes which may seem confronting, however he will instruct each rider through any problems faced.
He often states that he teaches his students like he works his young horses, encouraging and rewarding progress, and providing guidance and correction as needed. Ian does not teach a structured rigid program of horsemanship, but will demonstrate and instruct in various techniques that can be accomplished based on the ability of the student, and the assessment of the horse and any remedial issue being addressed.
He will encourage riders to think, try and apply themselves to the tasks being demonstrated and encourages and supports them to not feel self-conscious about learning something new or different to prior learnings. He is a believer that each new technique or training activity experienced adds to a rider’s knowledge library, and will explain the reasons why he may approach something using a particular methodology.
What he asks for is attention during his instruction, and for participants to work to the best of their ability and challenge themselves at a pace they can comfortably progress at. He is a very respectful person, and asks for the same in return. In clinics/workshops he will work with and ride horses presented as needed, but is very much about his students making progress and assisting them through challenges that may arise. This means guiding riders and showing them a positive way forward, one that suits both the rider and the horse.
He is open to questions and discussion (and provides opportunities for this), and works to make lessons and clinics fun and enjoyable as well as educational and challenging.
“People’s strongest impressions of you come from not what you say or do.
They come from how you made them feel.
I am sure your horses impressions of you are the same.”
