I have been riding horses most of my life. I started riding on the back of my mom and dads’ saddle. Then they got us a Shetland pony, nasty little thing he was. As I grew up, I was the one who rode horses in our family. So  I got to ride the green horses, the ones who needed more miles, the horses on their  first trail ride ect… I  handled the breeding animals during breeding season.  They would say, “Dana will ride it”. I  even  trained the family dogs. One time I halter broke a wild Llama to see if I could.

. I was much untrained in the art of training, and that was very frustrating to me. I did get to grow up around old cow boys, which helped me have some good and bad habits.

            I really wanted to know how to have a better deeper relationship with the  animals I was working with . I felt they did all these things walk, trot, , ect... But how could I get them to want to do it for me, when I asked? So in the pursuit of knowledge  I readied all the training books I could get my hands on. I have been certified by CHA” Certified Horsemanship Association”. I went to see John Lyons , Josh Lyons , Ray Hunt, Tom Dorrance, and so many more. I have hosted clinics for Steve Rother the last 5 years. I kept seeking knowledge.

            As I learned I taught. I started by teaching my little sisters. Then I started teaching   4Her's. That was quite an experience for me.  I was raised with cowboys some of my ways were not the gentlest. So I had to learn to get things done with horses in a way that woman and children could deal with, keeping in mind some of these horses were taking trying to kill  me. I had never seen so many rotten, rude and pushy and spoiled horses in my life. We would never have allowed horses to get like that. I just couldn’t believe that people would put their kids on these horses. Most of them didn’t even lead let alone ride safely. So with a lot of work and commitment, I have turned my skills and abilities more into informing people they didn’t have to have unwilling and uneducated horses . I learned the term “Active rider not a reactive rider”.  Horse people were there asking me how to get their horse to side pass or take the correct lead. When they were in danger of losing their lives every time they took their horse out. So I kept learning. Learning how to get my horses and other people horses, which came threw my life to live safely and grow.

I have continued my horse education with the Lyons certification program. This 12 week certification  program helped in my growth in  my training experience.  I call the John and Josh Lyons Certification ,a diamond in my years of training ring.  A large Center Diamond. I would like to say, "thank you" to Josh for his sharing his  knowledge  with me. I have  grown a lot with Josh and John Lyons help.  I have plans of continuing my education with them over the next few years.

Spy  and I in Parachute Colorado during my certification.