What if every great dressage rider wasn't born in Europe??  We have a rich and wonderful tradition of riding here in America; our country was pioneered with it.  I think we need to remember that and trust ourselves more. 

Cowgirls have always had a special independent spirit and integrity.  Cowgirls like Connie Douglas Reeves, ("Always saddle your own horse."), opened the barn door for us to walk through.  I choose to continue in their path.  In recent years, horse whisperers have become famous, but I think that horse women have used these methods of natural horsemanship more often than not.  I did as a child without knowing the words for it.  Women aren’t generally strong enough to physically intimidate, as some traditional methods dictate.  But we are intuitive and perceptive, and good at building relationship.  The method we call Natural Horsemanship is kind of our natural way.  We should have some pride in that.  Lots of men train this way as well and good for them.  Just happens that I chose to be proud of my cowgirl ancestors.  As for the 'howlin' part, well, we will make ourselves heard.

Don't think for a minute that this means that I don’t take dressage seriously.  I have the utmost respect and passion for the art of dressage.  Dressage is my great love and the foundation of the reining and jumping and trail and pleasure riding that I have done.  I don’t want Dressage simplified, or watered down in any way.  It is a demanding sport. That is what I respect about it.

 I would like to see the dressage world more inclusive of riders and horses that might not qualify for the Olympics.  So, if you have big plans and an expensive horse from Europe, I might not be the trainer for you.  Remember the Hawaiian shirt...  But if you have a horse you love, warmblood or quarter horse, and you want to do your best with THAT horse, making positive progress and enjoying the process, I might be just the instructor you are looking for.  In our lives with our horses, we try to balance our attempts towards perfection with real world reality. At the end of a lesson with me, you will like your horse more than when we started.  It was the love of horses that brought us here in the first place, and that is always where we should rest.

Credentials.

I have spent most of my life as a self employed artist, running a gallery. (See my goldsmithing at www.annablake.com.)  I have taught martial arts, been a writer, worked with Non-Profit organizations and been politically active.   But these are ‘school of life’ skills. 

I can give a resume of who I studied Dressage with; I could drop some famous names.  But I prefer my horses be my resume.  I have trained and ridden two horses to FEI levels.  One was a $600 Appaloosa who has a great canter pirouette, and one was a $600 Arabian whose tempi changes are smooth as silk.  I have a young horse coming up....  I bought them all as weanlings, and I have had some great help.  Maybe I am that kind of help for you and your horse now.  Remember, it is supposed to be fun.