Fortunately, there are more and more natural horsemanship trainers available than ever before. Some are certified by other trainers, such as John Lyons or Pat Parelli, and others are teaching some variation on NH that they have developed on their own. Either way, there is sure to be a good trainer somewhere near you.
How to Find a NH Trainer:
I find the best way is through word-of-mouth recommendation. Ask your horsey pals who they know and who they like, and go from there. If you want to see what it’s all about before you commit, I highly recommend going to a clinic of one of the ‘big names” like John or Josh Lyons, Pat Parelli, etc. If you are lucky enough to live near where there is a Horse Expo, you may have the benefit of seing several well-known NH trainers in one day. This is a great way to familiarize yourself with NH, and to get inspired to start.
I personally have learned a great deal from Tom Dorrance (now deceased), John Lyons, and a great trainer out in California named Deb Cooper (parelli-trained), all of whom I have worked with in person. I have also learned a lot from reading books and watching instructional videos of many other NH trainers, such as Ray Hunt, Dennis Reis, Buck Brannaman, Chris Cox, Julie Goodnight, Sylvia Scott, and many others. If you know which trainer’s style you gravitate toward, you can check that trainer’s website for certified trainers in your area. Some great websites to check out are:
John Lyons: http://www.johnlyons.com/
Pat Parelli: http://www.parelli.com/home.faces
Ed Dabney: http://www.eddabney.com/index.htm
Sylvia Scott: http://www.naturalhorsetraining.com/
Click here to sign up for Sylvia’s wonderful, free newsletter. Very informative!
Dennis Reis: http://www.reisranch.com/
Julie Goodnight: http://www.juliegoodnight.com/
Deb Cooper : http://www.debcooperhorses.com/
.
I am going to start compiling a list of NH trainers by state. If you would like to be added to this list, please email me at aeronmack@yahoo.com Please keep in mind that I do not necessarily endorse any of these trainers; this is simply a list of those out there. It is up to you to find the one that is right for you.
Sylvia Scott has a great page of trainers here.
California:
Ivonne Gutierrez, John Lyons Certified, Castro Valley, CA
Virginia:
New Jersey:
.
Wisconsin:
Kevin S. email: keverone@live.com or whoa@royal.net 715-760-1493
Canada:
Manitoba:
Ontario:
Jo Davis (email jo.davis@cogeco.ca
As you can see, there are plenty out there, now go find yourself one!!
.
Hello
First off, your website is wonderful and inspirational! You’ve put so much work into including all this information! I had several questions. First, do you think that the LG is a better bitless bridle than the Cook? If so, please explain. I have a Cook myself and find the delay in the release is fustrating. I, however, love that it exerts poll, nose and side muscle pressure an doesn’t just impose pressure in one area. My second question is that I have been having a very hard time finding an NH trainer to work with here in New Jersey. Do you know of anyone at all? Your suggestions would be extremely helpful!
Thank you
Maria
Hi Maria,
Thank you very much for your nice words about my website! I have been working hard on it.
You have some good questions! I will try to answer them all as best I can:
I have not actually tried the LG, but it looks good to me, especially for those who would like a little poll and chin pressure, in addition to the nose pressure. I think it is a good alternative to the Dr. Cook, for those (like you and me) who have found the “hug” of the Dr. Cook bridle does not release fast enough. However, I personally would probably not use the LG, only because my horses are all trained with natural horsemanship, which means they respond to very light pressure from the reins, and I don’t need the additional poll and chin pressure to control them. But, for someone just trying bitless for the first time, or just switching over from a Dr. Cook, it might be a good choice.
My Riding Halter works by putting very mild pressure on the knot on the opposite side of the nose. It would be nearly impossible to hurt the horse in my halter, even if you were to pull as hard as you possibly could. The knots are really just there to help the horse know when you are pulling, and to keep the halter together!
You will find that once your horse is trained to go with light pressure, you won’t need anything more than this. I use it even when galloping cross country and jumping. But of course I took the time to teach my horses all the steps to get to that point!
Now let’s see… a trainer in NJ….where in NJ are you? North or south? I can try to locate one… do you know if you have a preference as far as the style, for example: Parelli, or Lyons? I will see if I can track someone down who is near you.
Meanwhile, keep I touch, and happy horsing!
~Aeron