“It came time for me to find another horse and Kelly took care of me every single step of the way. She truly helped me find the perfect partner and helped me stay within my low budget. I have never been so grateful! She was so patient and so attentive, I could never have asked for a more knowledgeable person on my side of things. She guided me to do things right every step of the way.
“Then she managed to help me find a saddle which turned out to be even more difficult. Who knew there was so much involved in finding a saddle to ride in?! She searched for saddles for me, and took a look at each fit when I brought a saddle to the farm to try. She was there every step of the way yet again. “Kelly taught me how to train my horse from the ground up and we made a great deal of progress under her careful direction and training. She assessed our individual situation each lesson and knew how to tackle each obstacle in training we encountered. Her patience is impressive – it has got to be frustrating to take a former hunter rider and turn her into a dressage rider. I’m still amazed by how patient she was and how she was able to laugh things off. Kelly is so much fun, and she was always making me laugh! She would even gladly get on my horse and work him herself when I was out of town and then when I came up injured for a few weeks. She has been such a blessing to me and I cannot express enough how wonderful she is to work with! I was continually impressed by her forgiving nature and her ability to turn any moment into a teaching moment. I have never learned so much from one person in just a few short months in all my life. From day one Kelly continually impressed me with her knowledge, professionalism, and passion for what she does. “I have sadly had to move out of the state for a couple years. Even though I was moving away Kelly helped me find another trainer to work with, and got my horse and I all set up to go to our new home. I trust Kelly’s opinion and she will continue to be my go-to person for any horse-related problems/questions. Kelly is a true horsewoman and when I come back to Virginia she is the first trainer I will contact! If you get the chance, do not turn down the opportunity to learn from this incredible person! You will not regret it!” --Tina Fike
Carolyn and Dash
"Well Dash did well today. We won our first class at Training 1 with a score of 65.652. Our second class, Training 2, I felt went better, and we tied for first in that class with a 71.428! This was the first time in my riding career I've scored above 70%, for which I must Thank You. :) That score really thrilled me since it was awarded by an S judge. I'm so thrilled with Dash. I can really tell the difference in our performance from our first show, especially the canter. He got an 8 on his right canter circle in the second test, can you believe that? I'm even more excited for the future with Dash now."
--Carolyn Rice
Lisa and Sally
"I had the pleasure of working with Kelly and watching her develop as a trainer for 15 or so years. She is truly a friend to both the horse and rider, taking the needs and abilities of both into consideration, along with each rider's individual goals. Particularly impressive is her dedication to understanding the ergonomics of riding and the physics of the horse-rider combination. Kelly is extraordinarily good at zeroing in on the root causes of riding weaknesses and developing exercises to address them. She is also calm, cool, and effective in dealing with even the most challenging of horses. My horses and I all enjoyed training under her. Even after a move several states away, I still contact Kelly for her invaluable advice from time to time!" --Lisa Hinkle
Kristie and Hanna
"As first time horse owners, Kelly has been with us every step of the way. We were referred to Kelly by a previous trainer and contacted her for buyer’s assistance in finding a great horse for my husband and I. I’m sure it’s a huge challenge to find a horse for one person, but we wanted to find the perfect horse for two people with different skill levels. Kelly took the time to understand our individual riding abilities, goals and horse wish list, and found our perfect partner in less than three weeks. She even helped arrange and attend the pre-purchase exam as well as transport our horse to the farm. We were so impressed with Kelly’s professionalism, horse knowledge and training style that we’ve continued to work with her for riding and training.
"What we really like about Kelly is her holistic approach to training. During each lesson she evaluates both horse and rider and prescribes exercises that improve the overall partnership. Also, she sees everything and knows how to help you understand what you need to do and why. Kelly has helped with confidence issues by teaching us how to get our horse’s attention and focus on the work at hand. We highly recommend Kelly and wouldn’t want to be on our horse journey without her. She’s more than our trainer, she is our friend." --John and Kristie O'Shea
Alicia and West Jett
"Kelly has opened my eyes to a deeper understanding of how horses move and think. Before riding with her I just pulled and prodded my horses around hunter courses, with no regard to what was happening between the jumps. Now, I strive all the time to influence my horses with proper position and timing, and the least amount of aids necessary to get results. It is very rewarding and has changed my whole outlook on riding." --Alicia Moore
Carolyn and Valen
"Just thought you might like to see photos of Valen from a schooling dressage show a few weeks back. He got a 67.8% in Training 1 and 68% in Training 3. He actually won both classes, but in Training 1 there was a tie, which I lost. From the photos I can see we still have much to work on, but it seems he is definitely improving this year, and with those scores he has now earned his Certificate of Merit in Dressage for the Belgian Warmbloods. Thanks for all of your help, it really shows especially in our scores, last year on these same tests we got upper 50's and low 60's, and his walk scores went from a 5/6 to 7/8." --Carolyn Rice
