Notes from the Trainer

           I have known what I wanted to do with my life since age seven. I think it is a true blessing to carry my childhood dream into my everyday adult life, always outside and always learning. My supportive parents bought my first horse when I was twelve, in exchange for cleaning stalls of course. She was a western Quarter Horse I trained to take me to competing and jumping fences as far as State level in North Carolina. I graduated high school early and finished getting my Associates degree in a year and a half. I then looked online, and sent hundreds of e-mails all over the United States searching for my next adventure. I worked as an instructor at a stable in Georgia then moved to Michigan for the summer as a full time instructor at a large hunter jumper barn. I gave five lessons a day to five kids per lesson, six days a week. Then I discovered the farm and instructor that would guide me to my goals in the small town of Dover-Foxcroft, Maine. Carole Rose is a Grand Prix instructor and the owner of Isaac Royal Farm and has been teaching for more than forty years. I communicated with her by telephone and e-mail for about a year before visiting the farm for a weekend where I fell in love with upper level dressage. She offered to bring me to the top as a competitor and trainer so that I could become a judge through the United States Dressage Federation (USDF). There are under ten full time academy students each year, therefore more personal attention is granted. With the financial assistance of my generous parents, I was able to move to Maine in September of 2005. Despite being 1,500 miles away from my home, just barely twenty years old, everything fell into place and I could not have been more grateful. I soon learned North Carolina and Maine were two different worlds. In the south, my winter coat was a sweatshirt with a hood and I had never worn wool socks in my life. The next thing I knew, I was wearing more layers than I could count on every part of my body and spending my days riding in temperatures as low as negative five degrees. Successfully training horses and competing for a living is only for the exceptionally devoted.

           I spent four years at Isaac Royal Equestrian Academy and experienced more in this time than I could have imagined. I went through homesickness, winter depression, financial uncertainties  and much more. Despite the long list of difficulties all my hard work has paid off. In 2009 I graduated from the "Learners" program of the United States Dressage Federation with distinction. This is considered a high honor and enables me to proceed to the next level as a judge for the United States Equestrian Federation.
           At Issac Royal Equestrian Academy, I rode everyday as much as possible, usually six days a week, working with horses of all ages. I have experience in foal imprinting, ground work with young horses, backing young horses and bringing them up the levels. Carole Rose is in the process of producing a series of books where I can be spotted on the cover of book three, Backing the Young Horse. Through Carole’s aspirant program of balancing the rider I have graduated as an Aspirant Trainer. Over the years I have had the opportunity to learn on school masters and green horses, of all ages, breeds and sizes. I have backed countless young horses and especially enjoyed being with those horses all along the way. I also took part in organizing three USDF/USEF Recognized shows at Isaac Royal Farm per year. This understanding of how Recognized shows are run and being involved in show management has given me vital organizational and communication skills. Additionally, the farm still produces an annual equestrian theatre that gave me familiarity in musical freestyles and choreography in quadrilles. I have many years experience teaching riders of all ages, even autistic and special needs students.
           In January of 2010 I moved back home to South Carolina where I began training with Stacey Hastings as a full time working student. Stacey has had a great influence in my life, giving me the opportunity to work with all levels of horses including everything from three year old stallions to Grand prix champions. I believe that my ambition, dedication and natural horsemanship has enabled me to become a balanced, “feeling” rider to produce supple, sound, upper level horses. I feel very lucky to be able to do what I love everyday, to speak the language of the horse and am eager to continue this in the Carolinas.

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