Sambino a.k.a. Sam

Sam

A lovely and loving Quarter horse gelding, 14 hands. With his gentle “I love everybody”-attitude he is the friend of all children. He is very safe to handle and ride and always tries his best. A wonderful confidence builder, but also our dressage star, currently schooling 3rd, 4rth level. He is fun and safe to take on trails, likes jumping and “pony games”.

Flüstern

A beauty and she knows it…

She is a very athletic Oldenburg mare, 16 hands, with multiple personalities but always honest, letting you know how she feels. Sometimes she just wants to be a sweet kid’s pony like Sam but other moments her alpha mare personality takes over and she feels responsible for everything.  She can switch from lazy to high energy in seconds – and back. Her big gaits and her leader attitude make her more challenging to ride. She is the most critical teacher in the team, but she can give you a grand ride. If you learn to ride her well, you have learned a lot for all other horses!

Isabel

Flüstern and Isabel

The human in the teaching team is the facilitator, lesson planner, instructor, trainer, and “mediator” for equine-human misunderstandings. Sometimes the rider needs explanations (lessons) and other times the horse (training) and sometimes both.

Isabel started riding as a child. Growing up in Germany she always wanted her own horse, but never had it. Instead she took countless lessons at riding schools until she was good enough to ride horses for other people. Looking back, this was probably the best way to acquire universal skills and sensitivity. Over 35 years she worked with a wide range of different horses – young and old, but none of them perfect – learning something from each horse.

While living in Vienna, Austria for 3 years, Isabel started teaching lessons as substitute instructor at a dressage riding school. A couple years later, after moving to the US and finally owning a horse, she began teaching her own kids. They turned out fine young riders and more and more of their friends wanted lessons. Eventually some adult riders took lunge lessons to improve their seat. Learning more about equine and human biomechanics, it was a natural consequence to also help horses and riders work harmoniously together through dressage lessons.