Soft and Sound

My name is Kate and I live on Dartmoor with my horses and dog. Although I have had horses for most of my life, I have not walked a 'traditional' equestrian path. I have found my way with horses as a result of happening upon some remarkable teachers and learning some things about horses and people through many, many hours of practice and effort. I aim to work with respect for the horse, tapping into their sensitivity and intelligence, and not resorting to gadgets or force. I am currently training with Philippe Karl, master horseman and proponent of ethical approaches to training horses to the highest level. Mr Karl is the author of 'The Twisted Truths of Modern Dressage' and has produced many informative DVD's and books. His logical, horse friendly approach to training has proved to be revolutionary for many, many horses and humans. I came to be here when about 10 years ago, having hit a brick wall with my mare, I stumbled across two very brilliant, very humble, horse people - Tom and Sarah Widdicombe. I ended up training under them, and then teaching alongside them for over four years, and they could not have been more generous with their time and experience. Tom's book, 'Be With Your Horse' is still a source of inspiration for me, and Sarah is regularly generous with her huge wealth of experience and knowledge. From them I learned about 'Softness' and how it might relate to 'Soundness'. I have travelled regularly to Portugal to learn more about the origins of classical riding, working equitation and the art of garrocha. I have a spent a lot of time and energy trying to understand what other horse men and women are doing, and have trained with a number of remarkable people. My principles include: working with respect for the horse’s physical and mental well-being - with the aim of improving both, teaching the horse to understand, be physically able and mentally willing to do what you want; rather than the rider having to push, hold, cajole, argue, force and ‘manufacture’ the horse, understanding that balance is crucial for your horse, especially when carrying a rider; and working to develop it right from the start of training, and recognizing that without ‘feel’ results will always be mediocre, and that it can be learned (but maybe not taught). If you would like to learn more about me and my horses, please visit my website - my blog is also a good place to start.