Breeding excellent Morgans is only the first step in the process here at Hillcroft Farms. Our end goal is to produce athletic well trained horses that have the capability to go on to become ambassadors of the breed I love so much. To that end, I employ the principles of classical dressage in our training program. My personal goals include training and riding some of our horses at Grand Prix level dressage but I also believe that basic dressage is and incredibly valuable tool for the training and athletic development of any horse. Training horses, to me, is about communication. There is a gap between the way horses naturally learn, react, and communicate and the way humans learn, react, and communicate. My job as a trainer is to find a way to bridge that gap.

Most of the horses that I train are born here at the farm so training essentially starts on the day that they are born. I have found that simple lessons (leading, grooming, basic ground manners) effectively taught in the first year of a horses life make later training a whole lot easier. When our horses reach two years old they begin light ground work. My goal isn't to ride them at this point but to start teaching them to understand my language. During this stage of their training they learn to stop and stand when I ask them, to walk and trot first in the round pen and then on a lunge in the open. They get comfortable with the saddle and the bridle. If I do my job correctly they are also learning that any small effort on their part to do what I ask them to do results in some sort of reward. Prompt positive reinforcement of desirable behavior is necessary to get a cooperative horse. Meanwhile I am getting to know each horse individually. I am using this time to assess their strengths and weaknesses. I am also noting how they react to things that scare or frustrate them. Each horse is different and knowing how they are likely to react in any given situation can help to avoid trouble later on. Their physical and mental maturity are a large factor in how fast or slow they move through the groundwork training.

Between three and four years of age is generally when I plan to start riding or driving our horses. The first rides require almost a return to the beginning. The horses need to have the time to adjust to a riders weight and balance. They also need to make the connection between the communication tools (ie voice commands) I've taught them on the ground and what I am asking them to do on their back. Once I am sure I have control of the walk, trot and whoa we hit the trails. Now my focus shifts to developing strength and exposing them to new situations. At this point I feel comfortable labeling a horse as 'green broke'. Now they are ready to move toward a specific discipline.

Training horses is a continual and humbling learning process for me. I rely heavily on my mother's lifetime of experience when I run into something that I don't know how to handle or get past. I am constantly striving to be the best rider and trainer I can be and I think in the end the quality of Hillcroft Farms trained horses will be evidence of my and my mother's dedication.

Currently we are not accepting any outside horses for training due to the fact that we are full up, but keep an eye out for future announcements. Plans are in the works for a riding lesson program featuring our Morgan horses.

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