Holistic Equestrian LLC

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Holistic Equestrian LLC Holistic Equestrian provides Dressage training and instruction, as well as sport horse conditioning

After more than 40 years with horses, here's the thing I'm most sure of: I'm still learning.The most dangerous horse peo...
09/08/2026

After more than 40 years with horses, here's the thing I'm most sure of: I'm still learning.

The most dangerous horse people I know are the ones who are certain they already know it all. There's no single "right" way to develop a horse — there's your horse, with his own body, personality, history, and way of learning. That's all. Any trainer who insists there's only one correct method is usually telling that to themselves, not just to you.

So I try to stay curious. To approach each horse with a question instead of an assumption. To reward the try — his and mine. The horses have taught me far more than any certificate ever did, and the day I stop being teachable is the day I stop doing this.

That's the spirit I bring to every horse I work with. Holistic Equestrian, Monroe, WA.

It takes a team to develop a sound equine athlete. Nobody does it alone — not human athletes, and not our horses.Over th...
05/08/2026

It takes a team to develop a sound equine athlete. Nobody does it alone — not human athletes, and not our horses.

Over the years I've learned to treat the right practitioners like they're worth their weight in gold: a vet who really knows sport horses and their subtle lamenesses, a farrier who understands how stress travels from the foot up through the joints, a chiropractor or acupuncturist, a good bodyworker, and a trainer who can teach the rider, not just school the horse.

And here's the key: they have to be willing to work together. If your farrier won't talk to your vet, or your vet dismisses bodywork out of hand, that's worth noticing. Your horse's soundness deserves professionals with open minds who'll collaborate.

Building that team takes time, and it'll shift over the years. That's completely normal. Keep the ones who put your horse first.

Horses have only two ways to tell us something hurts: they favor the part that hurts, or they resist using their body a ...
01/08/2026

Horses have only two ways to tell us something hurts: they favor the part that hurts, or they resist using their body a certain way.

That's it. Those are the only two languages they have.

So when a horse starts head-tossing, feeling "sticky" about going forward, refusing a lead, or acting out under saddle — before we call it disobedience, it's worth asking whether he's actually telling us something. Time and again, when I go looking for a physical cause behind "misbehavior," I find one.

This doesn't mean horses never test us. But so much of what gets labeled "attitude" or "naughtiness" is really a horse trying to communicate discomfort the only way he can. When we listen instead of correct, we usually find the real problem — and the "behavior" quietly disappears once it's solved.

01/08/2026

It sounds so logical and rational when you think about it, but why do we ignore all logic and rationality when it comes to training horses? I spent most of my life ignoring the ways horses communicate their discomfort and stress because that's what I was taught to do. I don't anymore, and my training horses are so grateful for it.

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1BfpqfsA5A/

One of the most common things I hear: "I bought him young and unstarted, so he's a blank slate — no baggage, guaranteed ...
29/07/2026

One of the most common things I hear: "I bought him young and unstarted, so he's a blank slate — no baggage, guaranteed sound."

I understand the logic, but I have to gently bust this myth. A horse isn't a blank slate, even before anyone sits on him.

Horses are born asymmetrical — a foal spends months curled the same way in the womb, and comes out already stronger on one side. Watch any horse graze and you'll see the same front leg reach forward nearly every time. On top of that, horses tweak themselves constantly just being horses: bucking, playing, spectacular pasture falls. Add genetics and conformation, and the "blank slate" already has a whole history written into his body before his first ride.

This isn't bad news. It's useful news. Because once you know what your horse came with, you can build his body to support it — instead of being blindsided later. Soundness isn't luck. It's something we build.

August training openings — 2 stalls available, Monroe, WA.I have room for two horses in full training starting August 1s...
24/07/2026

August training openings — 2 stalls available, Monroe, WA.

I have room for two horses in full training starting August 1st, and I'd love to fill them with horses who need what I do best: building lasting soundness through exercise therapy, fitness conditioning, and thoughtful, relaxation-based dressage-focused training.

This is a good fit if you have a horse who's "not quite right," who's stuck in the lameness-and-rehab cycle, who's hot or sensitive and needs a patient approach, or who you simply want built correctly from the ground up so he stays sound for the long haul.

What's included in full training ($1,150/mo):
• 5 days/week exercise therapy — groundwork and mounted, tailored to your horse
• Daily grooming and health monitoring
• Coordination and handling for all vet, farrier, and bodywork appointments
• Regular progress reports so you always know how he's doing
• A full team of trusted practitioners behind your horse's soundness

Board is $1,000/mo (well-bedded stall, 24-hour mud-free run, quality free-choice hay, daily turnout as conditions allow).
30+ years of experience. BHS-based education. A whole-horse approach you won't find just anywhere.

Message me to talk about your horse — I'd love to hear about him.

I train a lot of hot, sensitive, reactive horses — the ones other people find "too much." And the single most important ...
20/07/2026

I train a lot of hot, sensitive, reactive horses — the ones other people find "too much." And the single most important thing I do with them is make "yes" the easy answer.

My philosophy is simple: I reward the try. I don't need a horse to get it perfect. I don't even need him to get it half right. I need him to try — and when he does, I make a fuss over how clever he is. If he offers something great, we might just quit right there on a high note.

Some training teaches horses to be afraid of the wrong answer. Those horses get anxious, they act out, or they shut down, because they've learned they can never be perfect enough. A horse who's allowed to think and puzzle it out becomes something completely different: confident, willing, and honestly a much faster learner.

Relaxation isn't the reward at the end of good training. It's the foundation that makes good training — and lasting soundness — possible in the first place.

This is the heart of how I work. Holistic Equestrian, Monroe, WA.

Here's a concept that changed how I develop every horse I work with: the fitness cushion.Think about how a basketball pl...
12/07/2026

Here's a concept that changed how I develop every horse I work with: the fitness cushion.

Think about how a basketball player trains. They don't just scrimmage all day. They run drills, build strength, work on agility and stamina — so that when game day comes, the actual game is easy on their body. Their fitness is built well beyond what the game demands.

Most horses never get this. We teach them the "game" — the dressage, the jumping, the patterns — but we rarely build the body underneath it to a level that makes the work genuinely easy. So the horse performs right at the edge of what his body can handle, and repetitive strain slowly wins.

I call my approach exercise therapy: using physical conditioning as a therapeutic tool, at whatever level your horse is at right now, sound or not. We build strength, suppleness, and agility as a foundation — a cushion the horse can fall back on — so the sport stops breaking him down.

It works for the arthritic pasture friend you want to trail ride, and it works for the competition horse you want to keep sound for years. Curious whether it could help yours? Send me a message.

Does this sound familiar?You did everything right. You rested him. You rehabbed him. Five minutes a week back to work, j...
09/07/2026

Does this sound familiar?
You did everything right. You rested him. You rehabbed him. Five minutes a week back to work, just like you were told. And for a while, he seemed okay. Then it came back. Again.

Maybe your vet can't quite put a finger on it. Maybe every X-ray looks fine but he still feels "off." Maybe he's started resisting work he used to do happily, and everyone keeps telling you to just push him through it.

I've seen this cycle hundreds of times, and I want you to know two things: you're not imagining it, and it doesn't have to be this way.

Most recurring lameness doesn't come from one bad step. It comes from how a horse is built, how he compensates, and repetitive strain that never gets addressed at the root. Treat the symptom and another one shows up.

But when you build the horse's body so it can actually withstand the work you're asking of it — everything changes.

That's the work I do. Holistic Equestrian, here in Monroe. If this is your horse, let's talk.

Address

27625 Old Owen Road
WA
98272

Opening Hours

Tuesday 10:00 - 18:00
Wednesday 10:30 - 18:00
Thursday 10:00 - 18:00
Saturday 10:00 - 18:00
Sunday 10:00 - 18:00

Telephone

+12067136761

Website

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