Heron Feather

04/19/2025

I am a Horse Trainer. By Julie Heliker

I started out with horses on a voyage of discovery as a young kid with dumb luck in my belly and fire in my eyes. Such is the nature of those hit with the horse addiction. We are adrenaline junkies at heart. I had fierce opinions and very little knowledge behind them. Everything was black and white, good and bad. Now I’m older and wiser and see how individuals need their own space to grow and a framework based on solid principles to develop properly. In horse riding and training that framework’s evolution will continue for life depending on one’s aptitude, ability and dedication.

As a horse trainer and riding instructor my fiercest skill is holding a horse and rider together while we all tremble. I temper what is dished out to what the recipient can handle. I know when to be big and wild and when to be slow and gentle- I can be all of those things that are inside me. I choose my timing so there is growth and wholeness in the horse and rider.

If I believe my training is right it doesn’t matter what the rail birds say or judge me with. That is a double-edged sword because I always have more to learn. So, I cannot totally block out the rail bird chatter. I am always discovering what works, what causes injury down the road and what is proper. I seek the good development of the horse, the good of the rider and the good of the sport. It’s where those 3 intersect that I must not stray. It’s the sport that keeps horses in a society that is quickly forgetting the value of horses. It’s the rider whose passion and joy supports horses. It’s the horse’s very nature that heal us, enhance our lives and bring purpose and satisfaction to riders. The sport brings horses to society at large who would normally not be connected to horses.

I need all three.

I am a horse trainer. I train horses- and teach riding- not just to feed it and grow it and bend it to service of humans—but simply to invite it to be seen; to become, to belong in our vastly diverse society that has so many beautiful facets.


Good of the horse
Good & proper:
◦ Training
◦ Proper physical care/vet care
Mental health of the horse
◦ Pasture / turnout management
◦ Shelter
◦ Bedding
◦ Feed/nutrition
◦ Workload
◦ Exercise
◦ Grooming
◦ Hoof care
Good of the rider
Good & proper:
◦ Training
◦ Nutrition
◦ Exercise
◦ Mental health

Good of the sport
Good & proper:
◦ Trainers
◦ Knowledgeable Sports casters
◦ Advertising in touch with horse people and society at large
◦ Promotion of excellence, techniques, technicalities & excitement of the horse in sport

08/08/2024

Congratulations Sue Klonowski on your Century ride!! 70+ percents! A lifetime achievement!!

03/17/2024

Happy St Patrick’s day!!

01/13/2024

Great article on buying horses...

Finding that needle in the hay stack----

There are thousands of horses for sale, probably several hundred thousand at any given time. Big, small, lean, chunky, old, young, every color, every breed, all price ranges from free to in the millions.

The reality is that many of these horses will come with some sort of precondition that will cause the new owner to think---“Well, I didn’t see that coming.”

It might be some sort of chronic lameness, or any of hundreds of health related issues. It might have to do with the level of training. Or temperament. Or skill level and ability for some specific use. We hear about the home runs more than we do the strike-outs. Touch Of Class winning Olympic gold makes a far better story than the one that ended up lame in some field, or worse.

But for most buyers it seems like some gigantic gambling game, and if there ARE some strategies to make finding the “right match” more likely, what ARE some?

Well, there are lots of possible answers, and I will list a few, and I invite others to add ideas.

First, I think too many people go into horse purchasing mode without CLEARLY DEFINING what it is that they want and need. Start there, write it down, discuss it, have a clear idea before you grab that checkbook.

Then, big one---Is this horse sound enough for me, and for what I want to do with it? Here’s where you must involve expert veterinary advice, even though it is not cheap. There are some buyers who will back off a purchase if the horse has ANYTHING that the vet check discovers, even if the issue is minor and unlikely to ever cause a problem. Many good horses “fail” the vet check, not really, but in the anxious minds of prospective buyers. Vets are cautious about giving opinions about long term soundness---Too many have been burned in lawsuits.
So deal with that in whatever ways you can handle.

Try not to buy what those in the trade call “too much horse.” This happens all the time. Mr and Mrs Smith take 13 year old Susie horse shopping. The child turns down the plain brown wrapper 14 year old quiet gelding in favor of the beautiful 4 year old mare. The Black Stallion syndrome strikes again. Usually against better advice from those who know better.

“Too much horse” can be simply too green, or because the horse is too high energy, or has a difficult temperament. So many fall into the too much horse trap.

Walt Gervais was a tough old guy who was somewhat cynical about the human condition based on decades of experience, He told me, “Denny, the only people who take your advice are the ones who agreed with your advice before you gave it.” They are not interested in your opinion if it runs counter to what they want to do, and they will keep asking until they find an opinion that they want to hear.

“Caveat Emptor” buyer beware, is about as accurate a saying as you can find in trying to find the right horse. If you are an expert, it is hard enough. Most top riders and trainers have had plenty of strikeouts. And if it’s tough for them, it’s a lot trickier for everyone else---.

Other thoughts, suggestions?

01/13/2024

"Rest and release are not pauses in the training; they are a significant part of the training" John Lyons