03/01/2024
I AM NOT A TRAINER! I do not train the women I work with… rather, I share with them the gifts that others have shared with me. Great women like Joyce Lewis, Julia Lyons, Lauren Davis & Jessie Godwin. Awesome clinicians like Michael Lyons, Richard Schouten, Brock Griffith, and more! These are just some of the amazing people I have had the privilege of working with and learning from over the years. THESE ARE TRAINERS!
I’m not really sure what to classify myself as, but some have said life coach, counselor, and mentor (their words, not mine). When I figure out what I am, I’ll be sure to let you know… for now, let’s just go with friend. Because that’s what most of the women I meet need, a real friend. The kind who will tell you the hard truth, guide you in the right direction, encourage you along your journey, and cheer you on in every accomplishment! THAT is my favorite part about this role I have found myself in... being a true friend to amazing women with these beautiful horses!
I only work with women. Nothing against men, but I’m happily married (to the best guy ever) and respect my husband, myself & my marriage enough to keep things simple & myself safe! I love helping women along in their journey with horses. It’s amazing to watch them learn, grow, and thrive in not just their horsemanship, but in life! To be part of someone gaining confidence in themselves, and their relationship with a 1500 +/- pound animal, is such an honor and I feel blessed to have found myself in this role!
We start with basics like catching the horse, properly haltering, leading & backing the horse, as well as sending horses through gates. How to groom the horse, pick up all 4 feet, & care for the horse’s mane and tail. All these things must be accomplished before anyone can ride, so these are the things we start with in this program. Think you already know how to do all that? Great, then you should breeze through this part & move on quickly to the next, but we all start here!
We do a lot of breathwork in this program. Breathing is obviously important to stay alive, but what you can do both for yourself and with your horse by utilizing this simple skill with intention is almost magical! I love incorporating it into my horsemanship and sharing it with the women I work with.
Movement is the next thing we tackle, progressing from sending through a gate to sending around in a circle, serpentines, stopping, yielding the horses hindquarters and forequarters, as well as drawing the horse into you and pushing the horse back.
We advance from there as your skill set improves and you master these things… you can move into the saddle if that is your desire or continue on the ground and move further into liberty work and connection. Each woman has a different goal, skill set, and things she wats to accomplish in these sessions, so it is up to each woman to communicate those desires and work with me on achieving them.
I only work with 4 women at a time, as I give a lot of myself in each session and don’t want to over commit. I strive to stay balanced and grounded, and this is part of that. There is an evaluation session before being put on the waitlist, just to make sure we are a good fit. Not everyone will be, and that’s OK. We are all in different places (different needs, different energy, different goals). SO, we do an assessment session to meet, see how you do with the horses, and make sure this will be a good situation for everyone from the start.
If interested in learning more, please feel free to send me, AmyMichele Jones a private message. I would be happy to discuss your goals with you. If it sounds like you would be a good fit for our program, we will set up the evaluation session. If not, we know a lot of trainers in the area we can refer you to and hope to be able to connect you with someone who will be a great fit for your needs.
