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Balance, Trust, and Respect are the three of the most important elements to me in horsemanship.
To me, just about everything in my day to day work expands on these three elements. If any of them are missing, the work is incomplete.

Balance

Balance on left side of body and right, and left and right eye balance.
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Balance from poll to tail: hindquarters, front quarters, and ribcage.
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Balanced athletic development and lightness.
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Variety in training – developing versatility.
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Blending/directing – good riding is a partnership, not a dictatorship. First you go
with them, then they get with you.
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Balancing exposing a horse without making it dull, and keeping a horse sensitive without allowing it to be afraid.
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Balanced hoof care, dental work and body work to promote a healthy horse that can work at the peak of its ability.
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Developing rider balance and understanding its impact on the horse’s balance: constantly striving to be better

Trust

Figure out what their thoughts are and blend with them.
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Gain awareness of the horses needs.
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Work on redirecting, rather than discipline.
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Build a connection with your horse.
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Let the horse be right: set them up for success.
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Create an atmosphere that is optimal for learning.
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Help eliminate fear through thoughtful preparation, not dulling and desensitizing.
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Don’t teach them to fight

Respect

Learning to treat ourselves and our horses with respect leads to an ideal partnership.

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Approaching the relationship as a whole with respect for the horse’s needs first.

Amy Skinner is a rare being. She understands and reads horses and always gives them the benefit of the doubt. People talk about softness to the point that it has almost become a cliche without meaning. Amy’s whole approach in everything she does with horses involves a softness and critique of her communication. Amy is an inexhaustible learner and has reached a point in her career where she has accumulated her knowledge from numerous sources and reached her own high level of horsemanship. I would never hesitate to ask her opinion or for help with a horse and I often have. I have not even mentioned her unique ability to teach and to articulate complicated concepts to people. She is also caring and very respectful, Unfortunately not something you always see in the world of horse trainers. I consider her to be one of the best and although she may still be under the radar, with talent like hers, I don’t expect her to be there for long.

Steve Peters

  • "Your horse doesn’t care who you’ve ridden with, what you know or what your philosophies are…until you prove to him that it benefits him and has meaning for him."

    Amy Skinner

  • "When the horse is a tool to a person that has no interest in understanding their horse or in becoming a better horseperson, it may make sense to bring the horse to the level of the person. But if the person is interested in the horse, the person should be helped and encouraged to rise to the level of the horse."

    Martin Black

  • "It’s real natural fo the horse to feel like you are his way when you are actually in his way."

    Bill Dorrance

Give you and your horse a path for developing quality horsemanship.

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