MarKat is fortunate to work with two excellent trainers.
Jec Ballou of Jec Ballou Classical Training is a well known author, clinician, and competitor. She has worked with many of our horses and has successfully shown them. She is kind, firm and uses a variety of techniques to bring out the best of the horse. She has worked with our horses for dressage (traditional and western), hunt seat and trail. Cross training with other disciplines is used when possible to expand the horizons of the horse and to help keep them interested and happy with their work.
We are also very fortunate to work with Christine Brecht. She has many years of experience in starting young horses, teaching horses to drive (pleasure and carriage), hunt seat, western, pleasure and early dressage work. Chris is a master at teaching a horse to long line. This is an important skill for building strength without a rider, preparing a horse to drive and increasing the overall skills of the horse. Both of the trainers used by MarKat always have the best interest of the horse as the basis of their training philosophies.
Gimmicks to get the job done, to set the head, or get a bend are not used at MarKat. The horses are encouraged to be the best that they can be. It may take longer to advance the horses, but our training encourages the use of the hind end (the engine of the horse) to engage. This allows the back to rise and the head to naturally set.
MarKat is happy to recommend both of these excellent trainers to our clients and friends.