Cassandra Reid

I ride and train in both English and Western.  I’ll guide you as we address what you want to learn and solve problems you’re encountering.  I’ll always be looking for what you and the horse need as I help you and your horse grow happily and safely.  As a former competitor, I have high standards, and I’ve learned how to pursue excellence without compromising our relationships with horses.

I work from the viewpoint that horses need the same things humans do: connection, compassion, understanding, and growth/challenges/play.  When a horse does something we don’t like, they are saying without words how they feel and what they need.  When we learn how to read their language, ie their body language, we can flow into conversation with them and figure out problems, help everyone feel comfortable, and do tons of fun stuff.

I incorporate concepts and methods from neuroscience, meditation traditions, learning theory, classical dressage, “natural horsemanship,” and trauma treatment.  I continually learn and experiment with methods from living and past trainers, as well as developing techniques based on my own experiences.  Horsemanship is an art, a science, and a never-ending journey.  

Sometimes the horse world can be pretty judgy, and we can feel self-conscious or nervous: “Am I doing it right?”  I love providing people a place to experiment and grow their most visionary selves.  I like to say that there are always at least 3 good ways to do anything with horses, and I’m focused on building an inclusive community with enthusiastic, supportive, open-minded people who love horses.