I have taken natural horsemanship lessons before but find Tony Simonetti to be a grounded and knowledgeable teacher. But don’t think it will be…he’ll fix it. He makes you and your mount work, and work and maybe work some more. It seems that he makes no assumptions about where you and your horse are, he observes and determines the best way to move both of you forward. He breaks things down when you or your stead are having difficulty but is not critical, supporting you with repetition and if you don’t get it…he repeats, repeats, and repeats himself (lol). But it’s all great fun because you know you are improving your relationship as you gain trust respect and collection.
I have taken a few lessons with Tony and my “emotional” mount Scout and have seen a huge improvement in Scout’s ability to remain calm and collected in a variety of situations. Respect on the ground has improved too, Scout will do figure 8s at liberty. After our first lesson in the park a couple of weeks ago, Tony and I parted ways. Scout continued in the direction we were going, head down-completely relaxed, without looking back as Tony and Black Jack headed towards home. That little gesture on Scout’s part let me know we were on the right track and showed me the partnership we could have, the way I always imagined.
So, a word to the wise, if you are on the fence about paying for lessons, I would say it is well worth the money, especially if you want to move forward safely. Sometimes we all have trouble, know how to do something but not getting the desired results…think of it this way-even professional athletes have coaches.
So Tony, Thanks Carrot Bunches from Lisa & Scout
Lisa & Scout