Dressage Peacock
TESTIMONIALS
With over 20 years of experience with instruction and training, Susan has worked with a variety of riders and horses. Susan's current and past clients have happily shared their stories below!
I have had the great honor of knowing Suzie for over fifteen years. I met Suzie as a young reckless 3-Day Eventing teenager and after I started taking lessons with her my eyes where opened to a better way of riding. I took lessons with Suzie throughout high school once a month. Once I decided to go to college I quickly moved my horse to her facility close to Cal Poly Pomona. I was so excited to finally have frequent access to her. However, starving students can’t afford frequent access to lessons and training. Suzie let me become a working student at her barn and this is really when my Dressage education starting progressing a record speed. After a year of two of hard work I finally was promoted to Suzie’s assistant and worked for her for 4 amazing years.
I have been riding for over 20 years and with the help of Suzie I have had opportunities I could have never dreamed of such as NAYR Young Riders on the legendary Cassius. Her coaching has made me a very confident, successful rider and I couldn’t be more thankful. Every time I sit on a horse now I hear Suzie. She is my head, in my riding and in my heart forever. I will honestly say she is the BEST instructor I have ever experienced. If you take a lesson from her be prepared to have several “light bulb” moments and be prepared to be a changed rider.
- Laura Rice Kaye
You taught me to have a passion for dressage that one summer way back when I was the age of 10! Over the course of 8 years in South Carolina I tried to continue to move forward in my passion but without you and Erin it was impossible. Luckily I was able to end the year of 2013 with a BANG! I was able to pay a visit to the sunny So Cal to stay with you and Brad for a week. Within that week I learned so much and I am grateful for the opportunity! Within three days of your biomechanics program I felt confident in my riding. The program even brought comfort to my lower back that has been bothering me for years now. I had numerous lessons on Hobo that were absolutely FANTASTIC! Each lesson I learned something that I can take back with me to use on horses I ride in the future. I thank you for letting me come raid your barn with Stacia for the week! The week with you reminded me why my passion is in dressage and stays in dressage! Without you, this trip filled with great lessons and adventures would have never happened! Thank you so much!
- Jordan Raska
I've had a number of amazing teachers and coaches over the last 20 years and am grateful for their guidance and support as I pursued riding. I knew Suzie would be an addition to that wonderful group of people in my life when I met her at a horse show in Temecula. She parked next to me and just struck up a conversation with me while we waited for our classes. The ease of conversation was an indicator to me that she was probably a pretty good teacher. I saw her, again, at the regional championships (more great conversation) and it seemed inevitable that I would a student of hers one day soon.
After my first lesson with Suzie, I noticed a considerable difference in my mare, Klio. We worked on simple things like, moving forward and the different gait cues--things I thought I knew but now I understood. Suzie has an amazing way of explaining how things work and why they work, making it easy to replicate it at home. The following lessons
have been equally amazing. Shows are going smoother, schooling at home is going smoother, and Klio is much happier. I even had my chiropractor ask me how I got my horse's back so open and loose. I have a feeling it has to do something with the help from Suzie.
A few months ago I felt that "floating" feeling you're suppose to feel when you riding dressage. It happened during my lessons several times, but to feel it at home, without anyone coaching from the ground, is pretty amazing. Thank you, Suzie, for all your help! I look forward to more learning, growing in my dressage knowledge, and of course, floating across the arena with Klio.
- Julie
Before coming to Hidden River Ranch I had a passion for dressage, but no plan.
Then I started working with Erin and Susie and under their expert guidance realized that success comes with both -- couple that with a congenial atmosphere and camaraderie -- and you have the perfect environment to excel at dressage.
Both Susie and Erin are happy to share their expertise and knowledge with their students. Whether it's in teaching a student lesson, training a horse or providing ground support at the shows, both are eager to encourage and challenge their students to be better riders. Susie particularly goes out of her way to attract qualified teachers and trainers to come to Hidden River to share their expertise with others and I have been the grateful recipient of many new ideas which have improved my riding. Indeed, I had the good fortune to be able to attend an adult camp event at Hidden River and can tell you that experience was awesome. The environment at Hidden River, under Susie's guiding hand, is friendly, supportive, involved, but without pressure, since each student is free to participate or decline in barn activities without reprisals and your horse could not receive better care.
- Barbara & "Dolce"
Susan did awesome - thank you so much! What an improvement from the tools you taught Cheyenne and she did her tests on her own without call outs - love it. Thank you thank you. Judge spoke very high on Cheyenne's potential and how well she does at her age and was impressed with her core for being young and a soft rider... I am very proud momma and so proud of her improvements... very happy!
- Michelle Cline
Hi Susie: When I saw you asked for some testimonials, I just had to submit mine in. You were the biggest influence in my riding career, and what you taught me has been with me for the last 19 years. You taught me to make sure my horse was warmed up properly for each lesson, sometimes we spent the entire lesson on warming up. I loved how detailed your explanation's were, and how you asked me to ride with such precision.
I can still remember you saying this to me: Just like a bodybuilder, you have to warm up before your work out, have plenty of rest breaks, and know when it is time to stop and not overdue the training session, and that it takes years to build up the correct muscles to get to the Grand Prix level.
After all these years, I can still hear your voice, and I am forever grateful that I had the honor to ride with you.
- Colleen Walker
I have ridden with many different trainers in my over 30 years of riding. I have never had a trainer who just knows like Suzie. I can ride with Suzie for one hour and gain more knowledge and ability to correct myself than hours logged with other trainers. She is a natural. Suzie can pair a rider with a horse like magic. She knows what each rider is capable of accomplishing and she gets them there. She is amazing!
- Daria Weinrich
I’ve ridden with Suzie off and on since the ‘90s. She was the trainer who first introduced me to dressage and I was hooked. I moved away from California, but when I moved back I looked her up and continued my training with her. I love her systematic program. I understand where I am, where I’m going, and how I’m going to get there. She is excellent at explaining the biomechanics of what I am trying to accomplish with my horse. It creates a great visual for me and I feel like my horse and I have really moved forward. Her patience and ability to explain what she wants us to do makes all the difference to me. I’ve had a lot of different trainers across the country as I have moved about, and I will always go out of my way to stay with Suzie. She demonstrates compassion for both horse and rider. She is the best trainer I have ever had. Thank you, Suzie, for believing in us!
-Melissa Gardner
