Our Success Stories
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| Silke,
I just wanted to take a moment and express my deepest thanks. You are the best riding instructor that I have had to date and the last 2 were also European! You really help me connect with Dusty and have helped me understand where I am going wrong. This experience is awakening a deep desire for me to improve and learn more, I am invigorated!
Thank you so much, have a great weekend!
LTC Lorraine Linn, DVM, MS, DACVS Commander |
| Why we love Silke: After being dissapointed by many trainers, I discovered that there are only a few that are certified to train and give lessons. I searched the internet and found Silke. If I had to describe her in one word, it would be enthusiatstic. Silke can bring out the positive in any situation, with both the horse and rider. She can make learning so easy and fun!
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| I am riding now the 3rd season with Silke and I still enjoy each lesson. She does teach according to the German riding system, which I am familiar with. We are consistently improving each season and moving up in the training pyramid. Silke does clearly communicate and makes it easy to improve your level of riding. Silke explain step by step her method of teaching and makes it simple to understand. She is fully committed to bring the best out of horse and rider. Silke has good solution for problems that may occur and is not shy to get on the horse herself to find a strategy. I recommended Silke to several friends of mine. I only received positive feedback from my friends and several are taking lessons on a regular base. Michaela Howard, Ft. Knox, KY
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| For as long as i can remember, I have always had a deep and burning passion for horses. One Christmas morning my dream came true. for over a year and a half Brodway and I made some huge milestones. But then he got sick and wastaken from me in les than a week. I was devasted but I knew the only way i could become happy again was if I moved on, and I know that's what he would of wanted me to do. Unfortunatly my next three hopefuls led to more heartbreak, each one having some sort of physical problem that disabled me from advancing. I kept telling myself and my parents I cannot handle one more loss, and that im only trying one more time. Apparently "the best is saved for last" is a true quote! I new i ended up with a diamond in the rough. There was a connection i haven't had since Broadway. But, my problem was I had no idea how to turn the rough into my diamond, so this is wear Silke comes in! Monty might as well of been a rescue horse; poor hoof and coaat, skinny, but he had and has so much heart. Ever since taking lessons from Silke, EVERYTHINGS improved dramatically! i just wanted to get him to a healthy and happy point, but you pushed me so much and him too, and you continue to do so. Because of you, i feel like I actually have a chance of makin it somewhere in Dressage, not just dream about it anymore. You helped refuel my passion and give me hope again and helped me realize that i am good at this and why i love it. I have confidence again and now i feel like i have the courage to take whatever comes in my way because you showed me through Monty there is always a light at the end, the outcome is always worth it. Thankyou SO MUCH for giving me hope and fatith again
Alicia Ann Boutin
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| Dear Sillke,
Christina and I wanted to Thank you so much for working with Alicia and Monty. We have seen a lot of improvements since you have been working with our daughter Alicia and her new horse Monty. We really like the way you push Alicia and while doing so you are giving her positive rein enforcement to keep her confidence up and you always explain why you are doing what you are doing. I also thought it was really nice of you to follow up with a phone call to Alicia to see how she did in one of the shows she was in, that little gesture goes along way. It shows us that you care about your students. One other item is the feedback you give Alicia while at her lessons. Alicia right after her lessons is always saying Silky told me this and told me that, but it is the excitement in her voice that I love to hear. Again Thanks so much
Ray & Christina Boutin
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| Before I started riding with Silke, I had not taken lessons in years. I wanted to get back into training after a few years off after a knee injury. I started researching dressage instructors in the area and happened to come across Silkes website. I needed someone who could train me and my horses as a team. They all have very different learning styles and personalities, and I was having trouble being consistent across the board. I saw a familiar face on her testimonials page and that convinced me to give her a try. I have been riding with her ever since. Silke is one of those rare individuals who is great with horses and with riders. I was so impressed with Silke I encouraged my friend Regan to work with her as well. We now take lessons together on a weekly basis and plan on continuing the tradition.
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| I've been riding with Silke for several months now and my horse, Moon, has come so far. He's gone from a starved rescue with very little training and no conditioning to a well developed, obidient horse! I got Moon April 1st and he literally had three feet in the ground. He couldn't even stand on his own he was so weak from being starved. Just two months after he came to us we had our first lesson with Silke. I was not planning on keeping Moon, just rehab him and find him a new home. After two dressage lessons that changed. Just one month after starting with Silke, we took Moon to his first event. We were in a large division with mostly professional riders so I really didn't have high expectations for the weekend, I just wanted to finish. After dressage we were middle of the pack.....which I thought was great for his first time in a dressage ring and his first ever event! He scored in the 30's (for eventing that's good, penalty points not percentage). Taking what we had worked so hard with in the ring to cross country, Moon jumped clean! Something very few horses did. He also went double clean in stadium, finishing on his dressage score and placing 3rd overall only 2 points from 1st! Moon has continued to develop every week. He's gotten better, more consistent and quieter after every lesson. When we started working with him, he was a head shaker. Instead of taking an easy way out and finding a "quick fix" Silke worked with me to figure out what was causing him to fling his head and work our way through it. It did take longer than a quick fix may have but we're correcting the problem permanently, not just until we take whatever gadget off. Before meeting Silke, I was one of the many Americans that held the belief that Germans are just not good with Thoroughbreds. They are too pushy and demanding of their horses to be great with the hotter blooded TB's. However, Silke shot that theory to you know where. Her approach to training is wonderful. Teach your horse, through consistency, to be balanced, forward and accepting of the outside rein and inside leg. Once you've done that you're golden. After a few months of riding and training with her Moon has gone from a horse that hides behind your leg and pushes against you to a horse that is balanced, happy and attentive.
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| I have only been riding with Silke White for four months. As a novice rider with a young horse, I needed help and instruction. Fortunately for me, Silke was already working with a couple of ladies at my barn. I have found her to be an amazingly talented horseman. Her no-nonsense, hands on approach has been invaluable to me and my five year old quarter-horse. He was stiff as a board and had obviously skipped many steps in his training. Silke has given me the tools to help turn him around and move in the right direction. Silke stresses being an active rider and not just a passenger on your horse. I am extremely pleased with the way that Henry and I have progressed in the past few months. I can?t wait until my next lesson!
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| Finding Silke was the best thing to happen for my horse and me. She has a talent of giving a rider their confidence back. She works with both the horse and rider to form a partnership. Silke is an active instructor whose goal is to make sure the rider understands what she is saying and what each technique will accomplish. Thanks to her my horse and I are working together and performing as a team. My horse has improved tremendously in only 4 lessons Krisine Lockhart When we moved to Kentucky in 2006, my daughter and I had a hard time finding a good instructor who taught dressage, jumping, and cross-country. We kept hearing about Silke from different people and how awesome of a trainer she is. Well they were right!. Meeting Silke is the best thing that has happened for my daughter and her horse. Silke has done so much for my daughter and her horse in just 4 weeks. Silke teaches the rider and horse to move as one. She teaches with such enthusiasm and you can see her love for horses. Silke has a gift and we are very lucky to have her as my daughters trainer. My name is Betty Lockhart, email cookiedasher@yahoo.com, cell 301-672-2515 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 301-672-2515 end_of_the_skype_highlighting.
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| I had the pleasure, of riding with Silke White, in Giessen Germany. From the, over there dominant FN System surrounded, it was a blessing to be taught Silkes nonviolent approach of training. Her emphasis is on building a trusting relationship between horse and rider. I rode a English TB Stallion , retired from the Racetrack, whos temper was not easy, and a Trakehner mare. Both of them improved quickly with Silkes help. Pressure produces counter pressure, is one of the phrases that imprinted on my mind.
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| Through lessons with Silke White, I have begun to learn the mechanics between horse and rider and the tools necessary to progress onto that next level of horsemanship. I have gone from just a passenger on my horse, to a rider who has begun to develop that special bond and partnership with my horse by understanding his needs and the skills necessary to accommodate those needs. Silkes passion for horses and desire to share her knowledge to others is unquestionable. She dedicates 110% of herself to our lessons and is so involved assertively, attentively and expressively. Her approach is not how to force dominance by rider over horse, but how to mutually and respectfully communicate by becoming aware of the natural dynamics of the horse; and how to properly employ techniques, whether on flat work or in the jumping arena, that is nothing short of wonderful results!
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