Judith Schaeffer-Benoit

Nancy has taught me how to ride from the inside of my body using my inner vision to communicate to my horse, my  intuition to receive my horse’s questions,  and my mindful observation of my core and spine to align myself to my horse’s balance.  It has been a journey of physical, mental and spiritual discovery.  It has  been very fortuitous to find a mentor who patiently waits for the dance to come naturally, rather than force it into submission, which lacks the beauty that defines “lightness”.  I have trained with many talented riders throughout my life, but I had never been able to find an individual who can train the internal body of the rider so that one’s subtle intention invites the horse to dance with synchronized grace. My prior training has primarily emphasized what can be done “to” the horse rather than done “with” a horse or through “external cues” rather through “internal cues”. Lastly, for me one of the most important components of a trainer/ rider relationship is trust and the patience to develop the dance at the pace that is necessary for both rider and horse.  Nancy has the capacity to deliver such skill with compassion and wisdom which makes her the true horsewomen.