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Testimonials - Alberta Horse Trainer
I have been in a 4h club for 5 years and about 2 years ago, I decided to buy a new horse and find one that would be a challenge for me. I ended up buying a young horse which had never been in a barn or an arena, didn’t load in a trailer and had only ever been out on trails, he is now in the show ring, collected up and slowed down looking like a show horse all thanks to Jon. When I bought Cola I knew that I wanted to take some extra private lessons outside of 4h group lessons. Jon got recommended to me and I decided to try it out. Very flexible for times and dates, Jon came out to my arena one evening and I was not sure how it was going to go but within an hour long lesson we had basically summed up everything I had learnt in lessons my 3 previous years of 4h. I then knew things were off to a good start so I decided to book another lesson for the week after. The next lesson went even better than the first one and it was then that I decided Jon would work out for what I wanted. Within a couple of months I had almost perfected a bunch of difficult maneuvers with my horse such as turn on the haunches, turn on the forehand, stopping my horse with my body and lots of different stuff using leg pressure including moving my horses shoulder in a circle when he tried to drop it. Not to mention that these were all maneuvers I previously had no idea how to do. From there I gained tons of experience and Jon also helped me bond/ build a relationship with my horse. I then recommended Jon to my 4h club and we got together one day and did a clinic with him and I got lots of positive feedback about it.
Jon had taught me so much and when he asked me to spend the summer of 2009 at the rivers edge camp with him and work with him and the horses I agreed to without any hesitation. During the course of the summer I got tons of hours on horse back and gained lots of experience with a variety of horses. Jon also showed me lots of different techniques to help start horses and I even got a few chances to hop up on a couple of the horses he had been working with, which was great for me because I got even more confidence from it and also gained more experience by learning some new things from each different horse. I also got a few chances to ride his own horse Pistol and learnt lots just from riding him because he was trained so well, he was like a teacher himself.
Jon is amazing with horses, but not only that, Jon is the funniest person I know and has a great attitude towards life. He is hard working and gets the job done but can also make you laugh non-stop. He has worked hard to get to where he is, He knows what he is doing, he has nothing to hide and no fancy tricks, he just has a way with horses and I trust him 100%, not only with my horse, but as a person. I thank him for everything he has done for me and without his help and dedication I would not have near the amout of skills and experience with horses as I do now. I would recommend him to anyone that needs help with a horse, wants to improve on their riding skills or even wants to learn to ride.
Kayla
Calgary Alberta
First and foremost I would like to say that Jon has an amazing gift with horses, I trust him 100% in everything that he does. Jon trains in the most humane and gentle manner. We were looking for someone to break and train our 5 year old filly and I mite add that she had no ground manners at all, and in a very short time we got back a well mannered and broke horse. Jon also went on to teach our daughter riding lessons, and I must say that she learned more in the first month then I could ever imagine. Her horse had an issue of elevating in the front when he was asked to do something that he was either unsure of or scared, Jon taught Tiffany not to fight with him but to turn it around on him, thus work him around it.
For example Tiffany was trying to get Dream to cross a trail bridge, when he started to rear she turned and made him trot around it instead, it took about 100 times but he finally went over the bridge without any rearing. Jon is a great teacher and trainer. Tiffany has become a much more confident and relaxed rider and not only does he teach the horses he teaches his students to train with the same patience and relaxed hands that he has.
I am not an easily impressed person. I have been around horses all my life. But I was impressed with Jon. He definitely has a way with horses. I trust him to train my horses and teach my daughter. This coming summer (2010) we will have Jon help teach and assist our daughter in breaking her 2 year old.
Jane Zenchuk
Calgary, AB
I inherited my horse Cowboy from my mom and promised that I would always take care of him. My mom wanted to break him before she passed away, but couldn't find anyone to do it. Cowboy is my first horse and I had no experience with horses be for I got him, He was 5 years old and barely halter broke and took 3 men to get him into a trailer. I having no experience with horses was learning how to take care of him through books and everyone I talked to didn’t really enjoy being around him and did not want to help break him.
I found Jon's ad and called him up and he had no issues about helping me and working with my schedule. When he came to get Cowboy he walked into that trailer like it was nothing, it was a good sign as far as I was concerned. When Jon went to ride Cowboy for the first time (a week after he got him) I went to watch as the people where I normally keep Cowboy were sure that Jon was going to be bucked off. Cowboy didn't flinch and I knew he trusted Jon, which made me trust Jon. In two months Cowboy turned into this amazing horse.
When I went to pick up Cowboy Jon spend some time with me and taught me how to handle cowboy and get the most out of what he had been taught. I found out fast that riding a horse it is more then sit and hold rains like those trail horses people pay to ride which are really deceiving.
Now Cowboy and I are sitting pretty. Cowboy respects personal space now and I can ride him on the road. He has spooked twice on me, but Jon taught me how to manage Cowboy. So it wasn't a scary ordeal for me and Cowboy easily got past it. Whenever I have a question I know I can count on Jon to answer it and give me sound advice.
Thanks Jon for helping me when everyone else wouldn't.
Windy Ryan.
Airdrie, Alberta
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