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Clients & Their Horses
Anna-Marie & Balendin I have been riding on and off since I was four years old. I mostly rode hunter jumpers and knew absolutely nothing about Dressage until 2005 when I met Joanna. I started boarding at a dressage barn where Joanna was the trainer. I decided to take some lessons with her...well, needless to say...six years have gone by and I am hooked on dressage and Jo. Joanna is the most amazing teacher and beautiful rider, I can also call her a great friend! She has such a wonderful connection with the horses, they respond to her almost immediately! I do not know what myself or Bally (my horse) would do without her. I am looking forward to this life long journey with you!
Thanks Jo for everything...you are the BEST! - Anna-Marie Sollinger
Natasha Enegren & Sir Richard the GreatWe came to Joanna with a horse who had developed some bad habits and was beginning to take advantage of Natasha. We were very excited when Joanna moved to our barn. Natasha immediately asked to train with her, after the first lesson we were convinced we had found the perfect trainer. At the very first lesson Joanna gave Natasha tools to deal with her naughty horse. She has developed a new sense of confidence and is excited about riding again. She counts down the days to her lessons and begs to ride every day to practice. Poor Richard never gets a day off. Joanna's passion for the sport and love and understanding of the horses is evident in her riding and instruction. She is a gifted teacher who explains, demonstrates and reinforces her techniques in a clear and concise manner. Joanna is a beautiful and talented rider who makes every horse she rides look like an Olympic champion. Natasha and Richard both adore Joanna and are very happy to have met her!
Marchell & OsoI met Jo two years ago in April. She and I began training Oso until June when we had the first surgery for bone chips. I got Treasure in October and we began training her as Oso recovered and was coming back to light work. Unfortnately, in February 08 he had a colic surgery and we were off again. This past April 08 I bought Nakai and we started training with Jo. He also went to his first show with me in more than 5 years. Jo showed him First 4 and won his class with a 71.8%. - Marchell Housden
Wendy & TuraJoanna Sloan is a caring and knowledgable teacher. In the past 2+ years she has tailored her approach with myself and my horse, TesseTura, a 20 year old Thoroughbred ,to our abilities and capacities. Tura is a very 'hot' horse with whose experience previous to my ownership was of running at jumps with her head thrown in the air and her back arched. These are skills not necessarily useful in Dressage. Jo has a lot of experience with the 'fixer-upper' horse, as well as Thoroughbreds, and my horse and I have both grown by leaps and bounds under her tutalage. Jo is patient and kind and always positive in our lessons. She has encouraged me and Tura through those despondent times when I didn't really think I could ride at all( we all have those days), and helped me to see myself and my horse in a new perspective. I love her philosphy of riding as an opportunity for personal growth and connection with the horse in a partnership. I would recommend her to anyone who wishes to florish through their riding in better understanding of the Art of Dressage, while having fun too! - Wendy Laws
After
years of absence from the horse world, I was very surprised to find
that my riding confidence had pretty much gone to zero. Gallavant and
I have been working with Jo for about one year now, and have made great
progress. Both he and I require the trainer at times to “think outside
the box” and Jo has mastered this beautifully. Her patience seems to
be endless, and her kind and effective way in working with the horse
(and rider) speaks of a true talent. - Petra Fitch
PHOTO COMING SOON!
It is shocking to compare the horse I have today with the one I had a year ago when I started training w/ Jo. Due to her patience and willingness to work w/ a difficult horse, a Thoroughbred with issues is now a fun and talented dressage and trail horse. White knuckle and nerve racking experiences have been replaced with exhilaration and joy. My horse and I are now having the time of our lives. - Andrea Sid
Jodie & Chumley"I started dressage training with Jo about 15 months ago after spending 30 years riding hunters and jumpers. Although my horse comes from a long line of accomplished dressage horses, he was lazy and didn't have a good work ethic. I ended up exhausted after every ride since I was the one doing all the work! Jo asked me if I was willing to start from square one again and re-teach him the basics on FORWARD, FORWARD, FORWARD. I knew it would be work but I remembered my initial reason for changing disciplines in the first place was to have a new "challenge". Although Currency Exchange ("Chumley") doesn't make ANY ride easy, Jo's training has made a huge difference in the way he moves and carries himself. With Jo's patience and easy to understand teaching technique, I'm enjoying my rides and I'm excited to continue learning as much as I can!" - Jodie Briggs
