Getting Tina to talk about herself is next to impossible, being that she is a very private, and extraordinarly busy person. So, I have taken it upon myself to give you my unbiased, and honest opinion of her character. Tina has trained a few horses for us over the years, and I have yet to get the courage up to take her up on a riding lesson or step in a show ring, but some day....., you can bet she'll be the trainer I'll be showing with.
If you were to ask top trainers who would be the trainer for them, if they needed help, or they just wanted someone else to do the work for a change, Tina would most likely be their top choice. Having worked for a few different trainers I have observed first hand, training ethics that ranged all over the scale. From the trainer who would happily count the money to the bank for full time training, when horses were out lounging in the paddocks 5 out of 7 days of the week, with not one minute of training being spent of them. On the other end of the scale was the "fanatical" trainer, who seemed to think that to make a horse a champion, you had to do drills over and over for hours a day, with no rest for the overworked horse, and would scream at the clients for every little error they made. Tina is the only trainer I have ever observed to actually care about the horse being happy doing it's job, the owners being satisfied and having fun, and above all, no one getting hurt. If there were a zen plain for trainers, Tina would be on it, she seems to have figured out the happy balance. I have seen firsthand Tina's dedication to her clients and the horses in her charge. After being up before 5 a.m. to ready a horse for a class, she will be on the go all day long, and well past the last class being over at 11p.m. or so, you will find her still in the arena, working the horses that didn't show that day, to keep them sharp for their owners.
Tina truly enjoys working with people as well as their horses, some more than others, of course, but everyone is equal in her stable. You can especially tell that she loves working with children, her eyes light up and she seems to be in her element teaching them to ride the correct, safe way and having an enjoyable experience. If you are an adult with your first horse, or 15th horse, and are having problems getting Sparky to soften up and relax, in just one lesson, I have seen Tina pinpoint the problem and have it corrected in no time. She is that good, and she is even more humble. You will never find Tina boasting about how good of a trainer she is, or giving unwanted advice, but you will hear her clients referring her over and over, and talking about how wonderful she is. Another thing you will be hard pressed hearing Tina doing, is talking uncharitably about another competitor, trainer, or horse, her confidentiality and kindness are legendary.
Tina worked for many years as an assistant trainer for Don Deardorf, a well respected, top Saddlebred breeder and trainer in the Northwest. With that kind of beginning, it is easy to see why most people's response when I refer them to Tina for training their stock horse is, "I thought she was a Saddlebred trainer?" True, Tina's first love is Saddlebreds, and I cannot say I blame her one bit, what trainer wouldn't love a highly responsive, intelligent horse, full of fire and challenge? But, Tina is the renaissance trainer, she can train absolutely anything from the smallest, and surliest of mini's, to the hottest of Saddlebred's with even something as different as a Friesen thrown in for variety! It has been a rare horse that truly stumps her and challenges her abilities past her limits. Tina's achievements in the ring are many and the list of winners is long, from World Champions, local Champions, and 4-H Champions, you will also find the ones who are not quite champions, but who are almost there, with more heart and desire to win, because they want to make Tina proud. Every loss is taken personally by Tina, you won't find her berating the rider for whatever mistake they made, you will never, ever find her raising her voice, but she feels that the loss was her fault, no matter what. Most of Tina's clients want to please her so much, that they heap enough of the blame on themselves, and they vow to try harder the next time to please their mentor!
Whether you are looking for training a top show horse, getting some skills to become a better trail rider, or wanting to have your child learn how to ride, Tina is the person I would refer every rider, from every discipline, to become a better person all around .
Getting Tina to talk about herself is next to impossible, being that she is a very private, and extraordinarly busy person. So, I have taken it upon myself to give you my unbiased, and honest opinion of her character. Tina has trained a few horses for us over the years, and I have yet to get the courage up to take her up on a riding lesson or step in a show ring, but some day....., you can bet she'll be the trainer I'll be showing with.