I have a 10 year old TB mare who has had problems having her back feet worked on since I got her off the track 5 years ago. She has a scar on her nose from a chain twitch that I believe is directly related to her defensiveness about her back feet. She also has had long toes and low heels, which due to my not being assertive enough over the years with the horse shoers, got worse. She suffered from sore suspensory ligaments in front which then led to a sore back and on & on. She has been barefoot behind because no one could put shoes on her. I spent a lot of time and money getting her front feet balanced through trimming, shoeing, pads, etc. and it was fairly effective...but her back feet were barely being trimmed, much less balanced. However, she has not been sound for over 2 years. I became very discouraged because I couldn't ride my horse and I am a lot about riding. So I decided to just have her shoes pulled, and throw her out in the pasture to see if Mother Nature could help. Well, I mentioned this final plan to Tia Jones and she said, "after her front shoes are pulled, I'd like an opportunity to see what I can do." [barefoot trim and horsemanship]. So I said, "absolutely." Tia came the day after Ruby's front shoes were removed and trimmed her fronts some more so that being bare foot would have a greater chance of success and they looked a lot better immediately. Don't get me wrong, the most recent farrier just did what he knew and they weren't horrible, just not as right as they needed to be. However, Tia was able to trim Ruby's back feet, walls, soles, frogs; the first time her back feet have been trimmed completely in years, without drugs, twitch, or muscle. Ruby was almost asleep with a back foot in Tia's lap as she trimmed away. That was 2 weeks ago. My horse is getting sounder, moving better and feels much more confident about having her back feet handled. I cried. Thanks, Tia!
Tia, I just want to thank you for our visit yesterday. After seeing at least 15 farms here in the Boulder area, I was feeling hopeless that horses were going to stand around bored and developing ulcers. Your farm is just beautiful and happy. I hope you keep the faith and that more people catch on. Have fun on your endurance rides. -Addie, Jan 2012
Thanks for Wednesday. I’m more excited than I’ve ever been about Sky and I’s future. I have so badly wanted a partnership over anything else and it appears we’re laying the foundation.
Thanks so much.
Kristina Bogar, Littleton, CO
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thank you so much for such an inspiring, very fun and helpful clinic yesterday at Cottonwood Riding Club! Chloe is so much happier with my softer cues. I feel so motivated to continue this path and I really hope you can come back soon!
Carrie R. Kelly, Littleton, CO
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Tia, just finished your clinic today at Cottonwood Riding Club in Littleton. A few of us went out afterwards to sink in what we learned. We were all extremely pleased with our experiences today and hope you can become a regular part of our training. Thank you so much for sharing your experience with us.
Angela Bailey, Littleton, CO
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hi Tia:
I just came in from riding and had to let you know the results so far with my little gelding--5th ride since I began your program. I am really quite amazed at his progress--he looks for spooks less and less, today only jumped about twice and stopped himself about twice more--I try to ignore the jumps but a couple of seconds later start the turns, and the last couple of rides I can feel him relax when I do that. I can stay off his mouth with soft two-handed turns, stops, backs, etc. and he is really beginning to listen. We're
adding a little new territory each day. He still walks fast, but I try not to nag him about that. Pretty rewarding-- all due to your good program.
In a couple of weeks or when you feel up to it, I would really like to bring him to your house for a lesson--I have
not taken him anywhere since I've had him, and I can't think of a better place to start. What do you think?
Again thanks so much--wish I would have learned more of this stuff about 30 years ago!
Sue Moore, Larkspur, CO
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hey T!!! Got your email!!! Thank you so much! I'm really happy we met you and things are working out so well AND the progress we've made has been monumental!!!
Robyn Shane, Parker, CO
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hi Tia,
I wanted to thank you again for your help and instruction and working with Marshall - it almost seemed magical the way you were able to control him in your ground work and then get him to load him. He loaded immediately when we left Prairie Canyon using your technique.
I feel so fortunate to be part of such a great group of folks with the Mounted Patrol - and you were especially thoughtful and generous to spend the time with Marshall and me. Thank you so much and I look forward to riding with you soon.
Fondly,
Rich Pollastro (and Marshall)
Castle Rock, CO
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
You are such a good
trainer. You have helped me in so many ways.
June Ayers, Franktown, CO
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hi Tia,
After two reminders today, we cantered around the arena on a long rein three times without attempts to drop into trot, with him holding his head low and at times reaching almost to the ground. As a reward I transitioned him successively into trot, walk, and stop on my breathing cues, and called it a day, with lots of praise to him.
Thank you for having the patience of a saint to keep teaching the same thing many times over to a student who keeps forgetting it! :)
Tarja Toivonen, Aurora, CO
Hi Tia,
I just wanted to thank you for holding the clinic at our place last Saturday. Everyone really loved it! We are hoping you can still come to our place once a month. I also wanted to talk to you more about doing some training under you. We were all very excited about the new fun things we learn with you. Robert is even trying to start a mini track on the property that we currently have.
I would love to have further discussion about getting on your schedule for more clinics and working with you to train in Parelli Natural Horsemanship and all of your knowledge.
Thank you,
Sheila Morelli, Brighton, CO
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Hi Tia,
Thank you very much for letting me be a part of the clinic yesterday. Your students were just as welcoming as you were, and I really enjoyed it. I'd like to come back. I like the way you handle your horses, and the comfortable way you relate to your students. I can benefit from your teaching and so can my horses, although I'll probably audit for a while. I know that I will also be recommending you to friends.
One friend lives near you, as I mentioned. They have a lovely young (actually he's probably about 8 now) Arab stallion. They started him under saddle themselves a couple of years ago, but the husband has suffered several injuries, not horse-related, and now serious orthopedic problems which have stalled any work with this horse. He's a sweet-dispositioned, athletic horse that's just standing around. I've thought about offering to help with him myself, but I have a colt coming three years old, and need to give my time to him. No doubt I'll be turning to you for some help with that. I know that you take horses in training, but do you take stallions? What can I tell my friends about the services that you offer?
Thanks again, Tia. I look forward to next time.
Fred
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Just had the best ride with Jack. Went out in the neighborhood. Rode mostly at a trot! It was incredible. Also, worked on load at a trot in the trailer and he and I did awesome!!! I can't thank you enough Tia! I have waited a long time to feel this way about my horsemanship!!! Thank you!!!
Jacque Colton, Parker, CO