About the Trainer
I was born and raised on a cattle ranch in 100 Mile House BC. I was involved in horses at a young age, from my first ride at 18 months of age to later clutching the cantle of my parents' saddles as they drove cattle through the 7,000 acre lease. I soon progressed to showing western pleasure/equitation/trail/gymkhanas, competing in english pleasure/equitation/hunter/jumper through Pony Club, and working cattle alongside my parents. When we moved off the ranch I continued to work and show cattle through High Lonesome Ranch and also continued to compete in both english and western disciplines.
We currently own a dark bay 2004 Thoroughbred gelding off the Alberta race circuit, Link's Secret, a grey 1995 Quarter Horse x Arabian gelding, Silver, a grey 2000 Dutch Warmblood x Quarab gelding, Koolaid, and a bay 2003 CSHA Argentina WB mare, Shianti.
Silver (pictured at right) was homebred/ raised and was started at age 4 by a local natural horsemanship horse trainer, Russ Dreger of Knutsford, BC, who put on an excellent natural-horsemanship-based foundation. From there, I took over. We worked cattle long days and competed in Pony Club and open shows for years afterwards.
In 2000, I acquired Silver's half-brother, Koolaid. He was out of one of our old mares (Silver's dam, a Quarter Horse x Arabian mare) and by the Holland-import Dutch Warmblood stallion Formaat. I began working with him as a foal, but it was soon clear he was beyond my capabilities. He made every attempt to always get his way, including intentionally hurting me. Over the years, he was becoming increasingly unruly and dangerous, and I was at my wit's end. Until I attended a Parelli tour stop in Calgary, Alberta, in 2003. Seeing what was possible with horses completely blew me away. Pat and Linda Parelli offered me a completely new approach to horses, a completely new way of working with them and offered me the type of partnership one only previously associated with fictious tales such as The Black Stallion.
July of 2004 I attended a Level 1 clinic by Jonathan Field, and August 2005 I attended a Level 2 clinic by Jonathan as well, bringing along Koolaid both times. Koolaid soon became a successful partner who enjoyed jumping and trails as much as I did, a horse I could finally enjoy riding - even at liberty! I quickly brought Silver up to the same level and capabilities.
Last fall Matt Lee and I purchased a Thoroughbred gelding off the track - Link's Secret (pictured at top). I had worked on the track with this "problem horse" and loved his mischievous personality as well as his energy. Over the last year he has progressed from the highly-reactive, rebellious horse he was into a calm and thinking partner who is now starting Level 3 Parelli as well as dressage, so as to properly prepare us for a jumping career hopefully starting Spring 2011. My hopes are to complete Level 4 with him by fall 2010 (self-assessed) and to compete in dressage on him throughout 2010.
I find I learn from each and every horse, and have been able to successfully turn out horses with strong foundations that go home to happy owners. My goal with
every horse is to fully develop them The ever-resistant Koolaid, even at 3 days old
into the horse they need to be to
become a healthy, happy, successful
partner under-saddle who can later
specialize.
-Tara Fehr
