Training testimonials

"I wanted to check in with you and let you know AGAIN how much I appreciate your help with Odhinn... We took Odhinn (and Skip) to a dressage show this weekend, so this was his first real 'off the farm' test for loading in a crazy environment. Both going and coming home, he calmly walked on with NO hesitation at all. At both places, he backed off calmly, one foot at a time. I couldn't ask him to be better at loading. He is comfortable enough now that I feel that I can work on re-visiting teaching him to self-load with no problems.

Feel free to use me as a reference if you ever need one from someone, and I would be more than happy to expand upon my statement if you would like. Hannah, you really gave me my horse back. I now have a partner I can go and DO things with. I have 2 more shows lined up, and the best part is that I don't have to stress out all weekend wondering if I will be able to get my horse back home. I really think he actually LIKES the trailer, as it has somehow turned into just another skill...like trotting or backing that HE has lots of confidence with. Of course, the new elephant-sized trailer helps (he particularly loves the drop windows, lol), but he truly is a 'point and go' type loader. It now takes longer to shut the ramp and windows than it does to load my horse :-D. We will continue to practice for sure, but each time, it just gets better and better.

Thanks!!!
Avery Wilson"

"Hi Hannah,

We thought you might want to know that Foolish Friend is doing very well up in Tennessee. The trainer that rides her (Brooke Carpenter) says that all your ground work is really showing through. FF is willing and does whatever you ask. She is far ahead of the other 2 YO's there.

And Brooke loves the way she moves under her...FF might be a good one after all. She's galloping half miles already and loves it. Brooke works her first in the mornings because she says it starts her day off right. But, when she puts FF up after the work (out in a paddock actually), and walks back to the barn, FF chases her along the fence, like she doesn't want Brooke to go. Heartbreaking. But, Brooke's grandfather has fallen in love with FF and dotes on her almost every day. And Brooke works her twice a day, so FF is getting about as much attention as possible.

I've attached the most recent photo of her. Brooke has her on organic, unsteamed grains and organic supplements and probiotics. Interestingly, neither Brooke nor her helper have seen FF even try to crib!!! I don't know what to say about that.

Our lawyer is filing two complaints against Regal Heir Farm...one this week. I don't know what we would have done had we not sent Foolish Friend to you. Thank you for everything, and I think we've all done the best we could since last Fall to insure her chances of a good life and a good career at the track.

We will sing your praises to everyone who asks, and even to those who don't, for your horse training skills. And we get around and we talk a lot!

Thanks again.

Gary Anderson"

As you know last February my husband Billy and I bought a small horse / pony for our 9 year old daughter, Sydney. When Billy and I found Patches we knew that she was the horse for Sydney , and we were in love.

Patches is very gentle, quite and loving on the ground and after riding her for a couple of months we found that under saddle she reacted almost as an excited puppy. She had a lot of GO and very little WHOA. We had no idea how she had been ridden in the past nor how much if any training that had.

We had the opportunity to have Patches spend 6 weeks with you at WildeWood and she has turned into our dream horse. She has become very responsive to both Sydney and I and is starting to pay close attention to us vs. everybody and everything else around her. In turn, the 5 weeks that you worked with me on Patches in lessons has proven invaluable for I am able to continue with consistency and share the information and training with Sydney .

Both Sydney and I are having a blast sharing and riding Patches and I can’t tell you how much I appreciate all that you have done for us.

This essay is a tribute to the many people who saved Jessi, a 12+ year old Belgian mare, and the horse who lets us keep trying. My name is Tina Joslyn, and my husband, David, and I first saw this blonde giant in January 2004. We were visiting the Wyandot County Humane Society Equine Rescue Facility (WCHSERF) in Carey, Ohio to check the possibility of fostering one or more horses that had recently been rescued from Morrow County. Their fates were being stalled by legal red tape, so we left the barn area and headed for our car. I was stopped in my tracks by the sight of a large Belgian, alone in a snowy enclosure on that frigid day. Her winter coat ruffled slightly in the wind, but she stood unwavering in the sunshine and drew me to her like a magnet.

“Who’s this?” I asked. “Is she a rescue? Is she available for adoption? What happened to her? What’s that mark on her nose? What’s wrong with her feet?” At some point David slowed me down so Inga and Ann of WCHSERF could respond. They had acquired Jessi almost 3 months earlier at an auction where she was undoubtedly headed for slaughter. She had been used as a perpetual breeding machine with no physical or emotional comforts, and quite obviously no hoof or health care. Her halter had at one point grown into her face and been roughly removed, and she had a deep, somewhat healed gouge across her muzzle. Her hooves were barely hooves, just an appalling misshapen mess of cracks, splits and missing chunks. Her rescuers captured her appearance in a set of photos that documented the challenge they had just taken on.

None of this news seemed to deter my instant love of this beautiful horse. Her body language was all about fear, and in her eyes there was no plea for help, just more fear and distrust. This only served to pull me closer to the fence, and start scheming how I could help her. I turned to David, and he later said he could see the love in my eyes—for Jessi. The chemistry wasn’t mutual, but from that moment on we were bound to travel her road to recovery together. Soon the paperwork was completed, and the staff looked happy for Jessi’s new future. We headed home to prepare for our new barn tenant and borrow a trailer.

On January 25, 2004 Jessi loaded and trailered well, and arrived at her new home. Once in the snow coated corral, she was, at the same time, a stunning and distressing sight. The photos show the brave beast taking in her new surroundings, but they cannot capture the fears, suspicions and painful memories that may have been plaguing her with every step on those malformed hooves.

Thanks to the staff at WCHSERF, Jessi had received excellent medical and farrier care after they acquired her, and I had no immediate concern for those basic needs. My primary goal was, and is, to give her a comfortable place to live out her life with no unreasonable demands, and my close second goal is to find ways to reduce her fears and help her feel more at ease with the humans she relies on. The first target was reached immediately, as she took well to her stall, amenities, and attached corral. She soon met our other two horses, 2-yr old Tenn. Walker, Susie, and 4-yr old mini mare, Chanel. Greetings went well over the corral gate, and within days they were commingling in another enclosed area. Eventually Jessi got to explore the 6-acre pasture, and immediately became leader of the herd when the three of them (small, medium, and large…) were out grazing together. In the winter the horses are outside during the day, and come up to the barn in the evening to be in their safe, warm, hay-filled stalls at night. In the summer the schedule is reversed, and they wait out the hot, fly-infested daytime in exchange for comfy grazing evenings.

This schedule makes it easy for me to access Jessi for training. The first year, our work together mostly consisted of leading, tying and grooming. She was a little nervous at first about brushing down the legs, but not too bad. No way I could touch her above the eye line on the front of her face, or on top of her head or between her ears. Approaching her in the stall took several sessions of me entering and leaving, then entering and doing nothing for half an hour then leaving. Since the second month or so I’ve been able to approach and take her by the halter. The WCHSERF staff said that placing a new halter on Jessi had been quite an event, so I waited several months before I started touching her halter buckle and finally removing it. With great trepidation I placed the halter on again, and much to my surprise she did not fuss, even when the

strap was flipped over from the other side. Whew! That was my first real trust breakthrough. Approaching Jessi outside of her stall is another issue. I attempted to work with her in our round pen on this, but she has the endurance of a marathoner, and I feared damaging her hoof structure further. Plus, I knew that I didn’t really know if my methods were sound.

Vet visits for shots were a bit stressful, partly because I had Jessi tied instead of holding the lead (to be discussed in my equine education section). A striking draft horse is not pleasant to be near…

Hoof trimming… WCHSERF used stocks and tranquilizers for her first trim. A few months after she arrived at our place, the vet tranq’d her and our Amish farrier trimmed. Despite the drugs it was a battle, and at one point she landed a rear hoof on his arm. So, a few months later we had an appointment with the vet and farrier to tranq her and put her in stocks, but there was a miscommunication with the vet, and we had to try it the next day without the drugs. Jessi entered the stocks and was quiet for a moment until the rear strap touched her, then there was an atomic explosion as she rocked the stocks, broke her halter, and bolted around this Amish family’s yard. So we trailered her home, and that was that until I talked to Ann at WCHSERF in April.

To Jessi’s great fortune, the facility had a May workshop scheduled with Hannah Campbell, an expert trainer and certified instructor in natural horsemanship techniques. Ann communicated with Hannah, and it was decided that we would bring Jessi to the facility the weekend before the clinic; Jessi would be attended to by the staff for a week and desensitized to the stocks, and Hannah would include her in the workshop. David and I were ecstatic: as small business owners, we have limited finances, and to have WCHSERF give Jessi this opportunity was beyond what we could do alone. Without them, we never would have met the trainer who gave Jessi a new lease on life. On Thursday prior to the workshop, the WCHSERF staff placed Jessi in the stocks and under triple strength sedation attempted to trim her hooves; one brutal hour later they called it off and let her chill out in the round pen. Ann said they were all very upset and depressed, knowing that if Hannah’s techniques were not successful, Jessi’s chance at a long life were minimal.

I won’t attempt to describe the entire workshop; suffice to say the two days were educational, entertaining, and undoubtedly worth every minute. Personally, outside of the Jessi issues I learned about basic horse psychology; equine communication, how to determine good/bad saddle fit, how to tie 2 basic knots, how to train a horse with a surcingle and driving reins in my round pen, how to approach a horse reluctant to be caught, what a bad hoof trim looks like, and much more. The crucial learning took place in Jessi’s stall, as Hannah educated me on basic techniques like holding Jessi’s lead instead of tying, letting her walk off her energy, using pressure and release in desensitizing, various horse body language messages, and most importantly, how to touch Jessi’s hooves without getting killed. Using a stick to tickle her legs was not an option, so Hannah showed me how to dangle and touch with the rope, eventually getting it around her front leg and lifting the hoof. When Hannah had this success on Saturday, May 7 with Jessi, we decided to attempt a full-out hoof trim Sunday morning before the workshop session began. It was an ambitious goal, and several of us didn’t sleep well, knowing the stakes were high.

When David and I arrived Sunday morning, Hannah and the staff had already had Jessi in and out of the round pen and back in her stall. We commenced the proceedings, and it was a group effort. Under Hannah’s direction, I held Jessi, breathed deeply and talked silliness to her. Dave, facility director with years of experience in tranquilizing draft horses, gave Jessi a fast-acting, short term tranq, and a slow-acting, long term tranq. After Jessi became drowsy, Hannah and my husband worked together to get a front leg up on a hay bale and balanced on a stump; Hannah worked the nippers, and David supported the leg and occasionally helped squeeze the nippers closed. I couldn’t see much from up front, but it seemed a Herculean effort due to the misshapen condition of the hooves, the toughness of the hoof walls, and Jessi’s tics and twitches. Jessi started to wake up after the first hoof was done, so Dave put another tranq in her and we battled on. Ann provided support from outside the stall; passing tools, holding ropes and taking pictures. I told Jessi several times in my ramblings that she was being waited on by the best people in the world, and that they were doing their very best. Also, that not every horse is lucky enough to get drugs on a Sunday morning. She came close to tipping over a few times and we had to stay on alert, but within an hour all four hooves were done and Hannah was soaked with sweat. With happy faces we left Jessi in her stall to nap, and day two of the workshop started up—right after Hannah changed into dry clothes…

Jessi’s life has been a little different since she arrived home from the workshop. I’ve been working my new skills on her, and she is showing progress on several fronts. By using pressure and release in the appropriate manner, I can now approach and touch her outside her stall (it takes a long time out in the field, but it does happen), I can touch, pick up, and hold briefly both of her front hooves, I can touch the top of her head with a rope end, and I’m much closer to touching her forehead. My husband joins the fun soon, as he will hold Jessi while I begin rope training and lifting on her hind legs. Jessi has remained a quiet, non-aggressive horse throughout all this training, and still enjoys a long face-to-muzzle snuggle with a kiss chaser. Just yesterday, I had a visitor who substantiated all my claims to progress with Jessi: the vet. She came to give scheduled shots, and was glad to hear that I had a new game plan on controlling Jessi. So, together we stood in Jessi’s stall and spun round and round as Jessi worked off her nerves, shortly allowing the vet to place her hand on the broad neck. When the syringe arm came up, round and round we went again, then poke-poke and all was done. (Prior to the visit, I had practiced pinching Jessi’s neck skin and poking her with a fake syringe.) The vet was impressed with Jessi’s behavior, and relieved that her visits won’t have to be so risky in the future.

Wow, what can I say. . You’ve transformed a pushy, nipping 3yo Straight Egyptian Arabian into a gentleman. I had a feeling he would be brave under saddle but never expected the brave AND Confident horse I rode yesterday at Dawson forest after only 60 days of training.

Thanks to your calm, confident, consistent Professional training he has turned from a horse I currently have for sale into a horse I wouldn’t sell for the world.

Thank you, thank you, thank you!!! There is no question, I am bringing Tucker, my TWH, to you this year.

My husband is willing to give riding another try and will want to ride Tucker. I know you training Tucker is my best shot at John getting to enjoy riding. He needs a horse that has great breaks and steering both of which I know you can train into Tucker. We may also be buying quite a few lessons for John. (-:

I want to thank you for everything you did with Skye while she was with you. I sent you a mare that I questioned would ever be able to go confidently and quietly under saddle. You returned to me a mare who is eager to please, willing to try each time you ask something of her and has a higher level of confidence in herself and whom ever is riding her. Additionally, I want to thank you for sharing with me your advice, encouragement and knowledge. You have taught this ‘old dog’ a ‘new trick’.

Skye has come such a long way in such a short period of time that during each ride, I still find myself grinning and shaking my head in disbelief. Our latest breakthrough has been solid canter departs (in both directions) followed by two laps around the front pasture without breaking. We topped that off with a short trial ride (alone) down to the construction site to have a close encounter with the horse eating, dirt moving equipment. She is progressively overcoming her fear of going off alone and decided that day, those big machines really were not going to eat her. I don’t know who was grinning wider upon our return to the barn, she or I.

As a life-long horse owner and once competitor, I want to acknowledge your dedication, talent and honest love for the horses and your eternal patience for the owners/riders. You and Bobby are very special people that I am so grateful to have met. All horses and owners, regardless of their age, riding ability or accomplishments can learn so much from you.

I have thought for a long time how to put into words how thankful I am you and Bobby returned to Georgia and how grateful I am for the time and work you put into Skye. I look forward to our ridding lessons with you and hopefully, the opportunity to attend one of your three-day clinics.

After growing up riding horses and then stopping in my teens, due to a bad experience being drug by a horse, I thought that it was time to get back into riding again, with coaxing of friends, so I started taking lessons with Hannah. As a child I was not scared of anything, but before taking lessons with Hannah, my last two experiences riding horses had ended up with me on the ground in a rather harsh manner.

Hannah was very patient with my terrified antics, and I started gaining my confidence back in the saddle. It had only been 2 months of lessons when I decided that I could not do with out riding ever again, so I enlisted Hannah’s help with finding me a horse, and of course in Hannah fashion we went to look at horses I think 2 days later. The great thing about working with Hannah is that she does not beat around the bush and gives it to you straight. We looked at one horse who was just to much horse for me at the time, and Hannah told me right off, but she said that we would keep looking. Then one day she told me that she heard about a horse that sounded like just my speed, and we went to look at this 7 year old Arabian mare that had completed almost 800 A.E.R.C. endurance miles, and was looking for a new home.

I had never owned an Arabian, but being around WildeWood Farm was open to the idea, because of all the beautiful intelligent Arabians at the farm. When we arrived I do believe that it was love at first sight for me. There she was this beautiful dappled grey mare with the most loving eyes you have ever seen, my Jubilee. Hannah and I both rode her bareback in a halter, and conversed that this was the horse for me. The seller told us that she did pull back when tied to trailers, crossties and hitching posts, but that she ground tied very well. I did not care, because I knew that I was meant to have this horse. Well after getting her home she did not know if she liked being sold, so on several occasions I spent 30 minutes chasing her around the paddock trying to catch her, and when I did catch her tying was a hit or miss event; there were several times that she flipped herself over or broke lead ropes pulling back. I thought that we could gradually over come this, but with my constant babying of her we did not, so Jubilee and I signed up for “Hannah’s Boot Camp” for naughty horses.

Jubilee spent two months at boot camp where she got to know a pine tree in her paddock very well, as she got to be tied to it for a couple of hours a day. Hannah also worked with Jubilee on collection in dressage style as her new job is no longer to go straight very fast, but she is turning into quite the little English show pony. Hannah has worked miracles with Jubilee and myself. We now have a very loving relationship and I no longer have to spend time chasing her through the paddock to catch her, because we have “Joined up” and enjoy spending time together. I also no longer have rope burned hands and broken crossties from her pulling back and being naughty.

Jubilee and I have also been showing in the BJC shows at Wills Park where we have won a reserve champion ribbon for the Walk, Trot and Canter classes. I can not say enough about Hannah and the miracles she performs not only on the horses, but on your relationship with your horses. Thank you Hannah for helping Jubilee and I succeed in having a loving working relationship.

"I just got home from my first show with Jazz and I still can’t believe this is the same pony I bought at the auction last June. I didn’t know much about him – we were told that he was a trail pony at a local trail place that was thinning it's herd. I could barely get Jazz (at that point still named Snake) to trot but his size and conformation were perfect for hippotherapy which is mostly walk anyway. I traded the pony we were there with and $300 thinking he was cute enough that if he didn’t work out I could bring him back the next week and get at least that back.

When we brought Snake to our barn it was clear he had never been inside a barn or exposed to the sights and sounds associated with this. A few kids at the barn re-named him Jazz as I didn’t want to name him for fear of getting attached!! We had a brief honeymoon period of decent behavior but then his true colors started to show. He would alternate between dragging people around – to avoid sprays or water, toward food, into another horse or trainer – or planting his feet and refusing to budge. He would bite. You couldn’t touch his feet. And riding….! He would drag you wherever, whenever – but only at a trot, fast trot. He broke down our metal gate, ran into jumps, you name it. In therapy, he was surprisingly safe with the kids and toys but his stubbornness continued and he played the drag or plant game. He earned a reputation quickly and pretty much no one wanted to ride him, lead him, or have anything to do with him. My co-worker refused to use him for therapy and even I forced myself a couple of times a week to justify him staying. Several kids would offer to ride him to get a free ride but would get so frustrated they would never do it again (imagine a kid refusing a free ride!). The only reason he made it through those first couple of months was because he never bucked or reared and I saw that tiny spark of potential.

Once summer ended I felt like something had to give. I had a full time job as well as a young thoroughbred to train for showing. I made the decision to set a plan and stick to it no matter what. That plan was to ride Jazz three times a week for three months. If he wasn’t usable for our lesson program, he would be sold. December 15^th was his deadline. I am not a trainer, but I stuck to the plan and made baby steps of progress. He seemed to like jumping at times but did not canter (except between jumps occasionally). He was still gate and ring sour. I don’t know what possessed me to take him cross country jumping one day but I did. That was the day I started to fall in love. I fell off three times and never had more fun!! The pony that was nearly impossible to bridle unless you cornered him in a stall allowed me to bridle him while tied to a trailer, in itself another first. He lit up out there. Two falls were from being chased by cows in the first field, a surprise bonus in the pasture! The other “fall” was me bailing off because I overjumped a jump myself – but Jazz did it, a 2’9” coup despite only doing 2’ verticals at our barn on a good day. We did logs, embankments, ditches. A couple of days later was December 15^th. He wasn’t at the point I had agreed upon in my deal with myself but we had a connection. I put up for sale signs at the barn and Horsetown but I was honest with the people who called and not surprised when they didn’t call back.

The problem was that Jazz required so much attention and I was about to have back surgery. Only one rider enjoyed the challenge that was Jazz but school prevented her from devoting enough time to him. While on the internet one night I came across the web site for WildeWood Farm and thought it was worth a call. I immediately liked talking to Hannah and, despite tight finances, thought it would be worth a two-week trial.

The majority of those first two weeks was soooo cold! The ground was frozen so Hannah couldn’t do much riding and, instead, focused on ground work. At first I was disappointed because I was anxious to see if Jazz had the potential to be a lesson pony. But I soon realized that the foundation of ground work would be far more important than under saddle skills. I was so impressed with the ideas and progress Hannah made in those two weeks that I literally went around the house looking for items to sell to pay for another two weeks. Don’t get me wrong – I don’t know how they keep their prices so low, but I didn’t budget for a problem pony and I was balancing what I was spending on him compared to what I thought I could get back when I sold him. So I decided that the back surgery also effectively ended my future sky diving career and my parachute, jump suit and altimeter turned into two more weeks of training for Jazz.

I went out several times to watch and learn. On the last day, after several days of rain, Jazz finished his work but his legs were covered in mud. I joked with Hannah that she was going to leave me with the real test as Jazz was deathly afraid of any kind of spraying. We had ten minutes left in our session and she suggested we handle the hosing the legs issue there before I left. I was all for it but I was pleasantly surprised that he had developed enough trust and respect for Hannah that after a little dance around the hose, he allowed her to get his legs clean. I challenged her to the fly spray issue as the time was ticking down. This was a different issue as Jazz’s fear far out-weighed his relationship with Hannah. After changing from fly spray to water and putting him in a stall as well as using his new dually halter, he eventually let her spray him after about 10 minutes. It was time to go home.

I had planned on giving him the first day off but a rider who is in the market for a horse was there and we thought this would give us the opportunity for an in-barn buyer. She got on and Jazz dragged her around the ring. I almost cried. Later that day, on the advice of Hannah, I repeated the spraying protocol. Jazz dragged me around the stall and pinned me up against the wall. I almost cried again. Hannah was away for the next four days and I basically didn’t touch Jazz until she returned. She came over the next day, explaining that she thought that Jazz might try to assert himself since he was the dominant figure in his relationships at our barn. She showed me how to use the dually halter as well as my handling to become dominant to Jazz and command his respect. She also instructed one of our young riders, Laura, on how to ride Jazz and break down his games.

Over the next week, I worked the fly spray three times a day and progressed to being able to hold him in the aisle while cautiously spraying him. He even let me spray him once in the round pen without being held though he still tensed and needed to see what I was doing. Then we were tested… We had gotten a new sprinkler system installed. I was working with a little two-year-old child with cerebral palsy. Suddenly I heard the noise that made my heart stop. Before anyone else knew what was happening, I took the child off Jazz and ran into the barn. When I turned around and saw the water dripping on Jazz, I was shocked to see him standing there, wondering along with the leader and sidewalker why I left!! Since then he has not just tolerated but enjoyed several bathes (though he loves nothing more than to roll immediately after).

He was making progress in every area. He does a couple of therapy sessions a day and has had leaders from 10 to 70 years old, horsey and non! He has done some advanced beginners in the round pen. And he looks adorable with Laura riding him – at the trot!! While he still liked to jump he still would not canter for more than half a ring toward the gate! Hannah to the rescue again! She came out for a second lesson with Laura and gave us great ideas for developing Jazz’s canter. This was 9 days before Jazz was entered in the show. Count down 4 days and we were making progress but still not getting around the ring and past the gate at a canter. The day before the show we trailered over and schooled. Jazz cantered the ring twice and maintained his canter while jumping. My original goal was for Jazz to be sane and …. Well that was my only goal!! But now I saw what could be. The next day Jazz was ready to go. He was not used to being in a stall and was a little pushy to get out. He had seven classes. The first four were on the flat and Jazz was respectable – great at some moments but showing the occasional Jazz tendency. He got second in pleasure walk-trot which thrilled me! Then it was time to jump. Not only did he maintain his canter around the ring but he cruised (a little too fast at one point, leading to a missed jump!) but better on the second round. The last class was walk-trot-canter. They were asked to canter to the left first, his better side – he was perfect. Then to the right – a little buck into it and his telltale sideways canter around the far turn but straight and steady going by the judge. Before being asked to walk, Jazz had to say a close hello to one of his competition – the judge must not have seen it. They announced the ribbons – first place….number 58, Laura Thompson on All That Jazz!!! Her mother and I screamed and I immediately called Hannah!

I know Jazz is not the worst case Hannah has worked with. He may have had some abuse issues, definitely a lack of experience and exposure; he was rude, disrespectful and unpredictable. But he had that connection, a spark. He is not perfect yet but he would not be where he is without Hannah. Her ideas and continued support have given me and Laura the skills to train Jazz from the foundation she set. The attached picture is from his first show. We plan on continuing the series and seeing where Jazz can go. He is not for sale any more. I can’t imagine not having him. The name Jazz suits him and I made his show name All That Jazz since he is “all that” and more. So I am attached.

Hannah – I have given your name to several friends and will continue to do so. I will keep you posted on Jazz and appreciate your enthusiasm each time I report a new break-through. You truly have a gift and talent that have surely saved many horses!"

This letter is from Kim Pope from AL who brought us a wild and severely abused horse named Zydeco. He was a 5 year old, 15.3 hand, buckskin Paint/draft horse weighing around 1,600 lbs. When Zydeco arrived in an open stock trailer, he would wheel around and kick the sides if anyone approached the trailer. He didn't have a halter on and it took about 45 minutes for him settle enough that I could put the draft sized "Dually"^TMhalter on him - from outside the trailer. Then we backed the trailer into the barn and led him into a stall. Somewhere in his past, he had been taught to lead (when he felt like it) - thankfully.

Over the next few months, we worked with a long pole desensitizing him to being touched (as he would wheel and kick) from outside the stall. He was turned out each day with my old mare Ariel who would walk out with him and help keep him calm. I also worked him from her back as he was very frightened of people being behind him. We also worked extensively in the round pen and with the use of water (to touch him), and applied "clicker" training techniques in the brushing part of his training.

He was an exceedingly dangerous horse that required much patience and perseverance. At the end of his training, I was able to brush and touch down both front legs, down his body to his left hind and down it, and on his right side to his hock. His responses would vary day to day, some days spastically kicking to other days cautious yet quiet. He came to like people and would often come up to my students from his paddock.

"First of all, yes, we probably needed our heads examined. Several months ago (August '03), my husband and I purchased a bonafied wild and aggressive horse (and she isn't kidding!). We found him at an auction destined for the "killer" truck and something made us bring him home even though we were told he kicked, pawed, and aggressively charged. Zydeco proved to be only partially what was brought against him. Sure he would kick and act out, but only if cornered or felt threatened, the reason being, as later determined by Hannah, sever abuse.

When we brought Zydeco to WF, he was unable to be touched, caught, handled, or dealt with in any manners. Because of circumstances on our part, Zydeco was only able to stay for 3 months, and although he is certainly not "bomb-proof," Hannah has instilled a since of trust in an otherwise terrified animal afraid that the next hand that touches him will be the one that kills him. With a solid foundation started and advice just a phone call away, we feel that Zydeco will develop into the wonderful creature he was intended to be. He is now able to tolerate being touched, and will approach us in the pasture on his own. He still runs when he is scared, but he no longer snorts like the devil is after him and maybe, just maybe, my husband and I will be able to carry on with Hannah's training and what she has taught all three of us. . . me my husband, and especially Zydeco."

This letter is from John Diehl who had major trouble's with his daughter's eventing horse, Deno. Deno adamantly refused to get on the trailer. I worked with him for 3 sessions, and after teaching him to load, most importantly taught Kayla and her parents how to load him.

"Kayla has loaded Deno the last three nights successfully. He now goes on the first time and most of the time does not back off if you rattle the butt bar. If he starts to back off Kayla stops him and he goes back forward and stays. Some of her friends can't believe he is the same horse. Thank you for excellent insights and instruction with loading procedures. You have also made us believer in join-up. Will keep you posted as to our progress.

We want Kayla to take your course next year when it is a four day course. Also if you will send me some business card I will give them to the two tack shops that we frequent, The Bit Above and Atlanta Saddlery, to give to people who have difficulty with loading their horse. I have praised your establishment."

"I know that the term "miracle worker" gets bandied about a lot, but in Hannah’s case it is truly well deserved. Hannah met Madison, my 10 year-old Quarter Horse mare, at Equine Affaire in Columbus, OH, in April of 2003, when Madison was selected as a demonstration horse for Monty Roberts.

That was five months after she was rescued from a living nightmare — she had spent at least the last 6 years of her life standing in a tiny makeshift stall, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Because her owners never even bothered to clean that stall, she literally hadn’t walked a step out of it in all that time. When I found her, her halter had been allowed to become embedded into her face, and literally had to be peeled off. Worst of all, her hooves had gone without attention for so long that one of them had grown not just out, up and to the side, but completely back around underneath her foot. Thankfully, X-rays showed that there was no permanent structural damage to her foot or leg, and except for the fact that she was misshapen from complete lack of exercise for so many years she could live a normal, pain-free life. Her mental state was another matter, though. She was completely fearful of people, and absolutely refused to allow anyone to touch her legs -- she had to be drugged in order for any farriery to be performed on her. Her first farrier made no secret of the fact that he believed that she was dangerous and should be put down before she killed someone.

When Monty Roberts worked with her at Equine Affaire, he told the crowd that she was one of the most troubled horses he could remember working with in years. Through it all, though, there was something in her eyes that made me believe that she could be a wonderful, safe horse, if we could only break down the barrier she had put up between herself and people, and begin to trust again.

Despite her explosive behavior with Monty (she reared and tore down his gates when he attempted to touch her feet), Hannah agreed to work with her at WildeWood Farm. Within two weeks, Hannah was able to pick up her feet, and within a month she had been trimmed by the farrier without drugs. Shortly thereafter, I went down to Georgia to visit her, and was for the first time able to pick up her feet — I can’t even explain to you what the feeling was like. Madison is back at home now, after just two months with Hannah, and she is literally a new horse -- she has complete confidence in herself and in us, and is for the first time able to really trust us. I pick up her feet and clean them out every day, and it’s as though she’s been doing it all her life. Even more of a surprise is that Hannah was able in that short time to get her started under saddle — while she’ll never be physically sound enough for more than brief rides, it is such a relief for me to know that if anyone ever does throw a saddle on her she can be ridden safely. Everyone who saw Madison before and after her time with Hannah says the same thing — "it’s a miracle." I can’t even express to Hannah how grateful I am to her — she literally gave an abused, throw-away horse a second chance at life. I can’t imagine any higher praise or endorsement of her training than that."

This is a post training note that we received from Inga a month after Madison got home:

"And Madison had a great week last week -- I had the farrier come to trim my other horse, so I had him go through the motions with her, too, and she was perfect!!! He couldn't believe it! Actually, he was most impressed with the fact that she came right up to him when he walked up to the fence; she had always been very reserved before, and he couldn't believe that she is now so outgoing and confident! He wasn't sure it was the same horse! And he confided in me that he never thought she'd come back from Georgia -- he thought that somebody would "cowboy" her, and she'd end up buried there (that's exactly what he said). I know I sound like a broken record, but you really have worked a miracle; I can't thank you enough!"

"I hope nobody has to experience the pleasure of trail riding like I use to. Getting up 4-5 hours before everyone else to simple chase my horse around the pasture (large hills, 15-20 acres) was just the beginning. After that exhausting workout, me not the horse, we would get to the trail, and my horse Dawson only had two speeds, Fast and Faster; stopping was not an option. Talk about an upper arm workout. After a "fun and enjoyable" (lots of sarcasm) trail ride, we get back to the barn, and Dawson would take to the back of the field without a backwards glance. I would leave knowing that there would be no way I could catch him for the next several days. It is tough to say this, but there were many days I wished for a dart gun or a buyer when I was running around the field.

During this time, my son was taking lesson from Hannah, and we talked about Dawson's problems. We, meaning Hannah, determined that Dawson had several trouble areas from the catching, braking, and most importantly trusting of humans. Seems that during his earlier years, before I owned him, he became untrusting of humans. Dawson spent two months with Hannah. What was really great, was that Hannah not only worked with Dawson, but also with me. Seems that some of the past trouble was focused on my posture and attitude. Now, not only does Dawson come to me when I enter the pasture (no treats) but is more relaxed on the trail, and pays attention to what I am asking for. Our riding experience has become a partnership. I would highly recommend to anyone who has trouble with their horse, Hannah is one of the best. Be ready, she will tell you like it is without holding back, but in the long run, what Hannah and you and your horse will develop will be one of the strongest partnerships that will last." Bill Schuyler

This letter is from Sherle Lorentz, a dear friend of ours, who has brought 2 horses to us for training. She and her husband Tommy operate Skyline Farm, a boarding facility in northern Forsyth county.

" Hi, Hannah. I just wanted to write you thanking you for everything on the training of both horses.

Nugget was maybe on of your easiest one to break but he has turned out to be a very good horse that I just need to find more time to ride him. Thank you.

Buddy after the long story of rescuing him from an auction, with his feet really long (never been touched), eye blind due to old injury that no one ever took care of that caused tissue damage, and just probably only been a pasture ornament.

My daughter has been to auctions before in the past but something drew her to this horse and she was not leaving until we took him home! After making this decision without the consent of her father, I paid for him, went home after 45 minutes later loaded him up (which was an experience in itself) and brought him to his new home for the first time.

Buddy was 5 years old, underweight - we brought his weight up in about a month, then he went to you for the miracle that we were hoping for. Buddy's problem was being able to touch his feet without him really kicking out and I MEAN HE COULD KICK!!!!! (Hannah's note: Unlike anything I had ever seen!)

One month after Buddy has been at your place you were able to pick up his feet (not for a long period of time) but a MAJOR improvement that I did not know if he would break of it to begin with. Buddy now at 3 months of training, is able to get his feet worked on, shoed in the front and never offers to do any of what he came to you with. (Buddy had never been ridden before he came here.) He is now trail riding doing a great job even with his eye that he is completely blind with. We know with the circumstances that he came to you that we feel like letting him stay with you until a few weeks longer so my daughter can take lessons off of him, before he comes home!

Thank you again for everything!
Sherle

**Just to let you know that you will be getting my yearling in the late fall/early winter for her to be worked with on the ground, since she is a wild child (as I would call it). She desperately needs your expertise and training to help when she is ready to go under saddle that it will not be horrible! **

This email is from one of the owners of a horse we trained. Dillon is a 3 year old Arab gelding.

Hannah,
>
> I just wanted to thank you for the excellent job you have done in training
> Dillon. I was so pleased when I came up there for my visit. He has made a lot of
> progress in just the few weeks he has been there. Dana also couldn't believe
> how far along he was with his training. Thank-You! for all your hard work and
> your efforts. I hope to be able to send more horses to you in the future, if
> your schedule permits, and I will recommend you to anyone who inquires about
> training.

Dear Hannah,
I just wanted to tell you about my perfect moment. It was the first time
I rode Buck after a five year layoff, at home in my own ring. The two
weeks he spent with you at WildeWood Farm gave me the confidence I needed
to ride him again. Watching the quiet, steady, and determined way you
worked with him was wonderful. I knew I was on the right track with this
seventeen year old ex-racehorse who stole my heart as an eight year old
then proceeded to bully me and dump me twice.
Thank you for giving me back the horse I knew he could be. We are now
looking forward to warm weather and more trail riding since you showed me
what a brave trail horse he is.
Best regards,
Marie Greer