Almost Heaven Horse Source

I bought my gaited horse Flash in the fall of 2006 and he was a handful for me a novice rider. He would not stand still for mounting, he did not lunge on a line and my gosh if he saw a squirrel or cat he jumped a yard. Even though he was a mature horse at the age of seven he had not been taught to do any of the smooth gaited walks or rocking horse canters gaited horsed excel at and are bread to do. I even had one trainer I tried tell me, “I should find another horse”.

How lucky I was to have met Kirsten! What a difference Kirsten made in his training, her ability to see outside the box and see all the great things Flash was capable of really encouraged both of us to do better. She picked up on our bond immediately and figured out ways we could better work together as a single unit rather then just a horse and owner. Flash and I had an immediate improvement in communication after only one lesson with Kirsten.

Kirsten is an invaluable resource for any horse and owner, her patience knowledge and kindness would work well for any one with a desire to listen and succeed in any equestrian activity. She has a special way with horses and they respond to her almost immediately. She does not use force or any harsh training methods but rather relies on the unique bond between the horse and rider in a gentle yet disciplined way.

I am happy to say because of the training my horse Flash and I received from Kirsten, we now are winning blue’s in the show ring, doing running walk, canter, trotting, and racking. We ride on trails fearlessly just for the fun of it, and the trainer who said I should pick another horse, well lets just say the last time she saw us in the arena I thing I saw her jaw drop to the ground!

Thank you so much Kirsten,

Pam and Flash

First, let me say that Kirsten Lee is magical with horses. I am in my fifties and returning to being with horses and riding after a 30 year break. I met Kirsten through her website and knew that her philosophy about the ways people and horses can be together was very aligned with mine.

I thought that I had some basic skills after having ridden for much of my youth, but quickly learned that I knew nothing about training completely green horses. From the beginning Kirsten grounded our time with the horses around respect, safety, and fun for both me and the horses. My two horses had been worked with for a few 30 minute sessions over a two year period before being introduced to Kirsten. In about an hour Kirsten loaded them both onto the trailer masterfully and, most importantly, without the horses feeling trauma or force.

Over the past few years the key things I have learned, and continue to learn from Kirsten are to give the relationship with your horses the time it requires, be fair and patient by allow horses to work through the things we are asking of them, be present every moment, and set appropriate boundaries in order to be a respected leader. I am still learning from Kirsten every time we have a horse interaction as she makes everything a teachable moment. Kirsten also taught me that every interaction is a learning opportunity for the horse. She brings wisdom, kindness, and an immense amount of knowledge into each training experience. Whether you are looking for natural horsemanship training methods, or riding lessons at any level, I would recommend Kirsten Lee as a master teacher, trainer, and mentor.