Mariah’s training philosophies draw upon her exposure to many well-regarded training methods. From groundwork programs inspired by names like Monty Roberts, Pat Parelli, Warwick Schiller, and John Lyons, to dressage fundamentals under saddle learned from her internationally-accomplished french dressage trainer Pierre St. Jaqcues, the concepts she teaches are non-specific to one tack style or discipline, but rather incorporating the core ideas from across her broad experiences in the horse industry.
She believes horse-first training will always produce better results, and emphasizes creating a connection and a safe, trusting partnership on which to build toward our performance goals. The mental and emotional components of horse health are as important as the physical, if not more so. Creating strong and lasting relationships between horses and their riders is the greatest source of joy for Mariah; time and time again, she has seen the success and happiness brought about by improving horse-human communication and connection. In pursuit of these goals, students in Mariah’s training programs begin by learning to “speak horse,” or watch for body language cues that can help us understand what the horse is experiencing and how we can improve their relaxation.
“It is not good enough to get your horse to do what you want. It is far better to cause your horse to want to do it.”
-Monty Roberts, author of “The Man who Listens to Horses”
After we have achieved a relaxed and trusting partnership, then we can begin the work of optimizing your horse’s biomechanical abilities, creating suppleness and athleticism that can carry the horse and its rider to success no matter what the goal. After a groundwork foundation, flatwork begins to develop flexibility and balance in the horse. Mariah aims to create forward-thinking horses with a mental eagerness to please and the physical fitness to enable them to meet their riders demands. Polework, cavalettis, hills, and trail obstacles are all tools used in the education provided by Mariah as she aims to create all-around confident and capable horse and rider teams. Whether your goals are on the trail, in the dressage arena, on a rated cross country course, or anything in between, Meadowlark Equestrian can make them achievable.
“A horse doesn’t care how much you know, until he knows how much you care”
-John Lyons
In addition to her training, as the on-site barn manager, Mariah is able to give your horse’s care an attention to detail beyond the scope of most trainers. She ensures hands-on time with each and every horse in her program is achieved daily, and can provide individualized nutrition counseling, exercise recommendations, and ongoing monitoring of horse health and comfort. By spring of 2024, Mariah will have added professional equine bodywork certification to her list of qualifications, and her clients will receive customized advising for optimizing their horses biomechanical performance.
