Partners
Vanessa considers herself a life-long learner. She believes that no one person has all the answers, so she works with a team of other professionals to continue her own education and to offer her students additional learning opportunities. She and many of her students work with the following trainers on a regular basis.
Dawn Weniger of Firstview Farm. A USDF Gold Medalist, Dawn keeps us focused on our dressage basics as she helps we and our horses tackle new movements. She excels at knowing just the right exercise to help the horse and rider work through a difficult movement and at giving clear explanations of how to perform a movement. She has a strong background in horsemanship and makes certain our training always keeps the best interest of the horse in mind. www.firstviewfarm.com
Linda Hoover of Cornerstones. Linda has spent many years teaching horsemanship and recently founded the U.S. Refined Horsemanship Association. She has developed many exercises - both mounted and unmounted - that help the horse think through a problem and help the rider/handler develop a true partnership with the horse. She has helped many of us who have acquired “troubled” horses, develop these horses into reliable, fun partners. www.foundation2success.com
Ginger Long of Equetec. Ginger was instrumental in helping Vanessa improve the quality of her cross-training and introduced her to the concept of ground work as physical therapy for the horse. Ginger develops specific exercises (mounted and unmounted) for horses with a particular physical weakness and often gives riders a new way of thinking about their horse’s physical and emotional needs. www.equetec.com
Sandi Green of Training Results. Sandi develops individualized mobility and strength training exercises to improve the strength, symmetry and suppleness of the rider, so we are physically capable of giving our horses clear, but soft aids, and are able to ride without undue stress on our bodies. www.trainingresultsinc.com
Vanessa has also ridden in several three-day clinics with rider biomechanics expert Mary Wanless. By incorporating what she has learned from Mary along with working with Sandi on a weekly basis, Vanessa can help riders understand which specific muscles they need to use to maintain posture that is not only correct, but that is effective in influencing their horses and in minimizing risk of joint pain in the rider.
Our team also includes the following professionals.
Dr. Kirsten Tillotson of Tillotson Equine Internal Medicine Mobile Services takes care of our horse’s general health needs, from routine vaccination and annual fecal exams to scoping for ulcers and radiographing hoofs to check for sole depth and coffin bone angles. www.tillotsonequine.com
Dr. Bob Grisel of The Atlanta Equine Clinic comes to our farm 4 times a year to assess the soundness of our horses so we can stay on top of any soreness or compensation that may be developing before it turns into a lameness. We have seen improved performance from many of our horses by implementing his suggested shoeing or trimming changes and implementing a particular exercise program. www.atlantaequine.com
Farriers Jonathan Compton and Laura Miller do a fabulous job of implementing veterinarian shoeing and trimming prescriptions. One or the other of them is typically here every week so can tighten a loose shoe before it causes hoof damage.
David Brooks of DDBCustoms visits our farm 2-3 times a year as needed to check and adjust saddle fit.
For more information contact Vaness Craft in Oxford, NC at 919-691-1906 or email us.