Kayla grew up riding; her aunt’s horses, the horse trainer that lived down the lane and any others she could. She got her first own pony at age 13. Although the cantankerous pony bucked her off and dodged into trees to unseat her, Kayla kept climbing back up in the saddle. From the pony, she graduated to an ex-racehorse that came with his share of quirks. “That’s when I was introduced to Clinton Anderson’s Method of training. Learning how to structure a training program in a step-by-step formula really allowed me to advance my horses to the next level.” At 15, she started working at Windy Hill Farm in Millersburg, run by Ted and Kathy DeHass, which had a focus on using traditional Spanish dressage principles in western riding.  She began as an apprentice feeding, grooming and saddling, then worked her way up to training four horses a day. They would train each horse to be versatile in the arena, trails as well as obstacles.  In 2015 she enrolled in the Clinton Anderson Clinician Academy. She wanted a career in the horse world, and loves watching a horse progress from unstarted or green to a well-rounded, willing and safe partner.  She really enjoys helping people develop a better partnership with their horses as well.  She knew the Academy would give her the knowledge she needed to be a better horseman and it would help her learn how to teach people better. “The program gave me problem solving skills and the confidence to train almost any horse that would come in. The horses that came in were mainly horses that had been through multiple trainers to try and fix their issues. The Academy program was their last chance. “I also started a lot of colts as well as a few of Clinton’s 2-year-old performance horses and a Signature horse. Helping with the clinics at the ranch and teaching lessons to training horse owners under professional clinician Shana’s guidance allowed me to become a better teacher as well as horse trainer.” After spending almost a year at the ranch in 2015-2016, Kayla worked under reining trainer Rodger Smith in Ohio, and after working on her own business offering training, private lessons and clinics, also worked under reining trainer Vincienzo Santos and reining/ranch riding trainer Shannon Quinlan Hill - to continue advancing her skill set and gain valuable experience in the performance horse industry.  She also spent two seasons at a Wyoming ranch caring for and training their small herd of 12 Gypsy Vanner horses as well as giving lessons and guiding trail rides for guests of the ranch.  In the past several years showing in Extreme Cowboy Race, Mountain Trail, and Ranch Riding have been rewarding for her to enjoy her personal and sale horses and gaining experience for client horses.
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YouTube Link: Kayla Schlabach - YouTube
Facebook Link: Facebook

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