WHAT KIM HAS TO SAY

"I am so happy that my mare returned to me ready to ride and have a job, but with her individual personality traits still intact. I want a partner, not a robot.  So many trainers break horses down, but Cailin let all of Ducky's spark shine and return home with her. I am grateful she was able to grow without being asked to be anything other than who she is. 

 

Because of Ducky's time with Cailin, she came home ready for me to ride and enjoy. She came home confident and we are both ready to learn new skills together. I don't have to worry about any "funny business". Cailin's honesty in letting me know when Ducky needed a break was important for Ducky's development as it would have been very easy to overwork her physically and mentally. Because Ducky has had people on her side willing to move at her speed, I feel that I have a horse partner for the long term. 

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Cailin exposed Ducky to a tremendous amount of new experiences that helped to build her confidence even further. In originally intended to send Ducky for training for 60 days, but instead left her for 120 days. Those extra two months were tremendously important and set us up to be successful together.​

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Ducky came home looking far better than how she looked when I dropped her off. She had a beautiful slick coat, good muscle tone, and overall more mentally and physically mature. " 

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WE HONORED KIM'S DREAMS AND DUCKY'S INDIVIDUALITY 

After a decade of riding horses for the public professionally, Kim hung up her spurs to focus on caring for her special needs child and building her career as an equine assisted psychotherapist. 

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Anxious to return to the saddle with big dreams for the future of working cattle, roping, and advancing her own horsemanship, Kim set out looking for a yearling who could carry her to her ambitions and contribute to her future breeding program as a proven mare. ​

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​As a busy mother, mental health professional, and entrepreneur, we knew that the key to helping Kim reach her goals of returning to the saddle to pursue her BIG DREAMS would mean developing Ducky as far as possible before she return home to Kim. She wanted to return to the saddle in a new and revived way without the risks and heavy time commitment that come with riding and developing a green colt. Kim wanted a horse that was emotionally regulated and confident in her role as a ranch horse so that Kim could get to work on practicing her roping, perfecting her own riding skills, and enjoy Ducky confidently. 

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HOW WE CUSTOMIZED DUCKY'S TRAINING

Ducky originally came for training as a 3 year old. We started her lightly with 15 rides and sent her home to grow. ​

 

We started her back in the Spring of her 4 year old year, then watched her develop and bloom!  By the end of Ducky's time in training, she had developed into a big, strong, confident mare who could be hauled anywhere and be ridden with ease. During training we roped calves off of her, gathered cattle in the woods,  worked colts from her back, and opened every gate on the farm. Kim was elated to see that her mare was ready to come home and give her some fun things to practice!

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WHAT CHRIS HAS TO SAY

"I started my journey in horsemanship rather late in life so what looks like natural ability for some people, has taken quite a bit of effort for me.  I have owned two horses for the past ten years, making steady progress in my riding skills during that time.  Lately, I found that I was interested in learning more than what is typically offered in the standard riding lesson program. 

 

Although I noticed improvement in my riding experiences, I was not where I wanted or needed to be with my relationships with my horses.  I didn’t understand why certain issues kept coming up.  I happened to stop by Glen Oaks Equestrian Center in Glen Carbon, IL one day not really knowing what I was looking for but sure that I needed some help.

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WE LISTENED TO CHRIS'S DESIRE FOR MORE IN HER HORSEMANSHIP

I met Cailin Messer and we started a conversation about horses that led to a gut feeling that I needed to bring my nine-year old Appaloosa gelding to her to embark on a journey of discovery.  What an amazing journey it has been!

 

HOW WE CUSTOMIZED STERLING'S TRAINING

Cailin is a calm and confident young woman with a passion for helping the horse and its human understand how to effectively connect and communicate with each other.  “Connection” can mean many things, and I was impressed that Cailin took the time and effort to ask questions, observe and find out exactly what will help reach that deeper level of understanding in a way I had not experienced before.  She is patient and supportive of both the horse and rider as you progress through her program, tailored to suit your individual needs.  In my case, confidence was the biggest obstacle. 

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She spends most days working with and riding your horse and expects you to join her in the journey.  You will see improvement in your relationship, you will see your horse and yourself in a whole new light, you will connect on a deeper level than you have in the past, and you will never regret a dollar that you spend in the process. 

 

I can’t recommend her program enough – especially if you are like me and believe there is much more that your horse can offer to you and that you can offer to your horse!"

WHAT WENDY HAS TO SAY

"When Voodoo was born I was not able to connect with her as I wanted too. I had a broken ankle and was non-weight bearing. However, due to being kicked by her I became afraid of what she might do.

 

Sending her to Cailin the first time was to help Voodoo and myself gain confidence in our relationship. Then sent her back at 2 yrs old to begin her under saddle training. The reason I chose Cailin Messer to be our trainer is her calm but direct techniques as she described in her post was what was right for Voodoo and me. I needed to build confidence and remove fear and Voodoo needed to learn boundaries and be confident on the ground and in the saddle. The changes in both of us are directly related to Cailin’s skills as a trainer and being the right trainer for the two of us."

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WE HONORED TO WENDY'S PRIORITIES

Wendy raised Voodoo, a Friesian Cross,  from a foal and immediately learned that she had a special filly with a BIG PERSONALITY and calm demeanor, and high intelligence. Wendy recognized this in her filly right away and wanted to provide Voodoo with an education that would put Voodoo's strong traits to good use. She wanted to feel safe around Voodoo after experiencing some dangerous moments with Voodoo and her big personality. It was Wendy's top priority that results were achieved through clear communication, gentle handling, and the highest quality of horsemanship that would encourage healthy physical and emotional development. Wendy has high hopes of hitting the trails with Voodoo next Spring and aspires to see her in the show ring as a 3 year old!

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HOW WE CUSTOMIZED VOODOO"S TRAINING

We see Voodoo's big personality as valuable. So when Voodoo came with he habit of crowding humans or pinning her ears, she was not reprimanded. Rather we redirected her focus as needed so that she could understand our request without the need for anger or defensive behavior. 

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As a 2 year old Friesian, Voodoo is only ridden for approximately 20 minutes each day. In these short sessions we focus on the quality of movement and response to the aids while building her confidence. With these short, meaningful sessions, we have developed a horse with a positive attitude, a disciplined demeanor, and that same BIG PERSONALITY that willingly responds to the request of humans.  Voodoo is preparing for her future as a trail horse and show horse even further by being loaded on the trailer regularly and taken for hauling trips. ​

WHAT KELSEY HAS TO SAY

"Cailin worked wonders our horse Charlotte. She spent a lot of time working with her as a new colt, keeping us updated almost daily with videos, texts, and phone calls. She truly cares about you and your horse. Her one on one lessons with training are helpful in preparing you to continue working with your colt at home. Would definitely recommend for colt training and riding lessons!"

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WE HONORED KELSEY'S NEEDS AND AMBITIONS

Kelsey brought her 3 year old Quarter Horse mare, Charlotte,  to be started with big dreams for her to fill the shoes of her reliable childhood horse. Kelsey is a busy nurse continuing her education and the mother of two young children. For this family,  success meant bringing home an emotionally regulated horse proven safe for weekend trail riding, evening rides, and quiet around young children. Kelsey even has big dreams of one day strutting her stuff in the show ring! Above all, Kelsey came with a desire to LEARN AND GROW as a rider! 

 

HOW WE CUSTOMIZED CHARLOTTE'S TRAINING

As a busy professional and mother, we took on the task of exposing Charlotte to as much as possible as soon as possible in order to help Charlotte be everything Kelsey had hoped for. Charlotte went on trail rides, was hauled regularly, and even worked cattle on a few occasions! Kelsey came for regular weekly lessons throughout Charlotte's training and developed confidence in herself and in her horse riding all over the farm and becoming comfortable in all of Charlotte's gaits. ​

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WHAT LAURA HAS TO SAY

"Cailin is the kindest, most informative horse whisperer I've ever met! She takes time to create a special bond for you and your horse so you both can continue a great relationship. She is patient and kind, a wonderful rider, and a wonderful trainer!

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WE LISTENED TO LAURA'S CONCERNS

Cat had been in dressage training for most of his life, but struggled with lead departures and feeling confident in the show arena. Later in his career he developed a habit of bucking when asked to canter or quickly spinning the other direction to avoid the request completely. He would become frustrated and try to pull the reins from the rider's hands on a regular basis. When any leg pressure was applied from the rider, cat would pin his ears and resist to move forward. These  behaviors combined with Cat's size and power became intimidating for his riders. Laura was also concerned about Cat's anxiety in a stall. Cat had developed a long-term habit of chewing the walls of his stall and tearing holes in his stable blankets.

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HOW WE CUSTOMIZED CAT'S TRAINING

Cat came to us as a highly trained dressage horse, but became lost when he was not placed in his routine frame of carriage or on a 20 meter circle on a full contact rein. After taking some time getting Cat confident to move forward freely on a loose rein, we got Cat out of the arena and into a working horse job. Laura, living over an hour away, was diligent in meeting Cailin for Zoom calls where Cailin shared videos of Cat's progress and shared her approach to his training. 

 

Cat became Cailin's right hand man for working colts horseback and riding the pastures to check fences. When Cat discovered that life under saddle could be engaging and free of restriction, he became an incredibly reliable mount. Soon Laura was riding Cat outside with Cailin and enjoying smooth and effortless transitions in his gaits on a loose rein. Of course the years of high level dressage training did not leave Cat. He retained his ability to execute all of his pre-existing dressage maneuvers, but did them from the most subtle cue from the rider and with self carriage even on a loose rein. 

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As all of the horses experience at Glen Oaks Equestrian Center, Cat was introduced to a herd of 8-10 horses in his pasture where he lived for most of his stay. When Cat was stalled for a few hours each day to wait for Cailin's session with him, he completely stopped all of his anxious stall behaviors. 

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