Lynn Acton

Brandy came over to visit with me

As a child I earned regular riding time by working for a horse dealer. My mounts ranged from absolutely marvelous to downright dangerous. Though riding without an instructor let me develop some bad riding habits, it encouraged me to see the horse’s point of view. I was neither bold nor athletic, so I was motivated to enlist the willing cooperation of each horse. As an adult I have explored many disciplines, with lessons and/or clinics in jumping, classical dressage, western, Centered Riding, ground work, natural horsemanship, dressage musical freestyle, obstacle training, and clicker training. I have learned from three of Sally Swift’s apprentices who expanded on her work: Wendy Murdoch, Susan Harris, and Mitzi Summers. My current instructor, Melani Alexander Fuchs, is a former event rider who incorporates classical dressage, Centered Riding, and movement-based learning into her riding instruction. I have been certified by CHA (Advanced English / Intermediate Western) since 1994, and taught for several years in a therapeutic horsemanship program for at-risk youth. Now I teach mainly students who have their own horses, giving me on-going opportunities to observe relationships between people and their horses. My first book, What Horses Really Want was published by Trafalgar Square Books in 2020.