“When we first started working with Mary Kay 3 years ago, Gitana and I could not even walk in a straight line down the side of the arena on the rail. Now we are competing (and winning) in dressage, hunter jumper, and breed shows.
What I truly value more than winning ribbons is the connection that I have developed with Gitana. Mary Kay has taught me to listen to my horse, be in the present moment, and stay in tune to Gitana’s needs and my needs.
Cantering was a big problem for us. Gitana was not able to canter to the left when I first started riding her; she would pick up the wrong lead every time. Mary Kay worked with us to develop Gitana’s topline and balance and also my seat and cues so that now she rarely misses a lead and is even learning how to do flying changes.
Mary Kay is incredibly intuitive and seems to have almost a sixth sense when it comes to being able to decipher what Gitana is feeling and “saying”. We both were baby beginners with no idea what to do with this dream of dressage that I had. Mary Kay met us at our level, understood our needs, and gently brought us along as we learned how to be a horse and rider team. That feeling of teamwork is what I value most and what I believe to be our greatest transformation.”