Jennifer Collman - Trainer, Instructor, Clinician

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A highly experienced trainer and expert equine behaviorist, Jennifer Collman's extensive background includes starting young horses, advancing competition horses, and rehabilitaiting horses exhibiting problems ranging from simple disobediences to extreme vices and behavioral issues. Specializing in equine behavior and psychology, Jennifer unravels problem behaviors and corrects them using resistance-free, natural horsemanship methods with quick, profound and lasting results.

As an instructor, Jennifer focuses on developing good horsemanship in all of her students, teaching safety, horse behavior, and the basics of stable management to every student. Lessons have a strong emphasis on correct basics and riding mechanics and her goal-oriented teaching style caters to children as well as adults.

Jennifer's higher education as a rider began in studying with Les Wagschall, longtime assistant trainer and apprentice to a graduate of the famous Spanish Riding School in Vienna, Austria. Les, a master of equestrian art, was a strong advocate for the school's classical methods and also coach of the Canadian Dressage Team. Jennifer's over-fences training was with Greg Best (1988 Seoul Olympic Silver Medalist) apprentice Danielle Turner and MacLay Finalist Darla Gentry. Jennifer has also studied with FEI dressage riders and trainers Kristi Wysocki, Janet Harms, and Erin Brinkman.

In the show arena, Jennifer's abilities have taken her horses, students and herself to numerous state, regional and national accolades in Dressage, Hunter Under Saddle, Equitation, Hunter Over Fences, Western Pleasure, Halter, Showmanship, Sport Horse in Hand and Sport Horse Under Saddle. Among these are multiple National Championships, 1998 USDF Jr./Young Rider of the Year, AHSA Valley Circuit Open Training Level Champion, Alaska Horsemen’s Association Hunter Over Fences Open Champion and Alaska Horsemen’s Association Horse of the Year.

Jennifer's experience spans the gamut of breeds and disciplines, having trained and shown warmbloods, drafts, ponies, off-the-track thoroughbreds, quarter horses, arabians, paints and more in a variety of disciplines from dressage and hunter under saddle to western pleasure, reining and trail.

So when he is induced by man to assume all the airs and graces which he puts on himself when he is showing off voluntarily, the result is a horse that likes to be ridden, that presents a magnificent sight, that looks alert, that is the observed of all observers.
- Xenophon, 450 B.C.

Featured Story

Hannah and Zip - Plover, WI

This is the story of Zip, a 6 year old buckskin gelding who came in for training March 29th, 2008.

Zip's owner, Hannah, was his 14th owner in the past 3 years of his life. He was highly agressive and a vicious biter and kicker. He was very defensive and did not enjoy being touched. He would strike, rear, kick out, and would attack people, running at them with mouth open and ears pinned. He was terrible with having his feet trimmed, and bucked violently at times when ridden. He was resistant in the bridle, refused to back up and then would race backwards rearing. Long story short, he had every problem in the book.

Other trainers put him in bigger bits, harsher spurs, and tied his head down. They ran him in a round pen till he could run no more. He got worse and worse until he attacked a young boy in the pasture and then the barn owner at feeding time.

Zip was in training for 41 days. Hannah drove nearly 3 hours to the farm a minimum of once per week to observe his progress and learn the tactics she would need once she took him home. This is Hannah's email, sent the day after he arrived home...

Hi Jen !!
I wanted to contact you and let you know that I was in tears today, and I am NOT ONE TO CRY! I had my notebook with all the notes from our lessons, and went out to visit and work with Zip a bit.
First, he GREETED ME AT THE GATE. Ok.. HUGE difference. No ears pinned. No evil eye. He WANTED to come out. He WANTED to see me. I couldn't believe it. Yet, i thought for sure he would never listen to me like he listened to you. He was so happy and loving with you, and I thought he would still harbor bad feelings for me. Well, he proved me wrong. I let him loose in the arena, he trotted away then turned around and started coming back to me. I gave him a huge smile and he came up to me and I told him how good of a boy he was. Its amazing to see the look in his eyes like "Hi, how are you? What are we going to play today?"
Ok thats not even the big step. He was following me all over the arena, no lead rope attached.. I picked up ALL FOUR- count it.. FOUR feet, with out him being tied! When i scratched him again, he wrapped his neck almost all the way around me, and then let out a huge sigh... (ok.. tears started coming.. but i held back a bit, cause people were looking).

Finally, i set up a few "games" to play to keep his attention. I had some steps, some cones and I took 2 barrels that were used for barrel racing, and tipped them on their side and put them together. I figured I could have him touch his nose to it or maybe at least get him thinking about getting over them..
SIDENOTE- Before training.. Zip hated everything that had to do with a jump. ANYTHING that looked like a jump, and would NEVER even go near a log down on the trail.
I lead Zip up to the barrels. I walk over it, and tell him to stay behind. He touches the barrels with his nose, and I tell him how wonderful he is. Then, HE JUMPED IT! I screamed! I cried! It was amazing! AND, he looked HAPPY! Like he loved this game.
I have a NEW HORSE. I am thrilled and beside myself, and everyone thinks im crazy. Before I found you, I was starting to think I was in over my head with my unhappy, angry horse. You have taught me so much about horses.. and I wouldn't trade my horse for anything.

Hannah and Zip

Plover, WI