The Powder Forest

Background

Sandi Forester has been a horse trainer and riding instructor for 40 years and has gained respect and admiration as a talented trainer and horsewoman. She has received numerous awards and peer recognition as well as countless qualifications for competitions at the national and regional levels in both dressage and western riding. She began her career working with hunters and training with accomplished horsewoman Barbara Frigon training, showing and fox hunting.

Her first teaching assignment was at Melanie Tenney's Woodcock Hill Riding Academy in W. Willington, Connecticut. Exposure to combined training provided a new challenge. She was involved in teaching, training, and competing while continuing her own equestrian education through Melanie and fine clinicians Janet Black, Denney Emerson, Locke Richards, and David Hunt. It was during this time that Sandi's passion for classical dressage blossomed.

Later, Sandi began training with Beth Baumert and Pam Goodrich. During this time, Sandi's free-lance training commenced. After several years of exposure to many different training challenges, Sandi and former partner Mike Marquez opened a 30-stall training, breeding, and show facility. Mike's "Vaquero" style of riding combined with Sandi's classical dressage training allowed a successful combination of both Western and English riding. Using the same principals for all discipline basics developed many champion horses and students.

Experience

In the early 1980s Sandi worked to develop dressage in the Arabian industry in New England. Organizing shows, doing demonstrations, lectures and providing seminars, she was a positive influence in its growth. Student accomplishments have included championships in dressage, stock horse, stock seat equitation, saddle seat, western pleasure, trail, combined training and gaited horse classes. Several students have developed their own training/teaching businesses, a testimonial to Sandi's teaching.

Sandi has had the opportunity to work with and learn from some of the top equestrians in the world. Her Teachers and Mentors include the following:

• • Barbara Frigon (Hunters, Fox Hunting, Show – Enfield, CT);
• • Melanie Tenney; Woodcock Hill Riding Academy, W. Willington, Connecticut
• • Janet Black (Dressage - RI)
• • Denney Emerson (Combined Training - VT)
• • Locke Richards (Combined Training - Australia)
• • David Hunt (Combined Training - England)
• • Beth Baumert (Dressage - CT)
• • Pam Goodrich (Dressage - Canada, FL)

Sandi has taught at the following facilities:

• • The Powder Forest (GA)
• • Galloway Farms (GA)
• • River Farms (CT)
• • Cloverlea Farm (CT)
• • Woodcock Hill Riding Academy (CT)
• • Vaquero, a thirty-stall breeding, training and show facility opened by Sandi and her partner, Mike Marquez (CT)

Showing History

Sandi's show career spans two decades showing in Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, New York, Kentucky, Georgia, and Canada. Her accomplishments include numerous awards in dressage, combined training, and western riding. She achieved many Hi-Point awards and championships at Region 16 and Region 18 Championship shows. Sandi qualified three different horses for national dressage competition at the same regional championship show. All three horses were young stallions in their first year of competition. Two of her own horses became Regional Champions in Dressage, Stock Horse, and Western Pleasure. One of those stallions was champion in both dressage and stock horse at the same competition. Her students' accomplishments have included championships in dressage, English pleasure, stock horse, stock seat equitation, western pleasure, and trail, also gaited pleasure horse championships. Her students hail from up and down the East Coast, from New Hampshire to Florida.

Sandi's showing highlights include:

• • More than two decades of showing in CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, NY, KY, GA, and Canada.
• • Numerous awards in dressage, combined training, and western riding.
• • Many Hi-Point Awards / Region 16 and Region 18 Championship Shows
• • Qualified three young stallions in Dressage in their first year of competition at a single regional championship.
• • Two of her own horses were Region Champions in Dressage, Stock and Western Pleasure; one even becoming champion in dressage and stock horse at the same competition.

Training Philosophy

After many years of study, Sandi is comfortable with a technique for training that combines three key aspects for gradual and progressive physical development of the horse using:

• • Dressage principles
• • Ultimate lightness
• • Psychological communications with the horse, using the horse's natural instincts

Today Sandi's focus is to bring horse and rider to a place of true harmony through careful development of the correct basics and through an understanding of the horse's physiology and psychology.

Sandi wants...

• • To help you develop a relationship with your horse built on trust, respect, and understanding
• • Increase communication with your horse by forming an intimate, unique and sensitive understanding of the mind, body and soul of the horse
• • To go beyond your expectations as a rider and horseman with an instruction program tailored to the individuality of your horse and yourself, whether you ride for competition, sport or pleasure.

Sandi continuously updates her knowledge through the readings of classical masters, including Alois Podhajsky (Deceased, former head of the Spanish Riding School), Charles DeKunffy (Classical Dressage Master), Erik Herbermann (Germany, Classical Dressage Master), Lessons in Lightness by Mark Russell,and Natural Horseman Mark Rashid.

Sandi offers training and lessons, performs horse evaluations, and is available for clinics and seminars. Sandi would be delighted to talk with you about your horse training needs.