Gabriele "Gabi" Hooten and The Solid Rock Farm are dedicated to the training of horse and
rider in the Art of Classical Dressage. Gabriele is also a USDF L
graduate and available for judging.
Our goal is to train each
horse to be obedient, light on the aids, fun to ride, and reach it's
fullest potential -- whether competing successfully at horseshows, going
confidently on relaxing trail rides or safely taking care of an ambitious
teenager. It all depends on the owner's wishes.
Gabriele is a Bereiter FN, a
German licensed professional dressage trainer and instructor with over 20
years of experience. She has studied under some of the best German
professional dressage trainers for many years, most notably Reitmaster
Guenther Festerling, one of only five German Masters to have achieved the
highest level of professional training.
Gabriele's show record includes
many Championships and Horse of the Year Awards since coming to the USA in
1993. Many of these were achieved on the Approved Trakehner stallion
Gideon.
A unique touch in her
training is that Gabriele also trained with Marc deBrossia, a famous trainer
of Iberian and Arabian horses in the Art of Classical Spanish Dressage.
Combining the German system of training with the Spanish method of
Dressage enable her to train her horses to be extremely responsive,
"light" to the aids of the rider, instead of the frequently practiced
"muscling around" and "pull and kick" riding.
The mental and physical
well-being of the horses is of utmost importance at The Solid Rock Farm.
Gabriele never has more than five horses in training at one time. This enables
her to train every horse herself and ensures that every horse is treated
with the respect and love they so deserve. The horses are never degraded
to "sports objects" that get used, abused, and "thrown away as soon as
they're worn out."
All horses have pasture
turnout and are trail ridden on over 100 acres and 25 miles of U.S.
Parkway Trails that are right next to the farm.
So, if you are thinking of
selling your horse because riding has become a "weight-lifiting, pull and
kick" affair that you dread, then give yourself and your horse a chance.
Gabriele can bring success and fun to your riding and make a winning team out
of you.
For clients looking to buy a horse,
we schedule trips to Germany and the Netherlands to buy German and Dutch
horses direct from the source. Gabi has extensive contacts to breeders and
agents in both countries.
Please contact us if we
can help. |
