Tiffany Thompson
Seth came recommended to me by my farrier, who has had the displeasure of attempting to take care of my warmblood’s feet for the last seven months. I trust her implicitly, so I reached out. I chatted with Seth and knew pretty quickly that he was the trainer to help with this 17.2hh giant ball of inquisitive energy and, frankly, terrible ground manners. He’s big, and a lot of people find him intimating (including me, recently) since he picked up the habit of bolting whenever he feels like it. I had some requirements: no “methodologies,” only true understanding of the horse, his behavior, and his language. No gimmicks. No harsh “cowboy” methods that involve fear, pain, or intimidation- only partnership and respect. After only an hour watching Seth teach Phoenix to ground tie, stand still while being tacked, standing still to be mounted, and a more graceful, less “dressage-y” entrance into his canter, none of which I have witnessed in my time with Phoenix, I knew that my gut instinct was correct. ALL OF THIS HAPPENED IN AN HOUR. Seth understands horses, and, what’s more, and far harder, he understands (and tolerates) people. Give this man your money, now, and don’t look back. He’ll give the best gift you can receive: a better horse, a better partnership, and an education. He is a student and master of his craft, and an artful teacher. When he’s listed alongside Buck Brannaman, Ray Hunt, and the rest of the greats, I’ll be proud to say he handed me back a better horse and I got the honor to shake his hand.
