|
About Linda
"Linda was a working student at my home, Barbier Farms where she was able to fully embrace and understand the principles of classical horsemanship. The work that she has done since she has left our farm has been of the highest caliber and she has, most importantly, continued to learn from the horses." Dominique Barbier, renowned trainer, author, and clinician
Linda having a long lining lesson with Dominique Barbier.
Linda studied with Dominique Barbier to learn dressage in the French classical tradition. After leaving his farm, she traveled as a trainer and met a most unusual client considering her background in classical dressage. Valerie Kanavy, 2 time world endurance champion, hired Linda to make her horses supple and flexible. She trained horses such as Cash, Jedhi, Fire, and many other endurance winners. This experience led to the realization that classical dressage would be most beneficial for any horse regardless of the discipline chosen. Linda considers the training to be a tool to make every horse better. Another endurance champion, John Crandall III, has been added to her list of world class endurance clients. John's horse, Heraldic, has been to her barn Classicus for a couple of months before John won the Old Dominion, The Tavis Cup, and the National Endurance all in on year.  "Linda's unique and unusual method of training from the ground makes a tremendous difference in the horses by instilling lightness, on the bit, thus freeing the shoulders allowing full engagement of the hindquarters." Valerie Kanavy, 2 time World Endurance Champion
Right: Valerie Kanavy on High Winds Jedhi winning in Dubai.
Linda and Rode doing Spanish walk.
Love of Horses When did it begin? A previous life, in the womb, in childhood dreams . . . I can not say. Before I can remember my grandmother talked of my obsession with riding the dime store horses. You know the ones in front of the 5 and 10 stores in which you inserted a coin to ride. Then there appeared the motorized “Tony the Pony” for Christmas one year. However that was very limited as to where it could travel, only on smooth surfaces. Freedom came with the stick horse, Galloping all over the countryside, they say I wore out many of them. Then the gift of all gifts was the real live pony for Christmas at age 5. Trixie and I had a magical journey through my childhood. Cowboys, Indians, back roads, and mountain trails; we shared many adventures. Then for my 16th birthday, I could choose one of the two foals born on the farm that year. I choose Star, a quarter horse /Saddlebred cross. She was the first horse I trained. She and many other horses born on the farm laid down my foundation for the desire to train horses. What I consider to be my professional career did not begin until 1994. Inspired by Dominique Barbier, renowned trainer, author, and clinician, and led by divine guidance; I was given courage to follow a dream. I left my English teaching career, packed up my horse Rode, and headed for California to be a working student at the Barbier farm. A year later I returned to Virginia to embark on my own career. Eventually I landed on the farm I call Classicus. Though there has been many twists and turns along the way, I have no regrets. Here my journey still continues for the love of horses.
|
