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Riding Lessons and Horse Training
Looking for an experienced, holistic trainer who prioritizes both the progress and well-being of riders and their horses? Debbie McKinney has been riding and training horses for 50 years. She is an expert in problem-solving with a specialty in working with horses who have trouble areas including posture, canter problems, trailer loading, and respecting rider's space on the ground. Debbie also develops young horses with a slow start approach to ensure both the rider and the horse are comfortable. If you're looking to take lessons and train your horse, her practice enables riders to learn alongside their horses as a team.
New to riding or don't have your own horse? Debbie teaches both English and Western and has two lesson horses suitable for both beginners and advanced riders wanting to develop their skills.
Debbie’s Story
I started riding at the age of 6 years old. My sister and I would earn money by training horses, showing them at local 4-H shows, then selling them. We would use the profits to acquire new horses, and grew our business that way. Even back then, horses meant more to me than just a business. I found my first “heart horse” in these early years. Navajo and I were inseparable. I would ride him to school and to see friends. He helped me understand the bond that was possible between a horse and a rider. Since then, I have spent my life building this relationship with my horses. It solidified my desire to share this practice with others. In the decades since Navajo, I have devoted my life to training with and for the horse. After learning natural horseman ship from Pat Parelli, I settled in the Denton Area of Texas, where I still give lessons and train horses today.
Spirit’s Story
Spirit is my most recent “heart horse” and he got me started on natural horsemanship. I bought him as a 2 year old because I wanted a clean slate horse that I could train from the ground up. For the first year of owning him, I ponied him behind my daughter's pony. I wanted him to have the chance to grow up a bit before submitting him to training. When I started the natural horsemanship program with him, I started with exclusively groundwork training to build a strong training foundation. Bowing, standing on things, half pass, etc., anything I was going to teach him under saddle, I first started him on the ground. This created a really strong relationship, bond, trust, with me. After Spirit and I reached our peak partnership, he became my go-to for everything. Any knowledge I wanted to build, I used him to learn on. Spirit and I have such a strong relationship that he and I fully trusted each other. He would go anywhere I asked him. Do anything I asked him. When I started my business in Texas, he helped me train the horses and people I was working with. He would be my demonstration horse, lead horse, lesson horse. I trust him with a 5 year old all the way up to an 80 year old.
My Mission
My mission is to share my knowledge with my clients and help them build a partnership with their horse. I focus on using natural horsemanship methods because it is done for the horse, not just done to the horse. Through this approach, we can still get the end result of a good horse without subjecting them to cruel practices. Many of the horses I work with, I rebuild them to feel safe and trust their riders. Often a little patience and a holistic approach can make all the difference. There is nothing I love more than seeing the horses and riders blossom and grow together. It is the foundation of my work and my life’s mission.
Testimonials
“I highly recommend Debbie. Her depth of knowledge and understanding of horse biomechanics, psychology, and training make her an excellent choice for someone looking to improve their own skills, or that of their horse.”
-Cathy Jennings, Former Business Partner.
“Debbie is an amazing horse woman. I have worked with Debbie for many years with several horses, very different breeds and ages. She has taken my lovely never ridden Andalusian and trained him to walk , trot, canter and lead changes.”
-Deborah Boerder, Current Client.