Gift Certificates
NOTE: Gift Certificates are still available for purchase for both in person and virtual coaching sessions by emailing me at whispertraining@yahoo.com. Let me know what amount you need and the recipients full name and I will send you invoice details for payment. I accept zelle, paypal, or check and gift certificate will be emailed when payment clears. Due to changes wix has made to their website plans I am no longer offering gift certificates for purchase directly through the website. Please note for IN PERSON gift certificates, the recipients MUST be one of my current clients. If they are not, please email me first to ask if I travel to their area.
My Horsemanship Philosophy
Whisper Training offers beginner through advanced riding lessons for you and your horse, video coaching, and foundation training for young, un-started, and "problem" horses, using a combination of Natural Horsemanship and Dressage to help you create the partnership of your dreams with healthy biomechanics. I can teach you how to read your horse's body language, know what training, riding, and groundwork techniques to use when, and understand what's important to your horse, how to show them the value of what you are asking them to do, and learn how to motivate them in a positive way.
I believe horses should have as much fun during training and riding sessions as I do! I use psychology and communicate with horses in their own language to cause them to want to do things, feel confident, and get respectful and responsive. Training does not need to be stressful! I believe in showing our equine partners respect and empathy and considering their feelings and opinions on what we are doing together.
I use a combination of negative reinforcement (negative simply meaning the removal of something - in this case the "pressure" of our request) and positive reinforcement (adding a reward when the horse does something right - sometimes this means food, but often it can be verbal praise, a marker word like "yes!" or "super!", rest, and scratching itchy spots, grazing break, just to name a few possibilities.
I do not use punishment of any kind, nor do I believe it's ever appropriate to lose our temper or get angry with our horse. We can learn to be firm but fair when necessary without getting emotional. Learning to develop emotional fitness and never taking out anger/frustration/irritation on the horse (note that this does not mean you will never get frustrated - just that when you do, you recognize and take a break or step back if necessary, maybe seek additional information or help from a trainer, without taking it out on your horse) is extremely important to becoming an excellent horseman or woman.
The belief underlying my whole philosophy is that our horses DO NOT OWE US ANYTHING. We took away their ability to take care of themselves, choose their friends, get their own exercise by moving unrestricted and foraging for food, etc so we owe them all that care/feed/friends just to get us back to even. Your horse does not owe you a ride just because you pay for their feed and care for them.
So what can we do to make sure there is something more than just basic care in it for them - so that they see the value in playing with us and in letting us ride them? (Hint - it's NOT just treats - in fact for most horses there are things they value much more than food!). This is what I am constantly studying and improving on and what I can teach you. Anyone can make a horse do something. But how do we get a horse to WANT to?
There are so many wonderful things we can offer our horse above and beyond the basic care that can motivate and inspire them to LOVE working with us and LOVE being ridden! Every horse is different, so different horses will value different things and need different techniques to enjoy their training. My lessons and training focus on teaching the human how to learn what your particular horse needs to feel inspired and what techniques they will respond best to.
See your sessions with your horse as something you are doing together, as partners, not as "master/servant" or something they have no choice in. My horses are allowed to have an opinion and I take their opinions and feelings very seriously and adjust my training and reward system based on their feedback.
Once you have a relationship with your horse, once you have a horse that wants to be with you and wants to do things for you, then no goal is un-achievable, no dream is too big. The sky is the limit to what you can do!
Happy Horse Lovers!
Here’s What They’re Saying
Rebekah has helped me with two horses. I have had horses my entire life and learned to ride before I could walk, but learned so much from Rebekah. Rebekah is patient, quiet, and teaches both the horse and the horse owner.
Debbie G
Absolutely The Best! We Definitely Recommend Rebekah. She's Patient, Kind, and Has The Know-how and Knowledge. Can't Wait For My Daughter's Next Lesson!
Cheryl W.
Wonderful teacher! Very patient and encouraging.
Sylvia M.
Gain a Deeper Understanding Of Equine Behavior & Psychology
Learn how horses think, act, and play; what motivates and inspires them; why they do the things they do; and how to get them to WANT to partner with us.
I can teach you to use psychology to solve problems and challenges such as:
kicking & biting
bucking, rearing or running off
pulling away or pulling back when tied
being hard to catch or herd bound,
being hard to bridle or hard to deworm
being scared of needles or fearful of the vet
pushing against pressure or ignoring you
Being aggressive at feeding time or around treats
crowding you or being pushy
not standing still for mounting, grooming, or tacking up
Not picking their feet up
Dull or oversensitive to your leg,
Heavy or leaning your hands
Behind the bit
Spooky or unconfident on the trail
And pretty much everything in between!
My Services
Helping You Help Your Horse
Whisper Training is focused teaching horses using their natural language, without stress, and helping horses and humans gain a better understanding on one another and have a lot of fun in the process!
I help both english & western riders improve their fundamentals, take their riding skills and communication with their horses to the next level, build their horse's confidence on the trail, & learn the importance of healthy biomechanics through understanding & incorporating classical dressage principles into their riding.
Video Coaching
Accommodating Your Lifestyle
Many students find video coaching as helpful or even more helpful than an in person lesson because they can watch it over and over. You send me 10-25 minutes of video of a problem you are having or an exercise you are trying to improve and I will voice over the video with my thoughts and suggestions on how you can solve the problem or improve your skills.
The shorter your video is, the more time I have to pause it at various points during my voiceover and go into more detailed explanation of helpful tips, so sending more footage isn't necessarily better - try to zero in on the most pressing issue and just get a good quality recording of that - you will definitely get your moneys worth regardless of how long the actual video you send me is.
Depending on which package you choose, you then have the option to follow up with further questions over email or hop on a 30 min video call with me for further discussion. See the "Video Coaching" tab for more detailed information.
Riding Lessons
Beginner to Advanced
For students local to my area (Fauquier county & surrounding areas), I can travel to you for a lesson or training session on your own horse. I can help you learn groundwork skills, improve your riding, and learn how to teach your horse new things in a fun, non-stressful manner for you both! My lessons focus on using natural horsemanship principles to take your riding and communication with your horse to the next level as well as offering classical dressage coaching. Don't worry, you do not need to have ANY prior knowledge of dressage or to ride english - I break it down into simple, easy to understand exercises that work for any disclipline. If you've had a bad or confusing experience with dressage in the past or had terms yelled at you across the arena that you didn't understand ("half halt!", "get him in front of your leg!", "inside leg to outside rein!") you will find this to be a COMPLETELY different experience.
My focus is on breaking things down, using clear descriptions and simulations so you have a clear understanding of what these terms mean, and making it easy and fun for you and your horse! No matter what discipline you ride or whether you prefer english or western, incorporating some principles from classical dressage will help your horse be the strong, balanced, willing, and flexible athlete you know he's capable of. Think of it like yoga for horses.
I use dressage FOR the horse - to help them get strong and balanced so carrying us is easier - rather than using the horse for the (sport) of dressage. You can absolutely do both and as long as you are putting your principles first, there is of course nothing at all wrong with showing, but showing, fancy horses, and expensive tack are not necessary.
Dressage does NOT have to be repetitive or boring. Unfortunately in some cases the SPORT of dressage today can be that way (certainly not always), but dressage was originally designed for war horse training - not for pampered horses who never ride outside of an tiny arena. There is NOTHING boring about classical dressage - and there is a lot of exercises you can actually play with on the trail!
I offer lessons for ages 13 to adult for people with their own horses. My lessons include learning basic horse care, grooming, leading, groundwork, horse psychology, safety, and riding from beginner to advanced. Sorry, due to limitations on my liability insurance policy I cannot make age exceptions at this time.
If you are interested in learning to ride, learning more about horse care and groundwork, or looking to advance riding skills you already have feel free to contact me for more information.
I waive travel fees for farms within a 15 minute radius of where I live or if multiple people in the area are signed up for a lesson back to back.
Riding Lessons Or Training with you & your horse:
$60/Hour (plus $10 travel fee.)
$85 for 1.5 hrs (plus $10 travel fee)
$110 for 2 hrs (plus $10 travel fee)
Horse Training and Development
Develop Your Dream Partner!
In this video, I show a lovely older broodmare being eased back into training, starting with being ponied off my saddle horse's back.
Training Sessions:
I waive travel fees for farms within a 15 minute radius of where I live or if multiple people in the area are signed up for a lesson back to back.
Riding Lessons Or Training with you & your horse:
$60/Hour (plus $10 travel fee.)
$85 for 1.5 hrs (plus $10 travel fee)
$110 for 2 hrs (plus $10 travel fee)
Training sessions can be just me coming out and working with your horse (you can be there to watch or not) or a combination lesson/training session where I do some of the training and then coach you through the same process. The more involved in the process you are the better!
READY TO SCHEDULE YOUR VIDEO COACHING SESSION OR HAVE MORE QUESTIONS? HEAD OVER TO THE VIDEO COACHING PAGE TO BOOK A SESSION OR DROP ME AN EMAIL AT WHISPERTRAINING@YAHOO.COM !
DON'T SEE EXACTLY WHAT YOU WANT LISTED ON MY WEBSITE? EMAIL ME TO ASK ABOUT CUSTOM PACKAGES AND COACHING OPTIONS!
In an in-person lesson, it can be hard to take in all the feedback and instruction a coach gives while you are also trying to manage a million things with your horse at the same time, and video coaching gives you the opportunity to focus solely on the learning and feedback you are being given while you re-watch your video as many times as needed for you to retain the information.
Then you can take your newfound learnings out to your horse and make progress faster than you could have imagined!
Having a series of videos to track your progress over time can also be incredibly inspiring, as it can be hard to see progress day to day while you are taking baby steps but all those steps can really add up over time. Watching your previous videos can remind you just how far you and your equine partner have come!
It also gives me the ability to work with people from all over the USA as I'm not limited by driving distance - so you can get a high quality lesson even if there are no trainers in your area!
My Story
I started riding when I was 13 years old and haven't looked back since! I bought my first horse, Breeze, in May of 2005 when I was 17 and immediately started the Parelli Natural Horsemanship Home Study program Levels 1 through 3.
In 2007 I took Breeze to the Colorado Parelli Center to study more intensively for 3 months and learned a lot from the wonderful instructors there. Breeze taught me so much about how to understand horses and what trust really is. I lost Breeze to a horrible episode of colic in May 2012. He was an absolutely amazing horse and I miss him so much, but I will never forget everything I learned from him.
I have worked with hundreds of horses and their human partners since then and studied the methods of many other wonderful Natural Horsemanship and Dressage trainers either in person training, attending or auditing clinics, or through virtual coaching programs (Karen Rohlf, Natasha Althoff, Rien Van der Schaft, Tristan Tucker, Steve Young, Gabi Neurohr, James French, Colleen Kelly, Lester Buckley, and Warwick Schiller just to name a few) and have learned so much from each one of them and continue to place a high priority on continuing education for myself so I can always be improving my teaching and training abilities. I would love to help you develop a great relationship and a strong bond with your equine partner and achieve all your horsemanship goals and dreams!
*I am not affiliated with the Parelli Corporation in any way other than as a student of Parelli Natural Horsemanship
Get In Touch Today
Get in touch with Whisper Training to learn more about our services!
Whisper Training Serves clients throughout the USA & is based in Fauquier County, Virginia, USA
Mailing Address:
#1020
251 West Lee Highway Suite 615
Warrenton, VA 20186