Our oldest daughter, who is 10, has taken riding lessons from Karen for over 5 years. We are true city folk and know nothing about horses or riding, so Karen and Dan were such a blessing to this little girl who was born with a deep love of horses and an undying desire to ride them. She has not only learned how to ride, but she has also learned all that comes with having horses and taking care of them. From mucking out stalls, to saddling the horses, to picking their hooves, to all the medications a horse can need, she has learned and loves it all! She can't wait until Fridays when she goes to lessons, it is the highlight of her week. Her younger sister who is three started going to lessons with her about a year ago and loves it, too. I am so glad Karen and Dan have given our daughters the opportunity to ride and be around horses in a safe and fun environment.

-Lisa Richards

I don’t remember who told me about Karen and Dan Rockwell but I’am sure glad they did!

My daughter and I had young horses, one very green and the other never touched. We had been looking for someone who used the Natural Horsemanship method and failed on two separate occasions. We went to Karen and Dan’s barn to see if they could take on our horses for training and to also train us as well. My daughter had not ridden since she was 14 or 15 years old except for a few trail rides. I had horses when I was young but I was quickly finding out, the older you get, the more cautious you get. I had witnessed another trainer literally fight with my horse to the point she was going in circles and then was eventually down on the ground. I knew I didn’t want this for my horse.

As I was talking to Karen, I was watching Dan over the fence, ground working a horse and it was just what I wanted! He had the horse ‘thinking’ and working using Natural Horsemanship techniques. The horse was responding to his cues willingly and with respect. I was so impressed that I wanted to get our horses over to be trained by them and for them to start to work with us as soon as possible.

Both Karen and Dan are always encouraging in their teaching and they have the instinct to know when you and your horse are ready to do more. I never once heard them tell us that we should get rid of our horses and buy ones that were more trained as we had heard in the past. They believed in us and have taught us so much over the past year.

I recommend them both very highly to anyone who needs to have their horse trained, whether it be for pleasure riding or competitive showing. You sure will be happy that you did.

-Charlene Tackett

When I first got Dell, she was 16 months and feared everyone. It was not the Black Stallion Theory I had imagined when buying my first horse. Slowly I began to gain her trust and we built an amazing bond. I began riding her when she was about 2 1/2 but she was still very green. Slowly I became more and more afraid of her as I watched her become more reactive to her surroundings. My mother and I were looking for a Natural Horsemanship trainer in the area, but I did not want to send my horse off to a trainer and not know how she is for a month. I finally broke down and sent her to two trainers on two separate occasions. Neither of which were good experiences for Dell or I. She came home spookier than she was when she left. I began only riding her for about 5 minutes and then hopping off, and that was if I even got the gumption to ride her at all. Then we found Karen and Dan Rockwell.

Karen and Dan have taught me, and are still teaching me different techniques to build that relationship with Dell again. They first helped build my confidence on their lesson horses. Then my mother and I decided with Karen and Dan that it would be best if we moved our horses to their barn. This way I could take lessons on Dell while my mom's horse was trained. I am riding a lot more often now, even loping on occasions. :) Through ground work and consistent riding, Dell is a lot more calm now and my confidence has doubled.

I recommend everyone to Karen and Dan. Through persistence and patience, they have taught me not to fear my dream.

-Angela Tronetti

Three years ago we met two remarkable people, Dan and Karen Rockwell. As new horse owners, we have come to put our trust in them. We have taken several horses to them for training over the years and we still continue to take lessons from them.

Dan and Karen are very knowledgeable about all aspects of horsemanship. I find myself often turning to them for answers to my questions about how and why horses do what they do.

Karen and Dan have worked with my child, Heather, to teach her to ride horses. Her riding skills have far exceeded my own. A year ago we bought a young gelding named Jersey. He was only 1 1/2 when we bought him, and we immediately took him to Karen and Dan for training. Now Heather is riding him. As Jersy has developed new skills, so has my daughter. They are growing together. I believe that often times, that 2 year old horses will not tolerate a child riding them. However, Karen and Dan have faith that my daughter can handle working with Jersey.

I would recommend anyone who wants to learn to ride or to have their horse in for training to go to Dan and Karen, as they are the people who you can count on to get the job done right.

-Sylvia and Keith Fields

As individuals who started riding horses later in life we had a great deal to learn. The training given by Dan and Karen on their horses helped us learn the fundamentals of posture and body control (both the horses and ours). They also helped us to gain the horses respect and to relax and have more patience, making riding more fun and safer. We continue to take lessons on our own horses and are learning a great deal. They have a very knowledgeable and effective approach to training both horses and riders alike. We left our 3 year old Thoroughbred, green and very spooky, for 30 days with Dan and Karen and they returned a horse with a great foundation and potential we didn't previously see in the horse.

-Mike and Linda Grayson

Our experiences with Dan and Karen are very positive. They took our 6 year old Quarter Horse and quickly eliminated a few bad habits, and then brought out and further developed the best qualities in our horse. Our daughter has won many all-around awards, circuit championships, and a State 4-H Champion title. I credit Karen and Dan and their method of training for much of that. Because of Karen and Dan's hard work and dedication, our family owns a horse we can be proud of and safely enjoy.

-Sue Hansen