“Jaya is a Jedi Horse Whisperer! She is patient, encouraging, wise, professional, and incredibly passionate
about riding. I have learned so much from Jaya and her beloved horses.
In addition to technical skills, Jaya has taught me to ride and read horses on an intuitive and energetic level. She creates an environment that encourages growth and is also lots of fun. I highly recommend Jaya, she is an absolute gem!”
– Amber, adult student
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“When I first started at Lightfoot Horse Farm all I wanted to do after my first lesson was ride, ride, ride. I have been taking lessons every week and sometimes on weekends for trail rides. I love how every week it is something different. I think that anyone interested in horses should come to Lightfoot Horse Farm. It’s so nice that Jaya doesn’t have the horse saddled and groomed and have you just get on and ride, she actually has you go get them from the paddock and brush them, and then tack up, and after that mount. I like to learn about the anatomy and the different parts of the tack and about trail and arena etiquette and you don’t really get to learn that at other horse riding places. I love you Jaya and you are an amazing person.”
– Aurora, age 12
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“I came to Lightfoot Horse farm because I wanted to learn to ride horses. More importantly, I wanted to learn about horses, how to work with them, and how to better understand them. My previous experience with horses consisted of grooming, saddling, and trying my hardest not to fall off! I wanted something more than that. What I found the first day at Lightfoot Horse farm would set the course for a newfound passion that I believe I will have the rest of my life.
My first lesson included free lunging LFHF horse, Forest. In that lunge circle, Jaya explained the theory behind what we were doing as applied to the horse’s natural environment. While the exercise was vaguely familiar to what I had done before, the meaning of it had changed entirely. It was in that moment, and the join-up that followed, that I realized what a remarkable species this was and what a vast world of knowledge I had yet to learn. In the lessons that followed, and every ride since, I have been filled with so much more than the basic fundamentals of equine riding. I am inspired by the passion and enthusiasm that Jaya puts into every lesson. I am humbled by the patience of the horses as they teach me to be a better rider. I’m encouraged by my fellow students at LFHF during the group activities because we are all there for the same reason: We genuinely love what we do, and we are there to support one another in our individual endeavors. It took effort on my part to decide to pursue a life with horses, but if it was not for Jaya and her insatiable love and infinite knowledge about horses, I do not believe I could have found this passion. It is difficult to put in to words the kind of life that horses provide for you. But if you have it in your heart to discover what that life might be, I could not imagine any better place to find it than at LFHF. “
– DJ, adult student
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“Thank you for this powerful experience for Paisley, she has talked about it all week. I have noticed her confidence soaring and her sense of responsibility growing tremendously and I attribute it to the incredible times she spends with you and the horses and the other riders at Lightfoot. She is excited for the trail ride today. Again, thank you, Jaya, for all you give through your teaching, guiding, and learning to these kids.”
– from parent Jillyean, in reference to Hiking With Horses, a monthly outing at Lightfoot Horse Farm
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“
Hi, my name is Bella. I’m 10 years old and I ride horses. My teacher’s name is Jaya. She is the best horse trainer you could ever have. I did 2 or 3 lessons then I stopped for a little while. Then one day I got a letter from Jaya. It made me come back to horseback lessons so fast because she told me things in that letter that only a good friend and teacher would tell you. Before I started horseback lessons, I never thought that I would ever be a cowgirl or even ride horses. It only took 1 lesson for me to realize that I wanted to take horseback lessons. It is so fun, she has group and work day lessons. All I want to do now is ride horses.”
– Bella, age 10
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“I really appreciate all that Jaya has taught me about horseback riding. She doesn’t just plot me on top of a horse. She teaches me how to care for them and the responsibilities. I’ve done lots of different activities and this by far is my favorite. My favorite thing about it is being able to have a partnership with Forest. As far as riding him goes, my favorite thing are the trail rides. When we go on trail rides it’s a great chance to enjoy the scenery, but it’s not just the scenery. It’s the combination of my three favorite things: nature, partnership with Forest, and being able to ride such a beautiful creature.”
– Kyleigh, age 12
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On November 22, 2013, Lightfoot Horse Farm hosted a field trip for a group of local elementary school students. Their teacher, Ms. Char, from Home Tech Charter School, had this to say about the experience:
“Thanks for inviting us into your world. It was perfect. Loved how you had the students sit on the [hay] bales. The sharing of your [Tevis Cup] story was just the right length to hold their attention. Having them interact with you by finding places on the [trail] map was really good. You’re a natural-born teacher and it was fun for me to see you in action. Having the boys help in the experience was nice also. I remember you did that when you came to the Enrichment Class last year – so cool to have this be a family affair.
The biggest success for me was to see little Haley “conquer her fear” and ride. She talked about it all the way back to school.”
