[vc_row full_width=”stretch_row_content” css_animation=”fadeIn” css=”.vc_custom_1752530081578{padding-right: 100px !important;padding-left: 100px !important;background-color: #e0d9d0 !important;}”][vc_column][vc_column_text css=””]

My Philosophy

Laura Martlock[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css=””]

Quick Bits

 

I have been teaching riding and training for 44 years. I started out in the British Society of Pony Clubs, attaining the “A” level. For a time after this, I competed at Hunter/Jumpers, as an Amateur Owner and then in the A rated Open/Regular classes when I no longer qualified for the Amateur status, and competed in Jumpers up to the 6th level. Unfortunately, I was eventually kicked in the side of the knee by a horse during this time and the ensuing year off from competition was enough for me to realize that I wanted to make more of a difference in young riders’ and young horses’ lives, so I began focusing more on instruction and training and less on competition.

I worked for a few years as a free-lance instructor/trainer, before taking a job as trainer for Three Springs Farm, a Hanoverian breeding/training/lesson barn and AHA inspection site, which at that time was standing the number 1 and the number 5 rated Hanoverian stallion in the U.S. For the next five years, I worked with all aspects of the farm, from breeding the stallions and mares, assisting with births, to working with foals as newborns through starting under saddle and taking them to their first shows. Three Springs Farm was also a racetrack lay up and retraining facility, and I worked with many off-the-track Thoroughbreds, retraining them for new

careers, as well as other breeds from the surrounding area, as the facility accepted all breeds for starting under saddle and correcting problems.

After moving on from Three Springs and relocating to the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, near historic Staunton, I spent the next nine years working with

one of the region’s most well-known veterinarians as the trainer/instructor of his riding and boarding stables. At Cabin Creek Riding Stable, I became involved with a therapeutic riding program (Ride With Pride, Inc.), as well as working with more OTTB’s, since the owner’s daughter was a jockey who often rescued horses at the track that were for sale. Cabin Creek Stable was eventually sold and is now known as Cedar Creek Stables.

During the summer months, I now work as an instructor at my home or travel to clients homes, and as well as instruct at local camps and clinics, judge horse shows around the state;  I take a break during the winter months from these activities.  I currently serve on the Virginia Horse Council Board of Directors, am President of Ride With Pride, Inc, mentor the local high school FFA Horse Judging Team, serve on the Board of Directors for the Therapeutic Riding Association of Virginia VA, serve on the Virginia Dept of Conservation and Recreation Recreational Trails Grants Committee and am on the VA United Land Trusts Conservation and Greenways Planning Committee.

Philosophy

Learning to be an equestrian is like learning a new language. You can learn on your own, but having someone who is fluent in the language teach you is far quicker and can help prevent needless mistakes and misunderstandings. But, even more important than instruction, is spending time with the ones who’s language you are trying to learn. Nothing promotes a better understanding and gives a greater grasp of the nuances of communication more than spending time with horses and constantly using and developing your new communication skills.

Consistency

“Consistency is key to working with horses. To gain their trust and respect, they must know that they can count on you to be the same way, to treat them the same, to discipline the same, to reward the same way every single day. A horse won’t understand that you’ve had a bad day, they only understand consistency.”[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row full_width=”stretch_row_content” css_animation=”fadeIn” css=”.vc_custom_1752530200987{padding-right: 100px !important;padding-left: 100px !important;background-color: #D6D1CF !important;}”][vc_column][vc_column_text]

More Details

[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css=””]

 Equine Experience

February 1976—February 1984
Member of the Dutch Fork Pony Club, a chapter of the British Society of Pony Clubs

January 1980—August 1984
Young’s Arabian Farm, Wellsburg, WV

January 1984—November 1988
Self Employed, Lynchburg, VA

 

February 1989—October 1992
Three Springs Farm, Spout Springs, VA

October 1992—–January 1994
Central Virginia Therapeutic Riding Program Lynchburg, VA

May 1994—-October 2003
Cabin Creek Stables, Staunton, VA

March 2003—Present
Ride With Pride, Inc.

March 2005— Present

June 2006 —August 2009
Endless Trails Stables, Churchville, VA

      June 2012 to Present
      Virginia Horse Council Board of Directors

 

     May 2019 to Present
     Therapeutic Riding Association of Virginia Board of Directors

 

Other Experience

January 2003— Present
Web and Internet

 

High School and College

 

References

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]