About W.A

founded in 2018

WA is not the average lesson program...

The horse industry is a busy place filled with niche and micro industries. Thanks to the present day's attention to equine psychology and progressive thinking, breeders & trainers alike are working together to promote natural behaviors that complement the many facets of our world.

WA joins those ranks with a formula that's influenced by many of those facets! Our curriculum is based in DRESSAGE PRINCIPLES, LIBERTY, EQUINE CULTURE, ENGLISH PLEASURE, WESTERN PLEASURE, WORKING WESTERN/RANCH, HUNTER/JUMPER, ROPING, REINING, & CART DRIVING.

Our classroom focuses on the complex dialog shared between horse and rider. Students learn to read, evaluate, and respond appropriately to their horse's behaviors. Unlike other programs, we do not have trainers tuning our horses up for clients. Students do all the work! From training new concepts and negotiating triggers to celebrating the little successes. We are a school for trainers!

Full disclosure, our classes aren't easy. For the rider looking for a quick reward, we are not the Academy for you. Many of our training techniques will both compliment and contradict previous training one may have already received. That's in part because all of our horses are at different levels of their own education and WA specialized in the "unfinished, unwanted" diamonds in the rough. Like the rodeo needs bucking horses and the Hunt Clubs need jumpers, WA caters to the recreational rider and the romantic idea of a softer more rewarding relationship between horse and rider. Our lessons are not meant to replace previous training but should instead be married to it in the hope of filling a rider's educational tool-box. Fear and Frustration begin where knowledge ends and it's our mission to fill up our mental tool-box so our horses(and riders) stand the best chance of success.

The horse industry is a prism of vibrant differences that require their own individualized horses, breeds, professionals, and consumer market. WA's contribution to that community is simple; through our relaxed approach from a ranch saddle and release-based training promoting a rewarding, respectful, and peaceful relationship, our mission is to promote an easy-love relationship for both horse and human that is not based on bribery or sneakiness but instead trust, confidence, and respect.

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Our herd.

We love our fantastic guys and gals that make every day at W.A Riding Academy possible. Each with their own background that influences their riding...

Butterscotch

Bell

Casanova

May your journey over the rainbow bridge be soft and easy...

Our hearts weren't ready, but your wings were. We will love and cherish your memory always.

Apache

Loved and remembered

I'm Julia

and W.A is my riding school

1/23

My career is 25+ formal years in the making. It all began with a horse crazy kiddo whose passion for 4 hooves and a swishy tail ignited a life-long pursuit of exploration, curiosity, and self-improvement. I have been fortunate enough to study with several reputable Academies and trainers of multiple disciplines. Like so many, my days of pony-rides quickly shifted into formal Hunter/Jumper lessons where my competitive career began. Years later I explored Dressage, Western Pleasure, Reining, Cart Driving, and today, my loves are Roping & Liberty! I have been tutoring riding students since well before I ever opened my own gates through my volunteer work at my early academies. Since the age of 16, I have been shadowing industry professionals and sharing those "golden nuggets" with riding students. In 2018, I completed my American Riding Instructors course and earned my teaching certifications, but the buck didn't stop there! I'm always looking to further my education and expand on ways to help my horses feel their best at work. I often attend learning clinics, workshops, and continue my own lessons with trainers in an effort to keep up with the ever-changing industry that is this sport.

The horse industry is a melting pot of tradition, cultures, and science. What we were all taught 20 years ago may not be what is commonly practiced today thanks to our scientific advancements and our efforts to better understand the equine psychology element to riding. I am not the type of horseman to condone the use of one tool or another. Because I have had the privilege of sharing a classroom with some incredible horsemen and women that all used a variety of techniques and tools, it's hard for me to join the proverbial bandwagon when it comes to passing judgment on the usual taboo subjects like bits, spurs, halters, and blankets. I carry this philosophy into my own classroom and often refer riders to their "gut" when unpacking behavioral issues & superficial stereo types. My formal equestrian education is one of my life's greatest accomplishments and it's my truest pleasure to share those trade secrets with you!