Bridlewood Equestrian

Jean Thomas is the proud owner of Bridlewood Equestrian and has many years of expert horse experience.

Jean started riding in North Wales at the age of 7 and by the time she was 12, she was competing with her own show pony.

She also loved the fun side of gymkhanas and pony club.

She’s owned several horses to train and sell at the age of 18 years. Emigrating to Canada in the 80’s Jean left the equine world to become a wife, business owner and mother.

Then came the truck, trailer and the farm.

Working Together

Her daughter Paige showed a strong interest in wanting to ride. Like her mother, she started riding at an early age of 9 years and had her first pony ( One Calorie) at the age of 10.

First came the pony, then the “A” shows with wonderful coaches.She qualified 2 ponies in one year to go to the The Royal Agricultural Winter Fair.

Paige competed and was medium champion, grand champion and overall champion, all in one day.

What We Believe In

Horses do want us to be a partner with them and we teach you how; not through negative training but positive training.

We teach you how to observe what your horse is telling you ( they do want to connect and communicate with us ).

We need to understand, listen and learn how. It’s so rewarding when horses and humans start to understand, watching the horse lick and chew and releasing those endorphins. What a release they feel. It’s known that horses develop ulcers through stress, we aim to take that away.

When your horse says no to you there are a number of reasons why, however, fear is the main reason.

He will not be willing to bend side to side and may hold his head head up in the air and is ready to be that flight animal. There are so many signs that we can miss such as the eyes not blinking or soft nostril creases.Body language is key. We encourage owners to participate in all the training we do with your horse.

Credentials

Jean Thomas has participated in many horsemanship clinics across Ontario, Canada, Turks and Caicos, and Costa Rica and has trained a vast number of horses throughout the years. Jean has also received a certificate in the Parelli Training Program.

When people come to me with horses that have developed some less than desirable habits it’s time to go back to the basics. Horses are always communicating with us and it is our responsibility to learn their language. Understanding what the horse’s body language is telling us is an important step in this process of gaining trust and respect.

Paige is an experienced competitor and coach, helping riders get to the next level in the show ring. She supports her students through the whole process; training at home to competing in the arena.

Jean is a certified trainer in the Franklin Method Equestrian Pelvis Training. Jean teaches the biomechanics of the horse and rider (Anatomy of the pelvis and seat bones). Jean also covers the movement of your body, which includes; Force absorption, Posture and Alignment, as well as the benefits of proprioception.

Jean uses a variety of different equipment to improve your body’s ability to move more fluidly.

A Heart Warming Story..

One of my students has made a huge impression on me. This young lady came to me over a year ago to learn to ride. At the age of 15 she broke her back from riding at a different facility. She was given the go ahead to start riding again from her doctor. After her experience most people would never want to look at horses again. Her love for horses was her drive. The fear in this girl I cannot explain. It took us 6 months to build up the confidence to finally get on the horse. A year of not only horsemanship ( which she loved ) building trust and communication on the ground but the transformation to get on the horse was a big achievement. How proud of her I was and still am. Through many tears she is now very happy. 2 weeks ago she finally asked if she could trot a few steps off the lead line. She finally has trust and confidence in herself and myself and her mount. She is an inspiration for all. She’s a beautiful soul that deserved better.

This is why I do what I do. The rusty riders, riders who are so scared their love for horses brings them here.