NAWD Professional Heidi Potter

Heidi Potter Holistic Horsemanship

Heidi Potter is an internationally known and respected horsewoman with over 45 years of horse experience. Horses and humans alike benefit from her extensive knowledge and gentle approach. As a Holistic Horsemanship trainer she specializes in the calm, clear and progressive way of working with horses. She has great success changing undesirable behaviors through the use of positive reinforcement training methods. As a certified CHA Master Instructor/Clinician and Centered Riding© Instructor/ Clinician Heidi helps riders of all levels and disciplines improve comfort, communication, confidence & competence in the saddle. She has experience working with a variety of horses including gaited breeds.

In 2014 Heidi purchased Riley, a 10 year old Cheval Canadien Horse. She had worked with him since he was a two-year old. Riley had primarily been ridden as a trail horse. In the fall of 2015 Heidi was introduced to the sport of Western Dressage. The common sense rules of this sport really impressed her. They truly seemed to support the well-being, correct, natural movement and proper development of each individual horse. A longtime advocate of bitless bridles, she was happy to learn that they were allowed and also appreciated the rules regarding bits, rein holds, speaking to and touching the horse. WD really seemed to be a sport that fostered, supported and rewarded a mindful and compassionate approach to horsemanship. She decided to pursue WD as a means of furthering Riley’s physical development. In 2016 they attended a few WD shows and did well enough to earn first place in the NAWD Live Trax Western Dressage Open Division Intro Level, scoring a 70.275. In 2017 Heidi and Riley were able to compete almost monthly at were awarded Championship for the Live Trax Intro Division. Heidi will continue to compete as time allows and help to educate others about the benefits of WD through clinics, workshops and a collaboration with Cathy Drumm as they offer and teach Western Dressage/Obstacle Clinics. For a complete list of event dates and locations visit the NAWD Events listing or visit  www.heidipotter.com.

Heidi Potter Holistic Horsemanship
761 Weatherhead Hollow Road,
Guilford, VT 05301
802-380-3268
www.heidipotter.com

In January 2017 Heidi Potter published a one of a kind book, Open Heart, Open Mind-A Pathway to Rediscovering Horsemanship. It was written for horse enthusiasts of all levels and disciplines. Through its stories, case studies, exercises and lessons, this book takes its readers on a journey of better understanding their horse with a focus on self-awareness. Learn how mindfulness, connection and compassion can and should replace the need for dominance. This book is filled with life lessons, strategies for coping with stress and ways to practice being in the moment, like our horses. Heidi draws many parallels between her training in traditional eastern Martial Arts and horsemanship. If your goal is to establish a safer, more trusting and enjoyable partnership with your equine partner then this book is for you. Visit www.heidipotter.com for a “sneak peek” of the book or to make a purchase.