 About Mindy Horses have fascinated Mindy from a young age. This led to her attendance at Black Hawk College in Kewanee, Illinois, where she double-majored and received associate's degrees in Horse Science Technology and Equestrian Science. She recently completed her senior year at Middle Tennessee State University, from which she graduated with a bachelor's degree in Horse Science. Mindy is also an alumna of the MTSU English and Western equestrian teams and a former member of the Beech Grove Hunt fox hunting club. Mindy trains and gives lessons in numerous locations throughout Middle Tennessee.
Mindy's Philosophy of Teaching  "My number one goal in giving horseback riding lessons is to help people enjoy horses safely. I like to help people learn; teaching riding lessons really excites me. I find myself becoming animated and enthusiastic when I teach. I love teaching beginners, as they are the most important riders in my opinion. Just knowing that my lessons are building a foundation for a lifetime of riding and learning is a special thrill to me. I remember clearly what is was like to be a beginner, and can use that knowledge to help my riders learn better and faster, both from the mistakes I have made and also the "tricks" that helped me to learn or to "get it."
Being limited in what you know limits what you can teach, so both education and experience are important in becoming an instructor, and it has helped to open doors for me that would have stayed closed had I been more limited in my abilities or close minded in what I would teach. There are many different schools that have horse science programs, but Blackhawk and MTSU are two of the best. I also have the advantage of going through an instructor certification process and becoming certified. With the knowledge I have acquired, I can establish a firm foundation of fun, safety, and proper technique when giving my lessons. I can teach not only how to do something, but why. I am really big on theory- I feel that there isn’t a whole lot of point in knowing how to do something if you don’t know why you are doing it. I like my students to really understand, and I think it helps them in the long run to become better riders and better learners. I enjoy growing with my students, and seeing advancement over time. I feel great pride in seeing my students grow and excel. I see my students as an opportunity to give back part of what I took out of learning to ride. It changed my life, and I want to change others. Giving lessons has been an extremely rewarding career choice for me."
About the Website  Riding with Mindy was developed and is maintained by her sister Abby, who currently works at Sony Online Entertainment in San Diego, California.
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