Hi! I’m Kiki Teague, Rachael’s mom.
I’ve been riding horses since I was four. That was at night, in my dreams, but it counts! My mom says I woke up with the wind in my hair, sun-pinked cheeks, and stories of racing through fields of grain. Sometimes, the world seemed a disappointment after my nightly rides. As I got older I’d fall asleep every night reading The Giant Book of Horses.
I went to my uncle’s house every summer that I could, he raised Appaloosas. I got my first horse when I was 14, a penny-red Quarterhorse/Arab named Zanzibar. We did everything-from Pony Club and jumping to cross-country and dressage, we even rode with the Rodeo Drill team! I had no time to get into trouble the two years I had that horse, between riding and working two jobs to pay for riding stuff. (This is why I recommend parents get their kids into horses if they are interested. Oh sure, it’s expensive and time-consuming and dangerous, but hey, you know where they are and what they are doing.)
I spent many years around horses, but my official training began when I was married, a mother of two, and 29 years old. I stumbled into a barn in my neighborhood in San Diego and fell in love with a type of horse I’d never met before and a style of riding, haute-ecole and airs-above-the-ground, that I didn’t know existed. (Think horses dancing, prancing, walking on their back legs, and leaping in the air)
I went home and announced to my husband that this is what I wanted to do with my life now. Ride these horses like these women.
HIM: “What about the Travel TV Show you’re about to start?”
ME: “Nope, not doing it. Doing this.”
HIM: “How much does it pay?”
ME: “Right now, it costs $75 a lesson, but I have a plan.”
Within a month I had convinced the head trainer to let me trade work for lessons and clean stalls for pay.
That was the beginning of my life-long love of Iberian horses. I worked for the head trainer, who is still one of my best friends in the whole world, for three and a half years. I rode five to six days a week, six hours a day, and that was barely enough. I exercised off the track Arabians, I taught Lusitanos to Spanish walk, I rehabilitated OTTTBs, and I solved persistent behaviour issues for frustrated owners and horses. I loved it!
By the time I ventured out on my own I knew my niche; I am a relationship coach for women and their horses:
- Are you a good match? I can help with that.
- Did you buy a pretty horse that now terrifies you? I can help with that.
- Do you have a horse that you trusted but is now acting weird? I can help with that too.
My specialty is problem-solving to give you the tools you need to grow and learn with your horse.
I want you to feel capable and confident handling your horse in any situation. I explain the why and the how behind everything I teach.
I take a holistic approach to horses and working with them and consider all angles when problem-solving, including:
- Saddle fit
- Diet
- Chiropractic adjustments for horse and rider
- Mental suitability (does your horse like the job she’s doing)
- over-all health
Once you and your equine partner are in harmony, we work on the basic skills of all forms of riding: dressage, trail riding, jumping, cattle work, and speed events all share a foundation of athletic balance for you and your horse.
I’ve been helping people and their horses for over 25 years and I’m here to help you! Let’s work together to build the partnership you’ve always wanted with a horse.
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