Testimonials
from happy horse owners!
Kate Payne
“Not enough kind words could be used to describe how I truly feel about Kelly and her training. I sent my very timid and unsure mare, Georgia, to her, and in a few short months, Kelly was able to not only build her confidence, but give her a foundation she was so greatly lacking. Before seeing Kelly, Georgia was so scared to enter in an arena with barrels due to the previous owner, that she would do anything to get out of it. She was so scared and nervous, that while tied in the wash bay, she would nervously poop over and over while also never standing still. When I got her back from Kelly, I was able to put kids that have never ran barrels, and that had very limited horse experience on her. Kelly truly understands the needs of each horse that she works with. And she knows that it’s not a one and done solution for all. I’m very grateful for Kelly. She took Georgia from being an almost unrideable, nervous, and scared horse to a more confident horse safe for kids. I highly recommend Kelly and her staff to all.“
Elisabeth & Hans
“I am thrilled to share my heartfelt gratitude for Kelly, the extraordinary horse trainer at Looking Glass Farm. Under her guidance, my Friesian, Hans, has transformed into a remarkable equine companion. Kelly’s expertise and dedication have empowered Hans to blossom with confidence and serenity on the trails. His ability to effortlessly transition between speeds at the walk, trot, and canter is a testament to Kelly’s exceptional training methods. Riding Hans has become an absolute joy, thanks to Kelly’s unwavering support and skillful guidance. I cannot thank her enough for the profound impact she has had on both Hans and myself.“
Major
“Last summer, I purchased a horse from a consignment farm in North Carolina. I was looking for a levelheaded horse to trail ride on, one that I could pull out of the pasture anytime after not riding and they would ride the same as if I rode daily. I found the horse of my dreams; he was advertised as everything I could want in a riding horse. The only thing that was a slight negative was he was described as a little “watchy” on the ground. I went back about 7 years of history on their page to check legitimacy of the farm and everything appeared to be in order, the page showed many years of happy clients. I made the mistake of buying sight unseen as I was immersed in my last year of nurse practitioner school and clinicals.
Major arrived and started to settle in, he seemed a lot better on the ground than I was expecting as I was told he was standoffish from having been used as a work horse and not a pet by previous owner. A bit of food and treats and he would follow me around happily. I let him settle for about a week and then took him to the round pen to warm up and ride. BIG MISTAKE – this was not the horse that was advertised to me! He exploded and acted like he had never been ridden or, worse case – had some rough handling and did not know how to deal with it. He was trembling and looking for an exit. I contacted the seller and told them that this horse was not represented properly and there was no way that I was going to attempt to ride him. They insisted he would be fine, that he had never been lunged, advised me to ”just jump on with confidence.” A week later, a story broke of alleged animal cruelty, and it was from the same farm I obtained Major. Suddenly it made sense, I realized that it was possible that he might have also experienced some cruelty and was suffering from some form of PTSD from abuse.
I reached out to some of my trusted friends looking for a place to send him to get him back to being a good horse citizen. Since I am originally from Texas and did not know a lot of trainers near Georgia, I needed to find someone that I could trust…especially after being burned by the last person that had him. One of the names that I received was Kelly Sigler from Looking Glass Farms.
After talking to Kelly about Major and his issues, I decided to send him to her in attempt to get his mind right. Major was afraid of everything, ropes, touching, quick movements…anything that required interaction with a human. Kelly is a Happy Horse/Happy Life Instructor and started over with his groundwork, using these methods. It took some time to help him overcome his anxieties as the fear of humans was deeply ingrained, but she got him to the point of being able to start riding him in about 8 weeks. She began slowly and allowed him to have time to think about everything that she was introducing without fear of being punished for not doing it correctly. He began to progress and do well both in the arena and out on the trails. One of the things that I felt was important was Kelly wants the owners of the horses in training to also learn with the horse as they progress. I was a little nervous about riding him, as I had seen firsthand the sheer terror, he held at my one failed attempt to ride. He did well in the arena and around the farm, so the next time we went on a trail ride, and he did great doing that as well. I have now ridden him several times and feel confident that he and I will progress together when he returns home.
I would tell anyone that needs to put a horse in training to send them to Kelly, as she listens to what the horse needs and then provides a gentle and safe approach to get them there. I could not be more pleased with how Major has turned out and I owe it all to the experience and knowledge that Kelly used to help him overcome his fear and grow his confidence. He is going to be an exceptional and brave trail horse after all. I thought for sure he may end up as my pricey pasture pet!“
Ross
“When I bought Ross as a foal, I had big plans! I pictured me ponying him from my older gelding, playing and working him from day one, and naturally teaching him all the basics on the ground so by the time he was ready to be backed, it’d be so easy!! Being a trainer myself, I figured I got this! But, I fell into the trap many trainers do. Paying clients came first, so fast forward 3 years and I had a horse who had been barely handled and was bored stiff and getting naughty. I had to leave town for an extended period and it was looking more and more like I needed help.
Red
“This is Red, a 6 year old gelding from New England. He was advertised as “an old soul”, but when he arrived at our place in South Carolina, he stood up with me on his hind legs. Two months with Kelly and Red is a sweetheart. He loves kids, and comes running to greet us in the pasture. Everyone loves him, and he, in turn, loves the pampering. Thank you, Kelly!“
Oakley
“This is Oakley. He is a 12 year old Buckskin gelding that I bought in New England. He arrived at our place in South Carolina so nervous that nobody would ride him. Two months with Kelly Patterson, and he is gentle and loving and trusting. Thank you Kelly!“
Mira Stallings & Thor
“When Thor first came into our lives, we knew we were in for a wild ride. And boy, did he deliver! This grumpy and stubborn horse had an attitude that would put a teenager to shame. It was his way or the highway, and let me tell you, the highway seemed like the safer option at times.
But then came Kelly, our horse’s trainer and the miracle worker extraordinaire. With her magic touch and boundless patience, she took on the challenge of transforming Thor into a well-behaved and safe-to-ride equine companion. Little did we know that the journey ahead would involve more twists and turns than a rollercoaster at an amusement park.
In 2022, just when we thought things were finally settling down, Thor decided to surprise us all by going into “labor pains” like me..🙄 And guess what? As I was being rushed to the hospital, so was he! I mean, talk about synchronizing our drama-filled lives. I must say, Thor really knows how to steal the spotlight.
Thanks to the support of Kelly, the incredible Kamp Kelly team, the skilled doctors at UGA, and the expertise of his equine nutritionist, Dr. Gabi Gross, Thor managed to pull through what could have been a calamitous situation. From that point onward, his transformation was nothing short of a miracle. Thor went from being a 1 on the safety scale to soaring all the way up to 100!
And there’s more good news! As Thor embarked on his recovery journey, he tried his hoof at various hobbies. Cow sorting? Check. Polo? Absolutely. Pasture grazing? Oh, he aced that too. But guess what? The true revelation came when Thor discovered his hidden talent for driving a cart! Move over, Mario Andretti, because Thor is taking the reins and giving a whole new meaning to horsepower.
We cannot express how blessed we feel to have Kelly in our lives. Without her unwavering dedication and expertise, Thor wouldn’t be here with us today, driving us all crazy in the most delightful way. Kelly, you are not just a horse trainer but a true magician, a superhero in jodhpurs. Thank you for making our lives fun, adventurous, and filled with love and laughter. We owe Thor’s remarkable transformation and our continued hilarious escapades to you.“
Alyssa Colbry & Lassal
“Lasall, a 4 year old Westphalian, came from a breeder with minimal handling. Kelly started his foundation from the ground up. After spending less than 90 days in Kelly’s care, Lasall is happily going W/T/C under saddle and he is confident, curious and eager to please. Kelly encouraged his curiosity and he now loves obstacle courses and spending time inside and outside the ring. Living almost two hours away, I looked forward to Kelly’s pictures and videos of his progress every week. I am grateful that Kelly encourages owners to come visit and that she shares everything she has worked on with the horses. I visited almost every weekend and I loved seeing his progress and mine as we learned to work together.
The foundation that Kelly started is the perfect jumping off point for us to start our dressage career together. After taking Lasall home I was able to use the skills that Kelly taught me to make him comfortable and help him work through any nervous situations as he gets used to his new surroundings. Thanks for everything Kelly!“
Nadine Rousse Dorrington & Louie
“Louie went from being a horse who would have a stage 5 meltdown loading on a trailer, couldn’t tie to anything and would sweat buckets just thinking about showing to winning dressage ribbons @ recognized shows all over South Carolina. Kelly Sigler Patterson has been the miracle worker in Louie’s life. We owe her a debt of gratitude for having the fortitude to stick with him even at his lowest points. Winning is fun! The best is yet to come for Louie.“
Krista Carter & Aspen
“I can’t say enough good things about the last 4 months of training with Kelly Sigler at Looking Glass Farms. A year ago, I bought a handsome yet feral, 3 year old Irish sport horse. My dream horse. I got him home and attempted to get him to love humans. I knew that I had my hands full and needed someone who actually understood horses and could help put the foundation on him he deserved. I took him to Kelly Sigler for a one day confidence camp and knew that was the place not just for him, but for me too.
I dropped Aspen off with Kelly in Sept for at least 60 days and then extended to another 60 days. The changes I saw in him that made that decision easy were: increased confidence, trust in his human leader, connection with his leader, less reactive to scary things, positive forward movement and overall, he was just happy and thriving.
As the owner of Aspen, Kelly makes visiting so welcoming and easy. I spent almost every weekend driving to Aiken to hang with Aspen and to learn from Kelly. If I had a day off, Kelly was like “come on up and see Aspen!” This is huge, she wants the owners to come visit so when they leave, there is an understanding between horse and rider that is a solid and unbreakable bond.
Aspen is home, for now, and will go back in August for jumping school as I race across Mongolia in the World’s Longest and Toughest horse race, but for now, we have a good foundation to build on for the next 6 months. I can ride him, hack around on him, do tons of connection games and liberty work. He loads into a trailer easily, stands nicely for the farrier, leads like a mature horse and doesn’t push you around with his body. Overall, worth every dollar spent, every mile driven and every hour of sleep lost by early wake ups to get on the road. “
Sheldon Kramer & Sláinte
“At the end of August, when I first sent my mare to Kelly, I wasn’t sure what direction we were going. Was she going to be sold to a more suitable partner or were we going to figure this out? I bought her in June as a “been there done that” confidence building low level eventer. As a late 40 something getting back in the saddle after a 25 year break for career and family, on paper she was exactly what I wanted and needed. She arrived a fire breathing dragon—all 17.3 of her. She was anxious, pushy and reactive. After an incidence landed her squarely on me in the wash stall, a friend connected me to Kelly and our journey truly began. A weekend confidence and connection clinic made my decision—Sláinte was going to Kamp Kelly. In the three months she was there, my son came with me every weekend to work with her and Kelly. I think we missed one weekend. That time was invaluable! The tools and perspective we both learned changed the direction of my relationship with my horse. She began to see me as her leader and “safe spot”. We learned to trust each other. She came home to me a week ago. Two days ago I literally cried on my way home from the barn I was so happy. For the first time ever, she is finally relaxed and fully content. When I took her to Kelly’s, cross tying her was a gamble at best—would she dance, would she turn around, would she jump and land on me? Two days ago she let me just love on and groom her in the cross ties until she fell asleep. My girl is in her forever home and I could not be happier.“
Sarah Duncan
“I couldn’t have asked for a better start for my young horse Emi. Kelly transformed her from a naughty, aggressive 3-year-old into a confidant sport horse prospect. That solid foundation created the perfect baseline for her continued training and she now thriving as a hunter jumper in a top show barn.“
Judi & Bob Storey
“I bought Kobe, a 4 year old OTTB the spring of 2020. He was quiet, easy, uncomplicated and I was thrilled he was turning out to be exactly what I wanted.
After hunting him 4 times in January, his personally totally changed. He also had a huge growth spurt and we were having saddle issues.
I met Kelly through a friend who took her jumper to one of the cattle sorting clinics that Kelly offers near her farm, and was so impressed with her instruction and her quiet demeanor with people and horses.
Afterwards I was telling her of my problems with Kobe and wondered if she could help me sort things out with him.
He was at Kelly’s for 7 weeks in the late spring and during that time I had ground lessons with her, and she regularly sent me videos of her working with him, which I really enjoyed.
I have had him back now for 21/2 months, and the difference is unbelievable, he is just the way he was when I first got him. He is calm, willing and most of all a very happy horse.
I cannot say enough about Kelly’s kindness, integrity, patience, work ethic and her very special way with horses. She truly gave me back my “pretty perfect” guy.
Thank you Kelly from the bottom of my heart!“
Mary Kadar
“About 20 years ago, I attended a Parelli Natural Horsemanship exhibition. At the time, my expectations were low. I didn’t understand how a middle-aged cowboy’s ideas about horsemanship could relate to Dressage.
Then I saw Kelly Sigler and her horse Buckley. To me, they completely upstaged everyone at the exhibition. The relationship between Kelly and Buckley was amazing. Buckley would do anything for Kelly. The communication and trust between horse and human was something almost magical.
Shortly thereafter, I had the opportunity to attend a Kelly Sigler clinic with my horse Archer. He was a rather stoic guy. But as Kelly helped me with different techniques and responses, Archer’s entire countenance changed. His face became softer and his whole body relaxed. It was as if he was saying, “Finally, you speak horse!”
Fast forward to recent events. In my search for the perfect Dressage Horse, I bought this amazing little Morgan, Rhett. He was marketed as an Eventer/Dressage mount. I fell in love with this expressive little guy. But as time progressed, we didn’t.
I took Rhett to Kelly for her analysis of him. She didn’t approach things with the preconceived notion that you will be a Dressage Horse and your mommy will be happy. Instead, Kelly began at the beginning with groundwork that extended over and through obstacles. In the arena, Rhett would try but his heart wasn’t in it. Take him over a teetering bridge and his face would light right up!
Rhett loved the trails and obstacles but absolutely dreaded the arena work.
It was clear that Rhett was not destined to be a Dressage Horse. He would never be happy in the arena and who wants an unhappy horse? After much discussion, Kelly set out to find Rhett his perfect home. Like me, there were people that came out to see him and thought Rhett could be a Dressage Horse.
Kelly would politely inform them that this was not the horse you’re looking for.
When the right prospect did come along, Kelly worked with both horse and rider to make sure this was indeed a good match. It was just as important that the horse was happy with his new rider as the rider was with the horse.
Today, Rhett enjoys the life of a trail horse. Everyday is something new and exciting. Rhett has found his perfect person and without Kelly Sigler Patterson, that would never have happened.
Kelly is an advocate for the horse. Her training and extensive experience lets her get straight to the heart of the matter. She works patiently with the horse building the lines of communication that allows for that magical relationship. The end result is a confident animal who knows their job and behaves properly.“
Rhett and Yvonne
“I am a trail rider and an endurance hopeful (out west in CA!).
I was looking for my 2nd Morgan, and I thought I might have found him… way way way over in South Carolina!
I suspected I was in trusting hands with Kelly overseeing things. I didn’t know her, but you can easily dip into the Google and see that she knows her stuff and people lover her for it.
I was so scared to go visit Rhett. I almost didn’t want him to be ‘the one’ because of all of the scary logistics of getting him home. But I also knew I had to see him because, well, he really did sound like the horse I was looking for.
Disclosure: I ride daily for hours and hours, but as it turns out, I am not the best rider in town. (Ok, Kelly, you can stop laughing now)
Poor Kelly (and poor Rhett) got to meet me on one of my finest hours in a saddle (NOT!). I was so nervous, and my best amateur skills abandoned me, and there I was, couldn’t even keep my darn toes in the stirrups. I was ashamed, fretting, and stressing. I wanted to meet Rhett, and fall in love, and ride off into the sunset.
Kelly, a professional trainer, had to watch the whole thing happen. She must have wanted to lock me into Camp Kelly for a month, but she knew I was a fleeting chick from California, and I needed to meet this boy, and see if he was right for me, and see if he wanted what I had to offer him.
I cannot emphasize how grateful I am that Kelly could see past my sloppy hybrid riding “skills” (LOL!) and see what kind of PERSON I was. She could see what I was looking for and she knew Rhett well enough to know that we would be a great fit.
Pre-purchase vet exam, travel boots, gastroguard, …
I was in California and Kelly (a saving grace!) took on so many chores to get him ready – I still cannot believe the things she did to help get Rhett home to me.
Kelly went beyond the call of duty. I can list all of things she did, but it would be harder to detail the WAY she was, giving me such confidence and comfort during this nerve wracking process. She held my hand the whole time. I don’t even have the words to describe how she was there for me, and how grateful I am.”
Seyval – Judy Hunter and Alison Head
“Seyval is a 4 year old Oldenburg gelding who is over 18 hands tall. He was started under saddle last spring (2020) and was doing very, very well with his trainer. We rode him quite a bit while he was in training and he did well most of the time, but he would have moments when he was very spooky and he would latch onto what was scaring him and it was difficult to regain his attention. Sometimes, he would get very scared when exposed to something new or unexpected, but we always managed to work him through it and continue on with the ride. We brought him home and continued to ride him fairly successfully; however, there were a few times, when he would become afraid of something, usually out on the trail, and it would be difficult to get his attention and calm him down so we could ride on. Once, in particular, he was on a hill and looking down and he could hear some of my neighbors, who were walking their dogs, talking and he could see just their heads bobbing up and down. His 18+ hands suddenly felt like 22 hands and growing taller as he became more scared. That time, I dismounted and walked him away from the stimulus and took him home. In general, he was very good on the trails and in the ring, but when he did become scared, it seemed that we needed some more tools in our toolbox to use to help him learn to cope with his emotions and not ramp up his energy until his heart was pounding outside his chest wall.
I found Kelly via Google and recognized her name from my past experiences with the Parelli organization. When we contacted her and described our sweet, goofy, huge horse’s need to learn to control his emotions, she immediately said, “I can fix that.” We took him to Kelly in December 2020 and he immediately stopped eating. When a horse that large stops eating, he loses weight very quickly. As the end of December approached, he seemed very happy living out in a herd situation and Kelly was happy with his progress in training but we were concerned because he continued to lose weight even though Kelly was standing with him during feeding time to ensure he ate his food. I talked to Kelly about bringing him home and she urged me to leave him stating, “He will change a lot in during the second month in training. That is why I want new horses to stay a minimum of two months.” It was very difficult for me to leave him, but I am so happy I did.
Seyval became a different horse in the second month. His confidence soared as he became a whiz on Kelly’s obstacle, working equitation, and cross-country courses and in navigating patterns on the ground and under saddle that Kelly recommended to get and keep his attention. Kelly, then I, rode him out on her dirt roads and then trailered him a couple of times to Hitchcock Woods. He loved to lead on the trail; ride in the middle of the pack; and bring up the rear on the trail. The biggest problem we had with him was that he would act like a little kid throwing a fit when it was time to turn around and go back. He always wanted to keep exploring!
Kelly has a quiet way of establishing herself as the leader of the herd. I think because the horses understand her, they quickly come to trust her, which allows them to calm down and learn easily. We have recommended her to a few people and they have taken horses to her. We brought Seyval home at the beginning of February. Kelly came out and rode him on our trails for the first time so that we could see how she handled him when he got scared. We have been riding him in the ring (he is a future dressage horse) and on the trails since we brought him home and are very pleased with his continued progress!
“
Mira Stallings
“I don’t even know where to begin to discuss how amazing of a trainer Kelly really is. Not only for the horse, but for the owners as well. We were sold a 19hh Percheron that we were told was 8 years old and bomb-proof that just went through police training. Come to find out, he was only 3 years old at the time we bought him and was far from bomb-proof (mainly because he was so young). He did actually attend police school where he bucked a few officers off and that’s how we got him, but we were told that the city couldn’t “afford him”.
Long story short, my husband and I contacted Kelly and she worked all of her magical powers on our baby boy. He is the absolute best horse and we love him so much. He has so much potential and we can’t wait to see what he will learn with Kelly in the years to come. Kelly is the real Dr. Dolittle. She has an amazing bond with all of the animals on her farm and you can tell every animal respects her, as they should. Her training methods are exceptional! I loved watching her behavioral methods when working with Thor. As a professional behavior analyst myself, I can tell you that Kelly knows her stuff!! What she does with the horses is a natural talent that she has. I wouldn’t recommend anyone else other than her. If we moved all the way across the country I would still find a way for her to work with our horses, as well as school us on riding.“
Tami Wilson
“I had a really bad fall off of my German Westphalian gelding in 2019, after great care and recovery for both of us, I sent him to Kamp Kelly so that he could improve his top line and gain confidence on trails. He is a former hunter/jumper and lacked the confidence to safely be ridden on trail rides. Kelly worked with my vet/chiropractor to get him back to pain free riding and improved his topline. I was so amazed to see him on the various trails she ponied him on and eventually rode him down. And truly surprised to learn he enjoys sorting cattle, he has gone twice now and we look forward to more cattle sorting in the future. I brought him home after 3 months at Kamp Kelly and now we’re both confidently riding trails together. He is a completely different horse. Much happier and calmer on the trail!“
Magdalena Baird
“When I purchased Piper, my 5 year old TB gelding, I was told that he is easy going and calm. As a beginner rider and a new owner that was exactly what I was looking for. However it turned out that my lovely Piper was the complete opposite of easy going and calm. I decided to look for a trainer who could help me with Piper and that is when I found Kelly. Believe me when I tell you, that it was the best decision I have made for Piper and I. Kelly is an exceptionally talented trainer who puts safety and welfare of the horses before anything. She is a horse whisperer!!! At that time I was not aware that Piper was also sick and required a little extra care. With Kelly’s help we were able to identify the problem and she brought him back to being healthy and happy. In a matter of couple months, Kelly has transformed my overacting and very emotional creature to calm and lovely partner that I feel safe and comfortable being around. During camp, I received constant updates and videos on Piper’s accomplishments. I was also able to visit him and Kelly worked with me and thought me how to be a strong and good leader that my horse needs. Now with Piper being back home, I have all the tools I need in order to continue what Kelly has started.
Dale Weaver
“I contacted Kelly several months after buying a new horse, Savannah , that I did not have much history on. My breaking point to reach out for help was when she kicked my farrier while getting her back hoof trimmed. As usual, she spooked at some unknown source and feeling trapped, she gave him a powerful knock down. Leading up to this moment, she was extremely disconnected, aloof, fearful of the barn and any noise in or around the arena where I rode. I certainly did not feel safe riding her outside the arena because of her constant “freezing” in fear of every object we passed or tried to pass. She seemed unhappy and disconnected because of all these fears and insecurities. And after kicking the farrier I felt she was unsafe…
A friend told me about Kelly, so I reached out. Kelly responded quickly, she came out and met Savannah and I had a spot in her training facility within a couple weeks.
Kelly’s program is amazing. Immediately Kelly began working with Savannah on the ground to assess her needs and Kelly then started taking Savannah on trips away from her facility!! trail rides, obstacle courses, indoor arena, overnight trails, and cow sorting!! Savannah went somewhere every week and sometimes twice a week. Right away I could see Savannah confidence growing. Kelly was all along working with touching Savannah all over especially her hind legs to prepare her for trims. She worked alongside the farrier to make sure it was a safe trim for all. Kelly worked with me as well, getting a hoof stand so I could safely practice putting Savannah in trimming positions.
I was able to participate in many of these outings near the end of her 2 months with Kelly and my confidence grew as I saw the amazing changes in my horse. Savannah has come back to my barn a new horse!! She is no longer bothered by random noises, wind, objects, or any other normal day to day activities. She rides in the arena and out on the trails! When she starts to show signs of getting nervous, I know what to do to bring her back to a curious state of mind verses a fearful state of mind. My horse now loves hanging out in the barn with me and has developed an inquisitive personality, she is no longer aloof. I never knew what her personality was because it was hidden so deep in fear. But I have discovered a happy, sweet and willing partner!
What a blessing for me to be able to begin this new relationship with Savannah with better foundation! Kelly has already been out to my barn to help me transition back with success. She is teaching me the tools I need to keep my horse moving forward in this confident path. I am so thankful to have found Kelly!”
Margaret Anne
“Kelly is an outstanding trainer. She takes the time and has the patience to find out exactly what your horse needs. No ‘one size fits all’ methods. Her love for horses really shines through even when working with problem sassy mares. I would highly recommend her to anyone who wants to have a better relationship with their horse.“
Amanda Russell Latham
“Apache is a different horse since returning from Camp Kelly. She is calm and a joy to ride. She no longer freaks out when she gets nervous. She has excellent ground manners and is a pleasure to ride on the trails. She is one of my favorite horses to ride now. Apache is relaxed from beginning to end now and no longer makes me nervous while riding her. I know she won’t explode on me she just stops and asks a question now… she’s the best mare.“
Terry Marcott
“Kelly Patterson is a wonderful person and awesome trainer! She is very patient and kind, and never gets upset. She has worked with all 3 of my Friesian mares who rage in age from 2-15 years old. I love that she has a goal for each lesson, and also incorporates my requests for the lesson that day. She is extremely reliable and professional. She is flexible to reschedule any lesson that cancels due to weather.
Merritt Corey
“Toppers Story
I am the owner of Top Vision, he is a 6 year old, 16.2 off the track thoroughbred. I am going to tell you a little bit about his story and what Kelly has done to help not only him, but me.
I bought Topper as a 4 year old from an eventing barn in Aiken. He had been pulled off the track as a 3 year old and put straight into training as an eventing prospect. He was born and raced in Ohio then went to NY for his post track training. His first training off the track was in dressage but shortly after that he was sent to a trainer in Aiken to work on his cross country. When I went to try him he was doing novice level eventing and seemed like a lovely horse. He was definitely sensitive, but there is nothing wrong with that. Although he was being trained for eventing, I knew he belonged in the Hunter ring.
I bought him and had decent rides on him until about a month in. I would go to mount at the block and he would lose it. Bucking/bolting and every time I hit the ground hard. Ever since then, I have had to have people hold him at the mounting block for me in order to get on because he would try to buck/bolt every time. This was his main place of trouble, but he occasionally would randomly explode and do the same thing away from the mounting block. After trying everything I could on my own: x rays, massage therapy, chiropractic, custom saddle, ulcer treatment; I decided this was not pain and he needed someone to fix his attitude because I had had enough. I started training with a “cowboy.” After six months of groundwork, we were no closer to sitting on his back.
I turned to Kelly, who had been recommended by a close friend of mine. Kelly was my last option before I gave this unruly horse away as a pasture pet. She knew he had issues from the moment she met him but assured me he was not the worst she had seen and that he was most likely fixable. She sent me messages almost every day with his progress and shortly after he first arrived, she was getting on him with almost no issues. Her combination of rewards and natural horsemanship training methods was the recipe he needed. She took her time with him, only moving forward when he gave her the go ahead. After almost two months now he is letting people get on him just fine and most of his other anxieties have shrunk as well. He is much more tolerant of stuff than he once was. I recently went to see him to get her help on my side of the partnership and she made sure I felt comfortable and reassured me that he was a very good boy. The whole experience was very fulfiling and I am excited for my future with this horse as now I finally feel like we actually have a good chance together. “
Dianne Metts
“I was introduced to Kelly Sigler-Patterson, Trainer and Owner of Looking Glass Farms about 9 months ago by a dear friend Jennifer Stoudemire, Dream Riders Head Riding Instructor.
I have a 13-year-old Thoroughbred mare named Runaway Beauty. Beauty had been on a brood mare farm in Lexington, KY for about 10 years. She came to live at her forever home around July of 2018.
Beauty is a sweet girl but needed to be restarted. We were having problems with a bit for her and standing still while being mounted along with other little issues.
Kelly method of training is Natural Horsemanship, which I really liked and wanted to learn. Kelly advise me of what equipment that was needed and pointed me in direction on where to purchase. Our first lesson was on the 7 games, which we learned just the first 3 or 4. It was on our second lesson, with a $10.00 bit Kelly told me to purchase, that Kelly had Beauty taking the bit beautifully. I think you could have pulled my mouth off the ground when I saw her bridle Beauty. I had gone though several bits and even paid $100.00 for a bit, that did not work.
After about 3 months of learning and working with Beauty on the seven games, we decided that Beauty needed to go to Kelly’s Wayward Mare Program. Before she went Beauty did not like to stand at mounting block nor did she like to jump.
However, after 3 months at Kelly’s program, Beauty has learned to stand at mounting block and jump. In fact, Beauty loves to jump now.
I wish I had meet Kelly years ago. I have learned so much from her. Just watching her work with the horse at her farm over the past 3 months has been amazing.
Thank you, Kelly!”
Amanda
“All trainers are NOT created equal. Unlike other horse trainers, Kelly trains humans how to interact with their horses. I first called Kelly because I was having some safety issues with my mothers horse, Jake and I really wanted some riding lessons. I was just getting back into horse ownership after a 15 year break and I realized I needed help and that this wasn’t as easy as I remembered. I was scared that something bad would happen.
Our goal is to have good, safe and fun to ride horses and unfortunately our horses were getting unsafer by the day. This had to stop and Kelly showed us how to regain respect from our small herd. We do this thru natural horsemanship techniques and playing some fun and easy games that all of the horses already know – it’s their language after all.
I had recently worked with two different trainers who just weren’t effective and I felt like I was wasting my time and money. Kelly is different. Her methods have empowered me to be brave with my horse, to feel more confident in and out of the saddle and make learning with my horse fun. Unlike other trainers, we don’t lunge the horse to make them tired, we never are mean to our horses (one trainer hit them in the face because he could).
Our horses have learned to stand at the mounting block, I have learned the importance of pre flight checks before hitting the trails. Everything we do on the ground and playing with our horses makes them safer and more respectful when we get on their backs. I’ve noticed a difference in my horses confidence and my own.
Asking Kelly for her help was one of the best decisions and investments I’ve made in myself and my horses. I don’t have fancy horses, I just have a passion for learning and our horses now have a partnership with us and love to be around us.”
Pam Flynn
“I’ve been using Kelly Patterson to help me with my horse Rio. Rio threw me off in panic two years ago. He has always been a fractious horse and a bolter. I was at a loss as to what to do. I had owned Rio now for three years and had been through multiple trainers. When I moved to South Carolina in Nov, I found Kelly. She was certified trainer as a through Pat Parelli, and I felt she would be the best to help me with my horse.
I’ve now worked with Kelly for 6 sessions and I can see a vast improvement in Rio. I train Rio myself but I wasn’t sure how to approach certain things and my progress was very slow. I am actually riding Rio again. I never thought I would ride him again since the time he threw me. We are learning how to find the way to get him back to calm when he becomes too worried and also that I needed to become “bigger” and “louder” in my action when he was distracted and his attention was off of me. I would have never attempted to ride Rio were it not for the confidence I am gaining through working with Kelly. We still have a way to go and training never actually stops throughout a horse’s life. But can say, I would have NEVER gotten back on this horse without Kelly’s guidance.
I know that if I put him at her facility for a month he would progress much faster. I feel she is completely competent and knowledgeable and I would trust her implicitly with my horse.”
Jennifer Stoudemire and Simba
“I am so blessed to have met Kelly; she has taken my horsemanship and interaction with horses to a whole new level. I met Kelly when I was at a loss with “Simba”, one of my therapeutic riding programs special horses. Simba had developed fear and spookiness that I could not figure out. I had exhausted all of my traditional training efforts to no avail along with exploring saddle fit and vet exams. I saw Kelly’s event post for her obstacle confidence clinic in February of 2019. I was hopeful to find some help for Simba there. Not only did I find Simba help, my new journey began as well. I started taking consistent lessons with Kelly which opened up a whole new world for me. Kelly guides me through understanding the psychology of each horse I’m working with and what approach will help them confidently excel in their training. I have learned that horses need different strategies, which is why my traditional methods weren’t working for our right brained introvert Simba. My approach to handling horses and riding has completely changed. I would never have thought I would want to have the goal of working my horses at liberty and riding bridless, but I do now. Thanks to Kelly my therapeutic riding program “Dream Riders” has happy horses that are growing in their confidence with their jobs and finding pleasure doing it. I have found a joy I haven’t had with horses since I was a little girl; it’s a peaceful kind of satisfaction. I am excited to continue on with my journey, there’s so much more to learn and experience!“