Sonja Biada, 2010 Trainer of the Year, starts and trains horses and teaches riders by using trust and respect as a tool to show the horse the right thing is easy, and the wrong thing is difficult; using techniques commonly known as natural horsemanship but referred to by Sonja as training through trust. Add to this the concepts of dressage - centered balance for the rider; balanced movement for the horse; the subtle communication and deep connection between the two. She has not only started and finished many successful horses of a variety of ages, but has also helped "problem" horses as well.
Sonja and her Dutch Warmblood gelding "Victor" were selected in 2011 to be demonstration riders for the dressage portion of the NW Horse Fair/Expo in Albany, Oregon, riding with Olympian Jan Ebeling.
In Sonja's teaching and training, a strong emphasis is placed on the often overlooked "basics" of dressage, which are applicable to all horses and riders. Good riding is good riding, it doesn't matter what kind of saddle you choose, or if you choose to go without a saddle at all. This is how she trains all horses and teaches all riders, no matter what their discipline. She herself enjoys competing in dressage, and also has many competing dressage students who have been highly successful, as well as competing endurance riding students who have benefited greatly from dressage lessons. Sonja also has hundreds of trail miles and continues to enjoy that as well.
Art Biada is very knowledgeable in many aspects of horsemanship as well as general husbandry and facility management. He has thousands of trail miles (having ridden in the sport of endurance for some years as well as many miles of conditioning and trail riding) and has studied and practiced natural horsemanship for many years as well.
Art enjoys working with horses on the ground, whether green, spoiled, troubled or otherwise confused. He has much experience in helping horse and owner overcome common problems such as trailer loading as well as many other aspects of handling..