Jen Truett is a US Dressage Federation Bronze, Silver and Gold Medalist, and has her Bronze, Silver and Gold Freestyle Bars. She also graduated the USDF L Program "with distinction" and is a USDF Certified Instructor through Second Level.
Jen loves sharing her “Dare 2 Dream” (D2D) Training System which she developed over many years of working with her teachers (both human and equine) with students both at home and through clinics. She likes to think of teaching and training holistically, often starting by evaluating saddle, bridle and bit fit. To compliment her years of saddle fitting and rehabilitation experience, now, thanks to her partnership/sponsorship with Kim Gentry and Bits'N Such, she is trained to fit bits and bridles, so she travels with bits and bridles for clients to test ride in!
Jen is endlessly amazed by the drastic improvements in contact, throughness, suppleness, mouth softness, chewing, general happiness, etc. that happen during bit/bridle fitting sessions. Bit selections are made based on analysis of the horse's mouth conformation and personal preferences (yes, horses have personal preferences). Jen can provide this service in her regular clinics and encourages her clinics organizers to host a bit fitting clinic with her business partner, Kim, at least once a year because she has well over 100 bits for test riding, where Jen has more like 20-30 (but they are all the latest and greatest models from Bomber, Herm Springer, and Neue Schule) :-)
Once she gets the horse more comfortable by improving equipment fit, the training begins and is based on her accumulated knowledge of in-hand work, classical dressage principals and human and equine biomechanics.
The goal of D2D is to enable clear communication between horse, rider and coach while staying cognizant of the horse's emotional state. It's important that the horse never get pushed past his learning "stretch zone" into his "panic zone" because only fear happens there, not learning. Jen has no interest in training horses through fear, only mutual respect.
In-hand work is the foundation of D2D because it builds a bond of trust though development of a common language between horse and human. It also teaches humans to recognize, respect and respond appropriately to the horse’s mental and emotional states. D2D also focuses on creating a common language between coach and rider by utilizing principles that convert the “traditional language” of dressage teaching into ideas and exercises that tell the rider not just what to do, but why and how to do it.
Jen’s D2D methods have been instrumental in the recovery of several horses who were crippled from injuries or EPM. When Lafayette HQ “Taffy” came to Jen in late 2009, he was crippled from an old cannon bone fracture, only had basic W/T/C training and was about to be euthanized. Jen’s D2D training methods enabled the pair to go from zero to Grand Prix in only 6 years, earning numerous accolades along the way. In late 2015, they dipped their toes into the GP waters and in 2017, they competed in their first CDI.
Jen is happy to work with dressage, eventer and jumper riders of all skill levels. It might not be well-known, but because of her Quarter Horse roots, she spent many, many hours and years in western saddles and so is also skilled at helping western dressage riders.
Jen loves sharing her “Dare 2 Dream” (D2D) Training System which she developed over many years of working with her teachers (both human and equine) with students both at home and through clinics. She likes to think of teaching and training holistically, often starting by evaluating saddle, bridle and bit fit. To compliment her years of saddle fitting and rehabilitation experience, now, thanks to her partnership/sponsorship with Kim Gentry and Bits'N Such, she is trained to fit bits and bridles, so she travels with bits and bridles for clients to test ride in!
Jen is endlessly amazed by the drastic improvements in contact, throughness, suppleness, mouth softness, chewing, general happiness, etc. that happen during bit/bridle fitting sessions. Bit selections are made based on analysis of the horse's mouth conformation and personal preferences (yes, horses have personal preferences). Jen can provide this service in her regular clinics and encourages her clinics organizers to host a bit fitting clinic with her business partner, Kim, at least once a year because she has well over 100 bits for test riding, where Jen has more like 20-30 (but they are all the latest and greatest models from Bomber, Herm Springer, and Neue Schule) :-)
Once she gets the horse more comfortable by improving equipment fit, the training begins and is based on her accumulated knowledge of in-hand work, classical dressage principals and human and equine biomechanics.
The goal of D2D is to enable clear communication between horse, rider and coach while staying cognizant of the horse's emotional state. It's important that the horse never get pushed past his learning "stretch zone" into his "panic zone" because only fear happens there, not learning. Jen has no interest in training horses through fear, only mutual respect.
In-hand work is the foundation of D2D because it builds a bond of trust though development of a common language between horse and human. It also teaches humans to recognize, respect and respond appropriately to the horse’s mental and emotional states. D2D also focuses on creating a common language between coach and rider by utilizing principles that convert the “traditional language” of dressage teaching into ideas and exercises that tell the rider not just what to do, but why and how to do it.
Jen’s D2D methods have been instrumental in the recovery of several horses who were crippled from injuries or EPM. When Lafayette HQ “Taffy” came to Jen in late 2009, he was crippled from an old cannon bone fracture, only had basic W/T/C training and was about to be euthanized. Jen’s D2D training methods enabled the pair to go from zero to Grand Prix in only 6 years, earning numerous accolades along the way. In late 2015, they dipped their toes into the GP waters and in 2017, they competed in their first CDI.
Jen is happy to work with dressage, eventer and jumper riders of all skill levels. It might not be well-known, but because of her Quarter Horse roots, she spent many, many hours and years in western saddles and so is also skilled at helping western dressage riders.
