What people are saying.
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"In the past two and a half years, I have learned so much and continue to learn so much from Ashley Ford Gayhart. Ashley has a unique gift of truly understanding the horse’s body and in turn how the rider’s body is influencing the horse. Because of this unique understanding, she is able to communicate (teach) in a way that is understandable. She is also excellent at providing a visual description of what your body should look and feel like to get the desired response from your mount. Additionally, her positive personality is the icing on the cake. I truly enjoy taking lessons and expanding my knowledge of all things equine with Ashley."
— Joy Beskin
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"Sometimes it takes a long time to build courage, especially after a fall. It was years since I'd last ridden a horse when I reached out to Ashley/The Ideal Connection to try to confront my fears and get back to doing what I love - being around, learning about, and riding horses. Ashley is incredibly warm, authentic, and knowledgeable. Her patience and dedication has supported me in peeling back layers of resistance and fear and in building a collaborative relationship with the horses - honoring where both the horse and I am for that day or even in that moment. The reward of that peeling back and letting go has been the uncovering and rediscovering of peace, ease, and pure joy. It is a thrill and a true gift to work with Ashley/The Ideal Connection."
— Maureen Kelleher
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"Ashley is the longest standing instructor I’ve had in my 9 years of horseback riding. She is the most patient, kind, supportive, and optimistic person that I have had the pleasure of meeting during my horse journey. She creates a no-pressure, stress-free environment in her lesson and gives positive, up-lifting feedback to her students. She truly cares about each student and their horse, devoting an incredible amount of her time and energy to making sure that the path that is taken is the one that is the most beneficial for the rider and horse. She tackles her students' obstacles as though they were her own and thinks outside the box from many different perspectives in order to come up with a solution. I cannot possibly recommend her enough."
— Claire Crunden
"After adopting my OTTB, I struggled to find a trainer who fit my needs, but when I was introduced to Ashley, I knew right away I’d landed in the right place. She spoke my language when it came to horses and their well-being, and she listened and understood my needs and goals. After careful evaluation, she kindly pointed out that starting with the right horse is as important as finding the right instructor. So, I hired her to help me in that endeavor and she did not disappoint. I was totally impressed with her knowledge and ability to spot negative and positive characteristics when shopping for a horse, sometimes just from a photo. After lots of looking and a few road trips, she led me to my appaloosa, Chief, who has been amazing in helping me reach my goals. Ashley is passionate and enthusiastic about all aspects of horsemanship, with a real focus on advocating the kind and fair treatment of the horse. She is not only willing, but genuinely wanting to share her knowledge with as many people as possible in order to benefit as many horses as possible. She is continually educating herself with an objective and open mind. She is always organized and ready to teach, and she has an eye for what the horse and/or rider needs in any given moment. She explains things in an easy-to-understand way, and when clarification is needed, she doesn’t hesitate to get down on all fours to demonstrate the horse’s movement. She is a great time manager and is dedicated to arriving promptly for lessons and teaching in any kind of weather. If the student is up for it, so is Ashley. She is one of the smartest, kindest and most positive people I know, and her positivity is contagious. She is always supportive and uplifting and she has gifted me with confidence and friendship. Ashley has been a wonderful mentor and trainer, and my life has changed in nothing but positive ways because of her. What a treasure!"
- Maggie Test
Lorinda Springston
"This is why we love Ashley Ford Gayhart, The Ideal Connection. She removes the brace from the horse and rider, at the very beginning. Everything done on the ground directly relates to riding. Ryder is a changed horse. Lexi can sit on him, practice breathing and relaxation and he connects with her and follows everything she does. Lightness, or True Collection, is self-carriage, with a rider.”
