"Mirka, Thank you for allowing us to bring Buck into our family. He is truly an amazing horse thanks to your care and training. My Granddaughter has been riding and grooming him since she was 2 years old and she will tell you, "Buck is my favorite". You are so very inspiring. I believe you have a true gift. Your insight into how the horses mind works seems to come to you "naturally". Thank you for sharing it with others and thank you for all you do for equine and human alike!" Ginger Gulsby

"I came to Mirka just over a year ago, with a horse I loved but did not understand and could not ride. Mirka completely changed that through patience, skill and her confidence in both me and my horse. Now my mare and I are sharing a wondrous journey!" Glenda S.

"Riding my green-broke mare, Tookie, used to end in frustration for both of us. Catching her in the pasture was not an easy task, especially if she knew a ride was imminent. That was before we started lessons with Mirka. At first we went for weekly lessons to help with Tookie's pushiness and inattentiveness and to improve my riding skills and communication with my horse. Because of her relaxed, yet firm, style of instruction and friendly relationship with both horse and rider, I felt comfortable leaving my horse with Mirka for a month of "boot camp." In less than a year, under Mirka's tutelage, each ride with my horse is now fun, not frustrating. I have become less autocratic in the saddle, but more of a leader. Sometimes, we both make mistakes, but Tookie and I are more tolerant of each other. I have learned from Mirka how to understand horse body language and how to correct mistakes without causing my horse to rebel. I have a much better understanding of rein management, although I am using them less because of my leg and seat cues. Instead of having to catch Tookie, she follows me when I walk through the barnyard and pasture. We'll continue building our relationship and achieving greater goals with Mirka!" Pam Elliot

"We have been training with Mirka for three years, and she has helped work our way up to Parelli level four. During lessons she quickly pinpoints problems we are having, and helps find effective solutions. We have spent a lot of time working with her over the summer, and the horses she has trained teach us a lot and are really fun to ride. Her honest critiques keep us progressing with our horses. Mirka has effectively blended many different natural horsemanship techniques. She is especially good at training humans to use the subtle body language and communication that horses understand." Morgan T. and Natalie T.

 "I had Mirka train my Arabian gelding, Pie, when he was a yearling using her Natural Horsemanship methods for a couple of months, and then again to ride as a four year old.  Pie is full of life and quite the character. Mirka has manage to preserve that character in him (that I enjoy so much) while making him a responsive and respectful horse and even more of a joy to be around.  There are many things that she trained him to do and be light on his toes about it.  A few of the things he learned was to back, lunge with control, become fearless and inquisitive of most objects including water, stand still, lead calmly, give to pressure and signals and carry a rider with collection and finesse using a halter and a snaffle.  I previously had not followed the school of Natural Horsemanship very much but do know what kind and humane methods of training she has, as compared to the old school trainers of yesterday and some of those that are still around.  She made my horse want to perform to his fullest so that his human would have pride in him.  You can’t ask for anything else and he has quite the future thanks to her." Robin Wright, Ghost Fleet Farm, Bay Minette, AL

 "My Tabasco!  What a good boy. Well, only that I could see. I was in desperate need for help so that others could see him as what I saw him as.
I learned from Mirka that there were two things wrong with what I just said. First, it didn’t matter what others thought of him or saw him as. Second was, it was really all about what he saw himself as and did I accept that or not. But don’t change who he is, teach him to be confidant. Trust himself.
How this all came about was one day I was put on a beef farm living in a trailer to do a job for a few months. I saw a horse no one came to see. I would go and sit in the pasture. It took some time, our relationship grew and he became my buddy. Then he was coming to see me as much as I him. One day I didn’t get a visit from him.  I heard him calling from afar. We went to see why he wasn’t coming. He was caught in some wire. I had never really been around horses. I was a bit concerned on cutting a back foot loose. I knew enough to know that is what you get kicked with. Cut him free and It was fine. I saw the man the next day that owned the cows. I told him I cut his horse loose. He said; ok, that’s not my horse. Hmm. His next sentence was, I think the man wants to sell him. I loaded up some mans horse and sent a check to a store with no name in the amount of $500. I guess, It was ok. I never heard back and the check cleared.
We got home, had to build a fence and do all the things you do when you have a horse, for the first time. My husband was from the old school that thought you could just get on a horse and one of two things will happen. You will get hurt or you will be lucky you didn’t get hurt. Funny thing is he got on the horse, the horse saw the bobcat (machine) and went to run. The saddle slid, and honey fell off. Very slow motion. Tabasco walked to me and Troy lay there with a broke clavicle. He got hurt.Well, time to seek out a different way.
I start calling around for horse trainers. I get all kinds of crazy people that tell me how they can break my horse. I just wanted to ride my horse. I didn’t want to BREAK him. I spoke to Mirka. She said bring him by. I didn’t tell her some of his story. She would need to make and build a relationship with Tabasco on their terms. She would know soon enough what she had.
Obstical 1 getting him there. I had taught him to load, he was doing great. Then, I load him up and take him to the vet to get fixed. OOPs, now he thinks the trailer had something to do with that. I tried for two days. I bribed, treated, circled, and no matter what I did. He wasn’t going in. I called Mirka. I said, “I am tired of being mad at my horse, can you come get him”. She did. And SUPER SMART, she brought the one thing I would have never thought of. A MARE!!! He walked right in. Off to boot camp my Tabasco would go.
That night, I was at home worrying if he was ok, all the while Mirka is having to board him in a stall with 2 by 10’s. He was coming out. He had NEVER been stalled. They took most of the horses to the arena for roping and Tabasco didn’t go. He was pissed. Mirka, determined to keep him in and he was hell bent on coming out. He settled in and made a buddy. It didn’t take long and I was hearing good reports on my boy. Now it was time to start training me. “Might be easier to train a horse, than a human” I got to see the ruff, unsure horse become settled in himself. He began to carry himself different, prideful. Always full of himself, now with a direction, a meaning.
I began lessons and it was like running backwards. I couldn’t have made something so natural, any more difficult in my head. If the mind could go blank and take in the new information taught without using the old data, it would be easy. I found out that you can teach me anything, without practice there is almost no point. Better to know than to be ignorant. But in the horse world, better to know and soak it up and use it every day. That is what makes for a happy horse and a happy person. I don’t ride every day, and I don’t have to go to the round pen to make Tabasco think.
So I guess if I can say there is one thing that Mirka did that is forever life changing and brings us endless amounts of joy is we use thought. She taught Tabasco to be able to think confidently. And the whole experience has taught me to use thought persuade him to do. I have to ask it, I have to think it, and he is ready to do it.
Thank YOU!!!"
Darleen  : )