Riding Refinery
Re-Define The Way You Ride
What if ... everything you knew about horse riding was a MYTH?
Or, worse yet, an outright lie!?
Stay with me here, and ponder this question for a moment. There is enough equestrian Myth-Information out in the world that could be limiting your true and full potential as a rider. For example, there seems to be an unspoken rule or idea that if you just "ride correctly and perfectly" some sort of magic will happen. If you sit just right in the saddle, or if you hold the reins a certain way, or if you use your leg in a particular fashion, or buy a special anatomical saddle or bridle; then the horse will magically respond and perform with miraculous results, and you will experience the ride of your life. 

My name is, Dan Gillie; and I created the Riding Refinery to help dispel some of the Myths out there. While I am sure that you have been well equipped and have received high quality instruction along your journey to horse riding mastery, I also have a hunch, that like me, you may be clinging to a few favorite mythological ideas. For a long time, I was actually being held back by some of my dearly beloved equestrian Myth-Beliefs - many of which were unspoken. Some of them were even of my own design just simply appearing out of thin air within my own thought patterns.

Over the course of many years, I learned to put aside these myths; and focus on improving my rider to horse communication skills. I was aided in my task of forgetting Myth-Information by the methods of the Old Masters, some modern equine science, and several horses (some very special and others very troublesome) that ultimately showed me the error of my ways.



Refine Your Riding & Transform Your Horse
Blending Modern Science With Ancient Horse Training Wisdom
The Riding Refinery mission is to transform horses and their riders – one step at a time, one stride at a time, and one ride at a time. Riding and training horses doesn't have to be some mysterious hit or miss activity. There is a better way. I teach riders how to connect and communicate more effectively with their horses both on the ground and under saddle using a combination of modern science and ancient training techniques. Clear and effective communication is the cornerstone of any good relationship, and your relationship with your horse should be no different. I will help you and your horse learn to speak a common language and build a better relationship. 

Have you ever felt like the sorcerer's apprentice getting trapped in a spiral of escalating chaos while your horse runs wildly out of control? When you ride your horse, does it feel as if you are trying to invoke some special magic that just isn't working because you are not a qualified equestrian wizard? If you continue searching for solutions to your horse's problems to no avail then you are not alone. Many modern horse owners and riders are stuck between a rock and a hard place, putting into practice all the right things (training, nutrition, high tech saddles, etc.) to become better equestrians, and yet progress always seems just out of reach. Often your hard earned education is either lacking some critical piece of key information; or, more likely, it is being hindered by some sort of equine Myth-Information. 

My goal is not to give you a book of magic spells for horse trainers, but to help you decipher and apply the well kept secrets of the Old Masters. The Masters of the Old School believed that every horse has a purpose, and that buried within each horse is a precious gem stone waiting to be unearthed and crafted into a piece of polished jewelry. I, too, believe that every horse deserves to live a meaningful life and become a priceless living work of art lovingly crafted in collaboration with the humans in its life. This is why I start with the basic principles explained by the teachings of the Old School. Grounded in over 400 hundred years of success, these basic principles are hardly ever explained by today's teachers and trainers. I reveal the missing basics, so you can work some magic of your own. I want to help you discover and release the hidden potential buried within your horse so you can finally turn that diamond in the rough into a your crown jewel.

Learn more about my approach to training.