Were you born with the "horse-gene", unable to deny your love for horses at an early age? Did you grow up begging for a horse with model horses placed on every open surface and horse posters wall-papering your bedroom?
Did you drive your Mom crazy because you kept wearing out the knees in your pajamas running around on all fours like a horse with cantering and flying lead changes down the hallway?
Karen Scholl was this horse-crazy kid, and even though she begged every birthday and Christmas, Karen didn’t own her first horse until well into her twenties! Like many people buying their first horse, Karen’s dream was soon challenged when, unlike the rented or ranch horses she’d ridden, her horse would sometimes be difficult to control, scaring her enough to ask advice from other horse owners and folks at the tack store. Riding lessons helped, but trail riding alone still remained challenging.
Changing to larger bits and a tie-down (to prevent the horse from throwing her head into Karen’s face again) gave Karen a sense of more control until the day her horse bolted towards home with its chin tucked to the neck and running right towards a busy road. In a total survival mode, Karen fortunately thought to pull one rein harder and keep turning the horse until it came to a stop.
In that moment, with heart still pounding, Karen realized that she either needed to find some other form of education about horses or sadly give up her lifelong dream.
Though the well-meaning advice from horse friends was appreciated, Karen committed to and earned an AA degree in
Equine Science with a 3.9 gpa, attended symposiums and seminars from equine professionals and clinicians, eventually
landing at a seminar with Pat Parelli in 1989.The Parelli program was designed for self-study and Karen took off with it! Becoming a Parelli Instructor in 1995, Karen has taught horsemanship clinics and workshops all over the United States and even in England! When Parelli moved his operation to southern Colorado, Karen became President of Parelli Natural Horsemanship, managing a Corporation that doubled in size every year, until resigning in 2001 to regain her focus of teaching horsemanship.
Karen explains, "After all three levels of the Savvy System were established and key corporate objectives were met, I realized that my dream of teaching was not being realized. Most people know the feeling of craving more time with horses, and though the daily connection with Pat and Linda Parelli was an invaluable experience, I kept longing to get back to helping people realize their dream with horses and sharing what’s been shared with me."
In 2001, Karen made the decision to teach independently, developing her perspective on "Horsemanship for Women". "Going through the learning process myself, from literally knowing nothing about horses to teaching psychology- based training at clinics and seminars, I have pushed through the mental and physical challenges that many women face." Karen further explains, "Most clinicians are men who have vast amounts of experience riding difficult or young horses. I find that women appreciate learning from someone that can totally relate to how they feel because they’ve been in that same situation themselves."
"Women have a unique challenge when learning new skills that can put them at risk physically, while men tend to use a learn-while-doing approach, wondering why all the women are still standing around talking about it!" Karen observes, "After more than ten years of teaching, my theory is that men can rely on their physical strength should a situation become difficult, while women are more vulnerable and need more information prior to trying something that may put them at risk."
Karen certainly does not exclude men, and does not promote a competition between genders. "Horsemanship for Women" is simply delivered in a way that appeals to the unique needs of women and horses.
"It’s a wonderful feeling when I see women build their confidence with horses, establishing leadership without guilt and
gaining an even deeper bond with this large powerful animal that will give their whole heart to anyone willing to improve
their relationship through communication.""My greatest reward happens wrapping up at the end of a clinic when I ask what people gained from their weekend. I am absolutely thrilled when someone says they are no longer afraid of their horse! We all love our horses, and with clear communication, horses can genuinely love us just as much!"
"Enjoy your journey!"