Dutch began working with horses very early on in life, starting as a child showing in Western Pleasure up through his high school years. His collegiate studies earned him a BS in Equine Science from Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University. Throughout his college career, he focused on equine behavior, breeding, and training. He prepped them for sales, presented ISR Oldenburg at breed inspections, and presented young warmbloods in hand and under saddle at sport horse auctions. Following graduation, he did extensive research on equine COPD and developing an EBC (Equine Breath Condensate) for horses. In addition to his extensive knowledge in equine breeding and training, Dutch also worked as an ER Vet Tech. Upon graduation, Dutch focused on sport horses, showing at breed shows throughout the country including dressage at Devon. Following his years with the warmbloods, he transitioned back to his Western Pleasure roots in 2007, partnering with Merry Norton Sharp to build Twilight Farms Horse Training LLC in Winter Garden, FL where he works to this day. Dutch trains primarily in the Western Pleasure and Hunter Under Saddle but welcomes all disciplines. His training methods focus on teaching horses to understand the job expected of them and to use their body properly, which are both fundamental to all riding styles. He trains his human students in both general horsemanship on the ground and proper riding technique in the saddle, focusing on them learning "feel" and effectively communicating with their horse. In his own words...
"I believe it is not our horses' job to get along with us, but our job to get along with them. Far too often we get tunnel vision, hyper focused on our training, and in turn we forget the most important factor when it comes to our horses, their mental health. Without this, we can never achieve the level of communication or the results in the show ring we desire. What matters to me the most is that my horses are confident, respectful, and, above all, content."
