Trainer

and Certified Riding Instructor

Kim Leonard

Kim Leonard is the trainer and certified riding instructor at Bit of Honey Training LLC in Halifax, VA.  While Kim enjoys working with all types of horses, she specializes in training off the track thoroughbreds and warmbloods for eventing and competition in USEA Area II.  She has trained for CANTER Colorado, the Retired Racehorse Project, private owners wanting to send their retired racehorses to second career homes, and clients who have purchased OTTBs or warmbloods who need help transitioning their equine partners to sporthorse life. Kim has a degree in Psychology, Anatomy, and Neurobiology, as well as six years of field and hospital experience working as a veterinary technician for both small animal and equine practices in Colorado and Washington. Through these qualifications Kim acts as the care coordinator in the rehabilitation program she has developed for horses. This program utilizes Kim’s contacts with expertise in veterinary medicine, exercise physiology, specialized farrier work, kinesiotaping, acupuncture, massage, and manual therapy.

Kim’s teaching certification is through Sally Swift’s Centered Riding program as a Level II instructor. She has evented through Intermediate level, teaches dressage through 4th level, and enjoyed limited distance endurance riding. While those are her main interests, she has also spent several years competing on the A circuit in western equitation and trail, and rode both english and western on the APHA and PtHA circuits in New England. Because of that diversity Kim sees the value in, and feels there is merit to all types of riding and styles of training. Even with these qualifications, Kim insists some of her most valuable knowledge has been taught to her by the horses themselves. At Bit of Honey Training she strives to create safe happy riders and balanced sound horses. Kim can be reached at www.bitofhoneytraining.com or at bitofhoneytraining@gmail.com

Bit of Honey Training is not currently accepting new clients.  For articles regarding training and riding instruction see http://bitofhoneytraining.blogspot.com