Hi,
My name is Barbara Messinger and I am located in the beautiful Wagner Creek Valley, just outside of Talent, Oregon at the beautiful farm, Cedarwood.
Let me tell you al little bit of my history with horses.
At the age of ten and with the help of my mother, I broke my first horse to ride: a 4-year-old Shetland Pony mare named Spunk. After I outgrew her, I taught her to pull a pony cart. I kept her, her whole life.
As a teenager, I had various horses. Most, I broke to ride, and I sold very few, as I found I could not sell something I loved. I taught all my nieces and nephews to ride, along with an extensive list of friends and horse-crazy neighborhood girls. I also did extensive trail riding, drill teams, and a little gymkhana; and spent a couple of years as turnback for a Cutting Horse trainer.
At the age of 18, after I had gotten a job, I began taking Hunter Jumper lessons with Leslie Zock at Heather Hill Farm. After a few years there, I took a break to obedience train dogs and earn a living. Then, in the late 80's, I started training a 15 hand AQHA bay mare for jumping. With Leslie Zock's help at Heather Hill Farm, my Nikki excelled at jumping, and earned me many, many ribbons, championships, and reserves in Short Stirrup and then Open Jumpers in the Rogue Valley and beyond.
During this period in 2003, I took over the running of Heather Hill's school horse program until its closing in 2008, when I then moved the program to Cygnet Farm. I remained there as the school horse program's Head Instructor until 2014.
During those years I earned my trainers certification with USHJA. I am the only USHJA Certified Instructor in Southern Oregon, and am always looking to continue my education and training. I have participated in clinics with top trainers John French , Jeff Cook, and Richard Keller; and, among other talented people, I have ridden with Wendy Smith and Norma Richards.
I teach horsemanship.
To me, that's not only grooming and riding, but also a love for all things horses. It is sportsmanship, humility, and empathy for the animal that brings us such joy.
My students are anyone from casual riders to riders who would like to show, and I have a history of bringing students to local shows and winning a rainbow of ribbons.
Whether you are rich or poor, everyone is treated the same. I supported my horse addiction as a child by mowing the neighbors lawns and picking up cans on my trail rides. You will find no Barn Princesses here, just serious fun and hard work.
I teach both the young and the young at heart in a professional, safe manner with a large dose of humor. Horses teach us to laugh at our best laid plans and provide memories that will last a lifetime.
For inquiries or to schedule a ride, please call (541) 261-0820
