Karla Flippin Western Riding Lessons and Training Information

Yes, I always wanted to be cowgirl. I have always loved horses but always rented them or rode my uncles in Ohio (every 5 yrs or so), so I really knew nothing. In 1987 I bought my first horse, a Tennessee Walker, and that is when I met Ken and Karla Flippin. Their stables were here in Montebello, Ca. I loved the stable and it was just around the corner from my home and the riverbed trails were great. My new horse and I just poked around the stables. I took my kids there and they would watch in their play pen. In a year I sold that horse. It was too much to handle for me. So I went to Karla and she found me the best horse ever, an 8 year old Quarter Horse named Skip. He was a very big horse, but a very, very sweet horse and very well trained. I started taking lessons with Karla. I really learned all I know now from her and my new horse. I did not know that leg control, body position, and how to sit in a seat were so very important. I was amazed how a horse can feel everything. All I knew was give a horse a kiss and squeeze, taking the reins to go here and go there. Oh! And that you don't have to fight to ride. Karla took me to a Western Pleasure show locally in Whittier, and I won 1st place. I was now moving up to my dream of enjoying my life with my horse. It was time now, as years went by, for my daughter to ride. She was 4 years old. Karla found a pony for her; his name was Pepsi. Now Lyla was taking lessons with Karla. My daughter and I would go on trail rides or just ride around the stables. My daughter also did horse shows from lead line to showing on her own, and she did very well, always placed 1st, 2nd, or a 3rd. Pepsi was an old boy and we only had him about 3 yrs, then my daughter started taking lessons on Skip and started showing him with Karla. She did very well also. Later that year I got a free horse from the race track and he was in bad shape from the owner who had him: skinny and very bad manners. He too went under Karla's training. You could not touch his head, he would pull back. Well she fixed all of that, and he just became a trail horse. He was very, very tall and our vet was a big man, and he liked him so I sold him to the vet. I was at Pegasus Ranch for about 7 yrs. Then we bought a little ranch house in La Habra Heights, Ca. I was there for about 4 yrs and did not keep in touch too much with Karla, but I would see her at local horse shows. For fun I would think, crap, we are going to have to work hard to win, lol. My life changed and I did not have horses for many, many years. When things got better I got another horse and looked up Karla, she was in the same area but different stables. Here I come. The new horse Forest was used for barrel racing and he was pretty fast on his cues. I had Karla work with him 3 times a week to slow him, and of course she did and I have a wonderful horse. I love to watch Karla work, she makes everything look so easy, and it is easy if you take the time like she does.

In a short version, I would still be a horse riding person with no knowledge of how to handle, care, and understand a horse. I would be fighting my horse and not enjoying a ride like I do now. I had to learn that a horse learns from us, they do not know what they know unless they learn it from us. I owe all of my joy now with my horse to Karla. She is gentle but firm, you know, like teaching kids how to act. So if you want to show your horse or just have a good trail horse, or you have a bad mannered horse, use Karla. If you want to learn the right way, have Karla train your horse. If you don't want to learn the right way I suggest you go elsewhere and don't waste her time. I don't show anymore, haven’t for years. I like to ride the trails, take my horse camping, and ride the beach. I would not be able to do any of these things without leaning how to control, guide and feel my horse, from Karla. I took some lessons from a Natural Horseman. I did like it because it was with a group of friends but I must say I already knew all that stuff from Karla. But you know what, I sure used a lot of the teachings that I learned from her. I say hands on training with Karla is a must and you will learn it all.