About Us
Robyn Hood | Phil Pretty | Mandy Pretty | Walt Woodhead | Christine Schwartz
Robyn Hood
A
lifelong equestrian in multiple disciplines, Robyn is one of the founders and
the first President of the
Canadian Icelandic Horse Federation (CIHF).
A participant at in-numerable breed demos and at a many breed booths over the years, Robyn continues to promote the breed at many expos and trade shows. She has represented Canada at the World Championships for Icelandic Horses 5 times.
Robyn can be found traveling the world presenting Tellington TTouch Trainings for horses of many breeds and companion animals. Linda Tellington-Jones, her sister, developed the TTouch Training Method and Robyn has been involved from the beginning. She is now a Senior Instructor, publishes the TTouch Connections newsletter and organizes the TTouch Guild.
Robyn also teaches and has hosts clinicians at various clinics presented at the Icelandic Horse Farm.
When time permits at home Robyn takes as much opportunity as possible to work with and ride her favorite breed, the Icelandic Horse.
Phil Pretty
Phil
is a founding member of the
Canadian Icelandic Horse Federation (CIHF), was a long time board member and
a former President.
He participated at many demos and manned many booths at trade shows promoting the Icelandic Horse.
Phil has been a Canadian Team Leader and a timer at World Championships for Icelandic Horses.
With Robyn on the road so much Phil tends to stay on the farm with occasional horse hauling trips mostly between BC and the three west coast states of USA.
A former farrier, with a back to prove it, the farm maintenance and office work keep Phil busy these days.
With an affinity for most animals you will often find Phil out with his parrot Frances on his shoulder when weather permits. The horses count on Phil keeping their pastures green and supplying their hay.
Mandy Pretty
Born
and raised on the Icelandic Horse Farm, Mandy was literally riding before she
could walk, and educated from birth to have a forward thinking approach to
horses and all animals with the TTEAM Method.
Mandy attended two Youth Cups for Icelandic Horses and has worked with top Icelandic Trainers as well as other internationally known equestrian teachers. Besides working with her mother Robyn Hood and her aunt Linda Tellington-Jones with the TTouch work; Mandy has worked extensively with Peggy Cummings over the past nine years; incorporating Connected Riding principles with every horse she works with.
While Icelandic Horses are the breed she primarily works with she trains and owns other breeds, spending several summers starting young Arabians and Andalusian crosses under saddle, schooling older horses over fences, and a winter preparing young thoroughbreds for their future racing careers. She has participated in a variety of disciplines from jumping and dressage to working cattle and ridden many different breeds.
Mandy is a graduate of the University of Victoria with a BA in Political Science. There she spent several years riding at a hunter/jumper barn, despite her initial efforts to live a few years "horse-free".
Mandy spent several summers at Bitterroot Ranch in WY. While there she met Walt Woodhead. Married in 2007 they are an industrious couple of animal lovers. When not working, you will often find them traveling or snow boarding.
Mandy is currently training many of the horses on the farm, incorporating TTEAM Connect to train young horses and re-school older horses alike. In addition to training at the farm; she is following in her mother’s footsteps and is offering her services for clinics organized at other locations featuring TTEAM and Connected Riding elements. Besides assisting Robyn abroad she has taught independently in Mexico and Australia plus various US states and Canadian provinces.
Her clinics focus on creating a positive experience for horse and rider, while improving performance without compromising physical, emotional, or mental well being. These are often geared toward the Icelandic horse enthusiast but can be easily applicable to an all breed format. Mandy teaches 1 to 5 day workshops throughout the year, offering several at The Icelandic Horse Farm. She is available for demos, lessons, lectures, and clinics.
Walt Woodhead
The
newest person at The Icelandic Horse Farm, Walt married Mandy in 2007. They
first met at
Bitterroot Ranch in Dubois, Wyoming. Mandy was assisting her aunt Linda
Tellington-Jones who was teaching her annual weeklong
Starting Young Horse Clinic at the Ranch.
Walt was born in Salt Lake City and moved with his family to Tecate Mexico at 10 years of age. He attended primary school there and junior high daily across the border in California.
His horse experience was limited to dude trail rides and summer camp horses until he went to The Thacher School in Ojai CA . While there he became involved in the equestrian program, trail riding, packing, gymkhanas and general horse care. He also had the chance to train burros to pack and lead.
During the summer vacations, from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo where Walt received his BS in Earth Science, he started working at Bitterroot Ranch owned by high school friend Richard Fox's family.
Over the next eight years, when not attending school or traveling, Walt worked various jobs at the ranch. General hand, maintenance, irrigation, and plumbing, you name it. Walt also helped take pack trips and spent many hours doing basic belly lifts and ear slides with colicking horses.
While he did not yet know it these belly lifts and ear slides that he had been shown and the tail work he used on his new Quarter horse Skid were TTouches that he would later learn in more detail from his wife. It was 2005 when they first met at the Starting a Young Horse Clinic.
Besides being good with the animals Walt can handle nearly any maintenance or construction job. He produces beautiful renovation work and is a pleasure to have in the family.
Christine Schwartz
Christine
came to the farm from Germany in 1979 to visit for the summer. Except for a few
brief periods, she has been a fixture ever since.
Christine is a founding member of the Canadian Icelandic Horse Federation (CIHF) and was a long time Secretary.
She represented Canada at the World Championships for Icelandic Horses three times. A participant at in-numerable breed demos and at a many breed booths over the years, Christine continues to promote the breed at many expos and trade shows.
Well known to many Icelandic Horse enthusiasts as the author of books such as Joy of Icelandics, Christine is a very knowledgeable resource for training Icelandic Horses and their riders.
A new passion is dog agility which fits well with the TTouch Training Method.
When not working with horses or dogs, you will find Christine filling orders, keeping the horse records in order, and generally keeping the office chaos to a reasonable level.
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