Testimonials
Sharon Dean & "Indigo"
When I first brought my “dream” horse Indigo home 3 years ago (2020-ish), it quickly became evident that he was not a happy horse. His sale video was awesome but in reality, he was sluggish, did only what he had to do, took more “leg” than I had at 75 yrs old and made his goal clear -- head for the (dis)mounting block after 15 minutes in the arena so [I] would get off his back! Months of work with him didn’t make much difference, I couldn’t figure out how to change the situation and riding him was so much physical work that I considered giving him up.
Then I met Aleesha. Hallelujah! Her experience and knowledge as well as training style gave me hope that she had the understanding and skills to awaken Indigo to loving life and to help me learn basic dressage skills so that I could form a partnership with Indigo.
As life would have it, shortly after meeting Aleesha I needed a surgery which would take 3-5 months of recovery without riding. So I handed over care and ‘training’ of Indigo to Aleesha with the agreed upon goals being to get him to the point where he could express a “joie de vivre” , a response to lighter cues and an understanding that we wanted to work with him – not just work him. During the time I was not present, Aleesha treated Indigo as well as if he was her own horse!
After 3-4 months I slowly began riding again and taking lessons from Aleesha. Indigo was more forward, willing and healthy than when she first worked with him. He had changed from a checked out slug to a happier, more forward and cooperative horse to ride and be around. So I had to learn to ride him and be confident.
Things happen slowly and that was my biggest hurdle to deal with. I had been an anxious rider because I didn’t understand how to communicate with a horse. Aleesha has taught me fundamentals both on the ground and in the saddle, always breaking down skills into small increments and explaining why what she was teaching me would work – from the horse standpoint. She worked with Indigo to allow him to make mistakes and then find choices which would bring him praise and a feeling of accomplishment.
After 3 years, I have become a cautious but confident senior rider…confident in my horse and confident that I can ride probably anything he may offer – including his stomping spooks. Indigo has become a horse that enjoys life. He will actually leave his feed to come greet me at his paddock now and he loves figuring out puzzles in the arena. I think this is due to Aleesha’s work with him giving him reassurance that he is a valued partner. I go on trail rides which I wouldn’t have been comfortable doing before working with Aleesha. None of this happened overnight or without struggling at times on both Indigo and my parts but it wouldn’t have happened without Aleesha and her kind, knowledgeable approach to human and equine needs.
I am incredibly grateful to Aleesha because she has helped me realize my retirement dream with my “dream” horse. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Aleesha to anyone wanting a positive experience with their horse and trainer.
Brenda McNorton & "Dash"
After almost 30 years of horse ownership, I found myself horseless with my confidence and heart shattered. Even with all the beautiful horses I work on as an Equine Bodyworker, I missed that partnership you have with your own horse. I started looking for that connection. Aleesha helped me make a decision that was both honest and not emotional. She not only helped me find a perfect new partner, but she also helped me find myself.
Her keen eye for confirmation, her ability to understand how the horse thinks and her understanding of my personality made moving forward easy.
She’s guided me back into the saddle with compassion, understanding and infinite patience. She is incredibly intuitive and quickly knows exactly how I learn and adapts to my needs, explaining our lessons in the ways I need to learn. Together we are working on refining my skills in the saddle because I’ve never had a formal riding training. We always leave our lessons on a high note. She gives me homework to work on until our next lesson and when we meet up again, we discuss any of my concerns and observations, and she immediately gives me ideas and strategies to address them.
But mostly, I’m filled with gratitude for her understanding and appreciation for her guidance to helping me back to a place where I can comfortably saddle up my own horse and confidently and safely ride alone.
Aleesha truly cares about both the horse and the rider and has profoundly impacted the connection I have with my horse.
Hannah Cha & "William"
I brought William from Europe without any knowledge about horses. I had never been taught how to take care of a horse by myself, including grooming and leading. Then luckily, with my friend's referral, I met Aleesha. Aleesha started to teach me horsemanship and how to read a horse's gestures, allowing me to understand William better and bond with him . Her training method makes horses happy and willing to learn. She also shared with me all of her knowledge about horses in manageable chunks and as a result I'm a more confident rider. I really love her gentle approach with horses which avoids psychological trauma. With her teachings I can lunge my 5 years old horse by myself and gained repect and love from William. William and I are growing up together with Aleesha's training and I feel safe around him which I did not before. It's hard for me to express how thankful I am to Aleesha in words, but I'm really happy working with her.
Susan Nelson Thibault
I have a slightly different perspective on Aleesha; because I am her proud coach. I give her and some of her students lessons about once a month. We have known each other since 2016 and she is nothing but professional.
She has all the qualities a horse trainer should have; she is humble, she is kind, she is calculating and strategic and she has infinite patience. The horses well being and the students well being is always the top priority on her list.
She has a keen sense of observation with the horses and her students and she keeps these observations in mind while she creates the best training plan for you and your horse. Whether horse or human, she takes time to break things down, explain them in finite detail and has a phenomenal way to build people’s confidence.
From my perspective, as her coach, she has the best asset a student can have; to always improve upon themselves and not think they know it all. She is very coachable and very willing to listen to new ideas. She also takes what she learns in her lessons to her students so they can learn through her. She is sincere, honest and a hard worker.
In closing, her dedication to the horses well being first and foremost is above reproach. I would not hesitate to put my personal horses care in her hands.
Angi Murray of Murray Horsemanship
Aleesha Bees is an amazing trainer. I love watching what she is able to do with the horses in her care. She has the ability to get your horse soft and balanced for dressage while keeping the horse happy and content in learning.
She works with each horse as an individual. This kind of teaching creates a horse that is willing and striving to please their riders. The horses also get the best care you can ask for. Aleesha makes sure each one has the farrier, vet, and nutritional care that they need.
Aleesha works well with her clients and is an AMAZING riding instructor. She specializes each lesson to fit the client’s needs. I cannot say enough about Aleesha and I recommend her to anyone looking to further their horse’s education or their own.
Robin Shipley
When I began my training with Aleesha, my goals were to learn about horsemanship from a naturalistic perspective, to learn groundwork, with the potential of one day gaining the confidence to ride again.
Aleesha has given me a compassionate safe space to learn, to ask questions, to misstep, then recover and process and use the information to gain a better understanding and build my skills.
It is difficult to put into words all that I am learning about horsemanship, horses and myself through Aleesha's kind and clear direction. I have found a teacher who listens and notices everything.
It is with this experience that I am excited about my lessons and each encounter I have with Aleesha and her amazing horses.
Laura Thatcher & "Optico"
The name Aleesha chose for her business (Equal Equestrian) is spot on with the way she trains both riders and horses. Her first priority is always the health and well-being of the horse.
She seems to have an intuition with both people and horses to identify exactly what they need at any given moment. Sometimes it might be a simple bareback ride when she can tell I am on the verge of tears from something going on in my life. Other times she will set up obstacles, poles and jumps both in and out of the arena to improve both our fitness and confidence. I primarily ride dressage now but I love that she provides "Tiko" and I with such a variety. It keeps everything fresh and keeps us both excited and motivated.
The thought that Aleesha puts in the night before lessons to tailor each training session the next day to the horse/rider combination is apparent. Aleesha videotapes lessons and watches them to refine future instruction and provides them to her clients so that we can review and take notes on things we did well as well as things we would like to improve on in our next ride. Being able to watch the lessons afterwards is invaluable and further solidifies my progress.
In addition to the excellent training Aleesha provides, she also creates an incredible, supportive environment in her barn. She truly creates a wonderful family dynamic amongst herself and her clients and I always feel so supported and encouraged by not only Aleesha but also the rest of our barn family.
Aleesha is that unicorn of trainers that constantly strives to provide the best lesson possible and also provides white-glove care for her clients’ equine partners.
I feel truly blessed to call Aleesha my trainer.
If my horse Optico could speak English, he would tell you that finding Aleesha was the best thing we ever did!!
Holly Inaba
Aleesha is an exceptional trainer who achieves a connection with the horse that is unlike any I have ever witnessed. She has a keen understanding of all things equine; her knowledge base is remarkably vast.
Aleesha also possesses a powerful insight into the rider—she can identify what I might be struggling with before I can even name it. At the same time, she entrusts the rider in a way that maximizes learning, improvement, and confidence.
Aleesha’s passionate approach to the sport, the animal, and the rider truly sets her apart.
Gail Solomon & 'Atarah'
When I came to Aleesha to learn how to ride I was a very green “newbie” rider. Aleesha has a keen sense and style of teaching and training. She is able to acclimate to the way I learn. When I am not quite getting or understanding what she is trying to teach me, she will reframe it so I can understand, based on the way I learn and then I get it.
Aleesha makes learning so much fun and interesting. I always look forward to my next lesson.
I remember asking Aleesha when she thought I would be ready to go Trail riding. “ When you can post without holding on to the saddle” she said. Ugh I thought, I will never be able to go Trail riding. Well, after working with her on my posting and singing one of my favorite Beatles song (so not to allow my brain to get in the way of my riding), Wala… I posted only holding the reins sitting straight and feeling solid and balanced.
Aleesha has encouraged me to keep a journal to record my journey with my horse. I have been able to go back and see where I started, and where I am now and where I am going.
I love working with Aleesha and can’t wait for my next steps.
Elisabeth Gritch & 'Lola"
I've been with Aleesha for a few months now and I can honestly say that this has been the best decision for my horse Lola and myself. After a few weeks I already recognized how much my mare had changed; physically, emotionally and behaviorally. Together we have achieved so much in such a short time which makes me excited about our future and next steps.
All of these accomplishments are based on Aleesha's training, guidance and support. Her vast experience makes her an excellent trainer and horsemanship expert. I love her holistic approach which includes my mare's and my body, heart and soul. Both Lola and I just love being guided and supported by her.
Sharon Lonstein & 'Vegas'
I have found Aleesha to be a very special trainer. I came to Aleesha by pure chance after some false starts as a beginner and losing confidence with a rather boisterous off the track thoroughbred I bought with my heart and not my head! Aleesha took her time and managed to build up my confidence again where I could ride him, enjoy the moment and finally being at one with him and finding that connection.
Aleesha has the patience of a saint and is always positive about what you are doing in the lesson. This makes it much easier to learn and retain the positive points in order to make you a good rider. Her determination, care for both Vegas and I have brought about a relationship that I never thought I would have and I am eternally grateful for this gift.
Aleesha has a very special way about her and how she approaches horsemanship. Plus she is the most amazing rider herself with so many skills - she literally does it all. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend her no matter what level of rider you are.
Lauren Fredrick
Aleesha has helped me grow exponentially as a rider and in my horsemanship. Aside from her breadth of knowledge and skill in riding and training, Aleesha's positive attitude sets her apart from other trainers. I ALWAYS come out of a lesson with her feeling accomplished with what I have achieved, while also feeling extra motivated to achieve more with my horse! Her positive attitude is also reflected in each horse she rides. She puts the horse first and strives to get movement with physical and emotional relaxation. I have watched her bring horses from places of stress and fear to being happy and relaxed riding partners with her transformative training methods. She helps the horse understand how to learn so they truly become an enthusiastic partner in her training, rather than just a participant.
Whether you are a competitive rider who wants to improve your scores or a horse owner who wants to learn how to have a better relationship with your equine partner, Aleesha is the trainer to help you achieve your goals!
Jennifer & 'Deseree'
So grateful to have found Aleesha! I was overwhelmed and “lost” with my highly sensitive warmblood mare that was a bit of an impulse purchase. Aleesha made me realize very quickly the influence I had on my mare with my very “busy” mind and body and taught me tools and techniques to work within myself that has made a HUGE difference with my riding and my relationship with my girl.
She is also patient, kind and positive and can bring out the BEST in you and your horse no matter what level!
Aysha Banos
Aleesha has a very patient and understanding perspective of horses. She has an innate ability to understand the horses point of view and is able to help the horse progress in a way that solidifies its training foundation. From starting horses, jumping or dressage she can help your horse gain the confidence it needs to progress in its training and help any owner find a better understanding of their horses needs and intentions.’
Lila Mauro & 'Pixie'
Aleesha loves and cares for my horse Pixie as if she were one of her own. My work often keeps me away from the barn more than I’d like, and I trust Aleesha to take care of all Pixie’s needs, from exercising and supplements, to farrier and veterinarian visits – but most importantly, attention and love.
Aleesha is a versatile and excellent trainer for both horse and rider, and always puts the relationship with the horse first.
Corinne & 'Scotch'
Aleesha is an encouraging, intelligent and kind trainer. She has helped me so much in learning how to form a strong bond and relationship with my horse 'Scotch'.
Aleesha uses intuitive and creative ways to help you accomplish your goals with any horse. I am so lucky to have a trainer who knows so much about all areas of riding and horsemanship. She can truly answer any questions!