Isabelle was 6 years old when she started riding. She was paired with a spunky pony and worked hard to develop a balanced seat and become a good rider. When she was 14, she got Blacky, a Quarter Horse gelding, and competed with him in local shows.

A few years later, Isabelle, who is always looking to add to her horsemanship knowledge, was on the hunt for a trainer to study with. She made a post on Facebook, and Maren Jochum, a dedicated Method follower in Germany, responded to her. “She introduced me to the Method and let me study her Downunder Horsemanship videos,” Isabelle says. “I love the Method because it’s easy to understand and it’s a fair way to work with horses. For me it’s like a puzzle. Every exercise is a piece of a puzzle, and when you have done all the exercises, the puzzle is complete.”

Soon, the passionate young horsewoman was spending her school breaks at Maren’s barn, soaking up all the knowledge she could. A year later, she moved to her mentor’s facility to continue to learn the Method and train a variety of horses.

When she discovered that Clinton offered the opportunity to learn the Method in depth and earn certification to train horses and people under the Downunder Horsemanship brand, Isabelle made plans to enroll in the program and come to the United States. “I can’t imagine doing anything other than training horses. Since I was very young, I’ve only ever wanted to do something with horses in my life. The Academy offered the opportunity for me to achieve my goal and become an official horse trainer,” Isabelle explains.

As an ambassador, Isabelle focuses on training horses and helping people better understand how to communicate with them. “More than anything, I love training horses and watching their transformation,” Isabelle says. “It’s rewarding to then teach people how to better work with them so that they can form a team.”