"When I first met Jacquelyn Dickey in the fall of 2006, I could never have predicted the positive impact she would have on my daughter, my horse and myself.  My daughter and I had purchased "Cloudy" earlier that year, and were becoming increasingly frustrated with our green pony.  After watching Jacquelyn train other horses for several months, we appealed to Jacquelyn for help.  I was immediately impressed that Jacquelyn could see the kind and willing spirit and untapped potential in our Cloudy.  Over the past months, Cloudy has blossomed with Jacquelyn’s motivational training style.

Jacquelyn also instructs and inspires my daughter, who is now 13.  Jacquelyn has encouraged my daughter to learn about different riding disciplines including hunters, jumping, dressage and cross-country.  Jacquelyn's instruction has provided my daughter with the skills she needs to work with her pony, and not against her, making a happier and more confident pair.  Jacquelyn has taught my daughter about horses and horsemanship, about sports and sportsmanship.  Jacquelyn teaches not just with words, but by example, and I believe that she is a tremendous role model for her students.

After witnessing Jacquelyn's amazing progress with my daughter and her pony, I was inspired to return to riding.  My previous experiences had left me a timid, inflexible and insecure rider. Jacquelyn has gently motivated and supported my riding and I am surprised daily at the progress we achieve. After learning Jacquelyn's groundwork program, I have begun to attain the ever-elusive elasticity that we are all working toward.  Jacquelyn has not only restored my confidence in the saddle, she has advised and guided me in all aspects of horsemanship, enabling me to establish a confident and loving relationship with Cloudy.

Jacquelyn is a graceful and educated rider who has that rare ability to effectively teach and share her knowledge with others.  We consider ourselves privileged to work and train with Jacquelyn Dickey."

-Mary Ann Tracy, South Riding,  Virginia

"Jacquelyn has helped me tremendously with my two thoroughbred mares, Violet and Punta.  Not for the inexperienced, these two mares are both highly intelligent and were wary of only two things – things that moved and things that didn’t move!  However, all of that has changed.  Jacquelyn has taught them (and me) to focus their attention and intelligence in a way that is creating two quiet, well-behaved, responsive horses!  I have a lot more work to do with them, but I feel like I am finally on a path that will get the horses and me where we want to go -  together.

 Violet, a beautiful seal bay, came from a trainer/rider that had pushed her too hard in her early years, and as a result she was fearful of new things and often became stressed and difficult to ride.  I had resigned myself to having some good rides in the heat of the summer, but on a cold, windy day – watch out!  Anything could happen.  I had worked with several trainers who helped me ride her better, but the behavioral issues remained.  Then I met Jacquelyn.  Within a few weeks, Violet’s entire demeanor changed.  The initial ground work showed us both all of the moves that we were going to work on under saddle, and I did not get on Violet until she was calm and supple.  This, right away, was a big change.  Often I would ride Violet when she was tense, and then I got tense, and as a result neither of us got much out of the ride.  But by working with her on the ground until we were both ready, the under-saddle work improved quickly.  Over a period of two months, I am doing (correctly!) lateral work, including side passes, and lengthening and collecting at the walk, trot, and canter!  Her response to outside stimuli such as wind, dogs, loud lawnmowers, and other horses running in the fields has dropped to almost an unnoticeable ear movement.  Her fitness level has greatly increased and I am able to do more and more with her every day.  And her demeanor!  It’s like riding someone else’s beautifully trained horse that you always wanted.

Punta, my semi-retired gray mare, came to me from Great Falls Horse Center where she was the lead (alpha) mare for 14 years.  After the Center closed its doors, I bought Punta and brought her to Leesburg.  Always a wary horse, she was difficult to catch and showed her independent spirit through much head tossing and speeding up at all gaits.  Lame for several years from an arthritic stifle, she was just becoming sound again.  After my initial success with Violet, I asked Jacquelyn to help me with Punta.  I told her – “you’ll never get her to drop her head.”  Well, it took a while, but this former fussy head tosser that didn’t like a bit now drops her head to the ground immediately, every single time I ask her.  We are working on slightly different exercises due to her former injury, but she is now trotting in a long frame and using her back.  We are trying clicker training so we can communicate more easily, and she now understands when she is doing something right – much more important to her than knowing that she did something wrong!  Her focus on tasks has also increased tremendously.

 I am truly amazed and grateful to Jacquelyn for how she has helped us all.  Her overwhelming enthusiasm and positive thinking is a joy to be around, and her very special touch with the animals has yielded results that I never had imagined.  Thanks Jacquelyn!"

"We were introduced to Jacquelyn quite fortuitously, only about three months ago.  We are a family of keen riders and some experience, but new to the area and the many complexities of the equestrian scene in the capital region.  Jacquelyn has been invaluable both in enabling excellent matches through assistance in identifying and purchasing two horses, and in embarking on training with the children, aged 10 and 12 years. 

Jacquelyn is very perceptive, both with respect to people and horses, which is invaluable in advising on potential individual partnerships.  She is extremely careful and diligent, combining enthusiasm with realism about both the rider’s needs and prospects, vis a vis potential mounts.  While Jacquelyn appears to be able to get on any horse and make it look like a million dollars, she is much more concerned about whether there is a good match with the child/ rider.  And, just as importantly, how happy and comfortable the individual horse is likely to be with the new rider and associated home in the medium and long term.  Addressing these questions takes time and thoughtful consideration, which Jacquelyn cheerfully devotes to the task.  In our case, as noted above, solely through Jacquelyn, we have purchased two very different types of horses (a lovely, well-trained thoroughbred mare, for my son, and an appaloosa/ Swedish warm blood cross for my husband), each of which is proving perfect for our needs.     

As a trainer, Jacquelyn likewise brings a combination of experience, skill, enthusiasm, humor and clarity in explanation that I have not observed in anyone else.  This is especially fruitful for children, and adults, who are willing to listen and learn, and keen to improve their performance.  Jacquelyn brings a level of energy that provides real incentives and allows students to understand the benefits and rewards of an improved partnership with their horse. 

Jacquelyn’s techniques are certainly innovative, and have inspired much interest and excitement in our family.  The ideas and approaches have worked very well in terms of enabling greater suppleness and responsiveness, in relatively short periods of time, including in a pony that had clearly never had much at all in terms of dressage training.  Some of the key innovations included the groundwork, emphasis on connection and elasticity.  These concepts and practices seem to be paying off well.   After literally three lessons, she has both our children’s horses going ‘long and low’ and moving quite beautifully.  The kids are now beginning to ‘relearn’ how to jump with Jacquelyn, and looking forward to deepening their range and depth of dressage and eventing skills with Jacquelyn.

We have also very much appreciated the advice and support that Jacquelyn has readily provided on a whole range of equestrian issues, from vetting and health care, to all aspects of tack, through feed, to pony club.  Our questions (and her answers) range from the general and mundane, through specific and technical issues.  Having an experienced and confident ear available is an invaluable source of support, and confidence. 

Finally, but not least, Jacquelyn is articulate, clear and very pleasant.  She listens carefully, and is responsive to questions or any doubts.  She is a professional who takes her role very seriously and exerts enormous efforts to do a great job, but couples this with great style and humour.  In sum, we would unreservedly recommend Jacquelyn Dickey of Riding Innovations."

 -Jeni Klugman, Potomac, Maryland

"Jacquelyn is a very thorough and caring instructor.  She quickly figures out the technique that works for each rider and adapts her teaching skills to bring out the best in the combination of horse and rider.  She is very in tune with her student’s goals and works to help them stay focused and achieve each and every one. As she strives to continuously stay on top of the ever changing horse world, she never loses focus on the real point….the enjoyment of the sport.  She is a wonderful trainer, the type that is rarely found, always making each rider feel like they are her first priority.  She has proven to be a wonderful asset to our personal training program and the lesson program in our local youth organization. She is versatile enough to get the message through to all levels, no matter how little or much you know.  She is a wonderful trainer that anyone would be blessed to work with."

"I have met a number of horse people over the past 25 years during my adventures in the horse industry.    Most of them claimed to be experts in their discipline.    Those that claim that are those that I avoid at all costs.  I believe there are no experts only very knowledgeable people, that every day is a learning experience with these magnificent creatures.   I believe we learn more from them than we could ever teach them.  Almost 2 years ago I met Jacquelyn Dickey.   For months I watched this very talented lady ride and school her horses.  Watching her ride was like watching a ballet on horse back.  I began talking with Jacquelyn and found out she was a trainer and instructor.  After a few conversations with her and understanding her background and philosophy to which I was thrilled to hear, I asked her to teach my then 13 year old daughter.  Jacquelyn is one of the most knowledgeable, gifted, open minded, patient, and gracious horse trainers and instructors I have ever met.  I was impressed that her training and teaching methods included the "whole horse".  When I say the whole horse, I am speaking of everything from nutrition, medical attention, supplements, shoeing, to pulling manes, just to name a few.   She is of the mind set that there is always room to learn more and more, and she does and she shares it with her students.  She always has an open ear and is always willing to listen to your perspective.  Not only does she have a wonderful understanding of the horse that she is working with but also of her students she teaches no matter their age or riding ability.   She is not only a exceptional instructor but has turned into a wonderful friend, and role model for my daughter.   She has patience and perseverance to work with any situation I have thrown her way.   About a year and one half ago I purchased a 16.1H warm blood gelding for my daughter to be compete in Horse Trials.   He had very little training put on him.   Jacquelyn took on the task to train this very strong opinionated, yet capable horse in addition to training my daughter to ride him.   My daughter was successful with competing him, but her size and his strength cross country left her uncomfortable with being able to rate his speed.   As it turns out his forte was show jumping where he excelled and with Jacquelyn's input and concurrence we decided to sell him to a show jumper in Colorado.   The task then was to find a mount suitable for my daughter to be successful in all 3 elements of Eventing.   Jacquelyn was instrumental in helping us find my daughter's next mount.  In March of this year we purchased a TBX registered with the Performance Horse Registry (PHR) named Beau with Jacquelyn's guidance and support.   Her wonderful knowledge and keen senses of what a horse is about played a significant part in finding the right horse for my daughter.   Jacquelyn has taken the lead in furthering Beau's education and training, and yet once again teaching my daughter how to ride a different horse, and sharpen their equitation.   Inside of 2 months Beau and Mikayla have made tremendous accomplishments and even competed in their first HT together.   My daughter was able to accomplish this due to Jacquelyn's dedicated training, teaching, and support.