Training at Ithaca Equestrian Center

A letter from our trainer - Aubrey P. Graham, PhD

Hey folks,

Welcome to the Ithaca Equestrian Center. I am honored to be the resident trainer. I joined the team in July 2024, after being extraordinarily impressed with the quality of care in the barn as well as the enthusiasm of Paula and Russ (the owners), the boarders and regional riders.

A little background on me:
I have been riding since 1988 and training professionally for the last two decades. I’m an eventer who specializes in retraining Thoroughbreds and the more challenging rides out there. I teach clinics nationally, run a sales and training barn in Bath, NY (Kivu Sporthorses & Training, LLC), and author the Thoroughbred Logic articles for Horse Nation.

That said, while much of that is Eventing and Thoroughbred based, I enjoy instructing humans who ride in a diversity of English disciplines and training horses who might or might not be quite so quick footed. At IEC we’re open to all breeds and disciplines and I’m here for it.

I’m also a card-carrying Anthropologist. And while I left academia to pursue horses full-time a number of years ago, that academic perspective carries on in how I teach and train. It is important to me that both horses and humans are engaged, positively challenged, and happy – as that is how one learns best.

With horses in training, the goal is always to take things step by step and clearly translate what is being asked. Each horse is addressed as an individual with a past and a future, their asymmetries, proclivities and concerns. Tactful training with clear boundaries helps to reduce shenanigans and creates brave, capable mounts who are poised to excel in a diversity of sports.

I should note too that I am not a trainer who has a need to push people and equines up the levels quickly nor do I rely on gadgets to train. I’d far rather fix holes in the foundation, aim for quality, balanced equitation and compassionate training focused on individual rider goals and the unique challenges presented by each horse. If it takes time - great - time and consistency are fantastic assets that I ' m happy to help with.

Overall, I hope to be a useful resource for lessons and horse training in the Ithaca and Finger Lakes Region. Hopefully, I can make an impact in both Thoroughbred retraining as well as enabling riders to build towards their goals and horses to make positive steps along their individual paths.

Don’t hesitate to reach out if there are questions or if you think I might be able to help!

Best,
Aubrey P. Graham, PhD.


Aubrey P. Graham, Ph.D.
aubreygraham@gmail.com
1.404.509.4655 Cell
Emory University, Adjunct Faculty, Anthropology
Kivu Sporthorses & Training / APGraham Eventing
www.KivuSporthorses.com
www.AubreyGrahamPhotography.com