Ross and Dawn Falisi helped me make a lifelong dream come true. I can't put it into words that are any simpler or more accurate.

I wanted a horse all my life, and on the day I finally bought one, I made every mistake in the book. But anyone who knows me knows that I'm a loyal person, and I believe everything happens for a reason. So I was determined to work with what I had.

Unfortunately, this is what I had: A paint mare, Sunny, that had not been handled well. Her nervous personality seems to have been addressed by a strong-armed trainer — which only exacerbated the problem. I couldn't touch my horse's face, her muzzle, her ears. Worming was a disaster. My mom used to say she had "wild" eyes, and in one way or another, she always seemed to be trying to escape. Certain movements would send Sunny into a panicked back-up that might only be stopped when she hit a fenceline. She was the most tense creature I had ever encountered.

On top of these issues, she developed a devastating neurological disease called Equine Protozoal Myeloencephalitis (EPM). The nerve cells in her left hind were damaged, and I soon began a long career of learning how to land after being tossed from a bucking horse.

Almost everyone I turned to for help strongly advised me to sell my horse. One trainer, who came highly recommended, took one look at Sunny when she came off the trailer and said, "That horse will never make a trail horse." That trainer kept Sunny for one week, and called to say she couldn't work with her. And she even charged me!

Soon after, I found Ross and Dawn, and I soon realized I had met the only two people who were as determined as I was to help my horse – an animal they had never met. Not only did I discover that some of Sunny's problems were actually MY problems, but I learned what a "stiff" horse is, the dangers of riding one, and the four actions a horse must take before it can buck.

And in Dawn, I found a trainer who was also a licensed physical therapist. She rehabbed my horse while team Falisi rehabbed my horsemanship.

Today I can take Sunny on any trail you can point to. She'll go anywhere for me, and she's no longer a flight or buck risk. Her first instinct will likely always be to flee, but she looks to me before she makes that move. My body language tells her when she's safe, and when to be scared.

I cannot say enough about Ross and Dawn, except to say that miracles can happen. You simply have to be open to them. And willing to let the knowledge in. You do not have to be a blind follower. Ask questions. Challenge their theories. They WANT you to think.

What an eye-opening, enlightening, truly honest experience.

Leah Miller

Florida

16135 NW 162nd Terrace • Williston, FL 32696

info@falisihorsemanship.com • 877-337-0201

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