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California Riding Magazine • March, 2009 Symmetry Stables |
Lucinda Romero did not intend to run a training business when she moved to Northern California from the small town of Priest River, ID. She’d grown up helping her mother and step-dad, Sharon and John Petersen, operate a Tennessee Walking Horse breeding business. Although it was a lifestyle she loved, Lucinda chose to continue her riding recreationally, rather than invest a crazy quantity of hours into a profession in which many hard working and successful proprietors are lucky to break even financially. “I thought I’d get a job where I wore a suit all day, and just ride for fun,” recounts Lucinda. The plan worked well until fellow boarders noticed the fun she was having with her horse. “A few people saw what I was doing and asked me for help. Then a woman bought her daughter a Tennessee Walker from my sister, and asked me to train them. Things catapulted from there.”
Rachael Allen and Champagne’s Classy Lady in Lucinda established Symmetry Stables in 2005 and has become a shining light for gaited horses at breed-specific and Open shows in Northern California. Most importantly, she and her students have come to a way of working with horses that is rooted in mutual respect and enjoyment for horse and rider. Based at Cayetano Ridge in the East Bay Area’s Livermore, Lucinda says respect is the basis for a happy horse/human relationship, no matter the breed or discipline. “Though most people want their horse to trust them, trust does not manifest unless your partner has respect for you.” She developed that philosophy over the years working with her family’s Tennessee Walkers, including stallions, youngsters and show champions. At Symmetry Stables, respect means teaching horses “to stay out of their human counterpart’s space unless invited in, to stand to be groomed, saddled, mounted, etc., and to use the thinking side of their brain in scary situations,” the trainer says. “The horse is not forced into accepting any of these things, but asked in a slow, methodical manner that allows them to think, choose which path they want to take and receive a reward at the end of the day for trying.”
Krysta Allen and Champagne’s Classy Lady taking the blue in Halter. Lucinda is a firm believer that good manners start on the ground and are carried over into under-saddle work. Owners outside of her training program at Cayetano Ridge have even enlisted Lucinda’s help establishing respectful relationships with their horses on the ground. The end result, especially for those in the Symmetry Stables program, “is horses that enjoy their work and look forward to the next learning session.” As the name of her business implies, symmetry is Lucinda’s focus in coaching riders. “No matter the discipline, we strive for a balanced, secure and independent seat, quiet hands and the proper timing of giving and releasing cues,” she says. If the horse is not responding as desired, it’s most likely the result of the rider falling short in one of those areas. Symmetry Stables’ current clientele consists of nine Tennessee Walkers, a Missouri Fox Trotter, a Paso Fino and a Quarter Horse. Her training principals apply equally well to any horse, but she admits a fondness for the Tennessee Walkers. Making Inroads Lucinda enjoys debunking breed myths during her increasingly successful forays into shows sanctioned by the California State Horsemen’s Assn., the Pacific Coast Fox Trotters Assn., the North American Saddlebred Horse Assn., the new Northern California Walking Horse Assn. and other organizations. “Most people don’t know that Tennessee Walkers canter,” Lucinda notes. “Actually, they are known for their rocking horse canter. They are so strong behind that the gait has a lot of lift. It’s the prettiest thing to watch and it’s really comfortable to ride.” Many are surprised that the Walker’s four-beat running walk is a natural gait, she continues. The “glide ride” can reach speeds of 20 mph in some horses.
Anna Stine on His All Mighty Majesty, The Tennessee Walker’s temperament is one of its most outstanding features. As in any breed, this varies by pedigree, but in general they are known as easy going, gentle horses. Lucinda learned to ride on her mother’s breeding stallion, Talisman. “I remember taking him out on a trail ride when I was about 7,” she reflects. Now and then, judges simply won’t pin a Walker no matter how perfectly they perform, Lucinda says. But she and her students win enough that they never let those instances deter them. “We just smile and chalk it up as a training experience, answer any questions about the breed and go onto the next show.” The fact that most of her riders have come from the non-gaited horse world tells Lucinda that Symmetry Stables’ presence and success at Open shows are making their mark. CSHA shows offer English, Western and Dressage Suitability divisions that are open to all breeds and that’s where Lucinda’s crew shines. She is excited that CSHA Region 5’s new leader Gina Marie Rutigliano is adding gaited classes at some Open Shows as well as a new gaited show series with competitions in the spring and fall. Helping her beloved breed make inroads in the larger equine community is a gratifying aspect of her work and one in which Lucinda follows the footsteps of her mother, who did a lot for the Tennessee Walker’s acceptance in the Northwest.
Lucinda on her mare, Morning Jazz, conquering trail obstacles. Lucinda intends to keep Symmetry Stables small so she can continue providing individualized coaching and care to each horse and rider. She foresees expanding into giving clinics, and is off to a great start there. On March 15, she and Gina Marie will offer a showmanship clinic at Cayetano Ridge. Lucinda’s path to the equine profession may have been unintentional, but it sure seems fated. “May you come in, relax and explore the wondrous joys of horses,” is her invitation to prospective students. “Let them lead you on your own magical journey like they lead me each day. Enjoy their beauty, wisdom, honesty and grace and let them teach you all that you want to learn.”
For more information on Lucinda Romero’s Symmetry Stables, visit www.symmetrystables.com or call 925-997-1126. |
