Pet Consulting

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"When we receive neglected and abused horses in, they usually come with behavioral issues as well. Tara has been instrumental in helping these horses develop trust and behavioral modifications through positive reinforcement, which in turn relieves the horses' anxiety and stress levels. In particular, ‎a mustang that we have has severe trust issues from unknown amounts of abuse. Tara broke down steps into smaller and smaller steps to help regain the trust of this girl. Tara is very good about thinking outside of the box and evaluates each situation to understand what the underlying factor might be. Then she's able to help the horse work through it in an extremely positive and rewarding way. Not only does Tara work very well with the animals, she is a wonderful communicator and also made sure that the staff and volunteers were all on the same page with the training. She never hesitates to offer education sessions and answers all questions willingly and happily. I thoroughly enjoy partnering with Tara and learning about clicker training. I never realized how powerful a clicker can be until Tara showed us the technique! It has been working wonderfully for us!"

-Nikki Barn manager for the Medina County SPCA

"Farrier visits were a nightmare for Phoenix, my 5 yr old Arabian gelding. He had to be tranquilized by a vet for each farrier visit. By the 4th lesson with Tara we had mastered everything required for a routine farrier visit. Now I use Tara's behavioral training techniques for anything I want to teach my horses. For the first time in 2 years, I am able to communicate effectively with my horses."

Carol

"I had been gravely sick for several months, consequently, my horses had limited handling and interaction from me. When I recovered, I tried to get back into the swing of equine care only to discover my 2 geldings had developed sour manners and challenged my human authority.  I became frustrated and even angry. I knew I needed help.  Tara was exactly what we needed... actually, Tara was exactly what I needed.

Tara helped me re-develop softer, more consistent skills towards the horses. She fostered a greater 'horse sense' in understanding the horses' behaviors, both good and bad. She showed me how to modify some of my behaviors that became rewarding for both the horses and for myself. Bad behaviors subsided and equine harmony returned to my barn. I had control and peace of mind back. Frustration subsided and genuine enjoyment and connectedness returned.  I am empowered to be a horse owner once again. I am truly grateful for the time Tara spent with me. I once again have quality barn time back in my life."

Mary Ellen

"Lacy (on stall rest) had her stitches out this week and the vet said everything looks good. We used the clicker training to do bandaging repairs and to remove the bandages and have not relied on the medication for safety. The slow-feeding hay bag has been a real blessing now that the other horses have been outside all day! Thank you for your interest and dedication in working with Lacy.  We are the better for it!"

Adele

"I'm off to get some supplies. I thought it would be nice to THANK YOU first for a fun night and inspiring night.  I would attend this program again and bring some friends."

Jeanne

"Tara Gifford recently spoke at the Ashland Public Library on animal training and positive reinforcement. Her presentation was great and the audience really enjoyed her hands-on clicker training demonstrations. I would enjoy hearing Tara again!"

Shelley Clements, Customer Relations Management