About Trainer Annemieke Buis

Annemieke Buis is a freelance trainer specializing in classical dressage whose intention is to improve equine welfare through training horses and educating horse people in equine psychology and biomechanics.

She has over 19 years of experience in numerous disciplines including eventing, hunter/jumpers, fox-hunting, trail, driving, and dressage. She taught a series of international Master Classes on dressage, horsemanship, and equine bodywork in 2020 sponsored by Fundación Tequendama Horse Connection in both English and Spanish. She completed an internship in equine-therapy and trained rescue horses at a natural horsemanship farm near Mérida, México. She founded the riding school at Red-Wing Meadow Farm in Christiana, TN, where she taught horsemanship and riding lessons, directed summer camps, hosted dressage clinics, and trained horses for 7 years.

Her training is informed by a Bachelor of Science in psychology and further education in equine neurophysiology, equine myofascial kinetic lines, horse and rider biomechanics, equine laterality, hoof balance, and evidence-based bridle and saddle fit. Annemieke Buis takes a holistic approach on horse training that focuses on meeting the physical and emotional needs of both horse and rider, to enable the mutual trust and attunement necessary to meet training objectives. She combines techniques from several disciplines, particularly French classical dressage to allow the horse to thrive in mind and body and develop communication to cue and accentuate their natural movements.

In addition to offering lessons and training in the saddle, Annemieke always starts the lesson or training session with walking with the horse from the pasture or stall, grooming, and tacking up (if applicable), because the "training" does not exist in isolation, and even professional riders can unintentionally create or overlook tension in themselves and their horses before the ride even begins. Training involves every moment spent with the horse. One of Annemieke’s strengths is working with anxious and traumatized horses, in identifying the source of anxiety, validating it, and then holding space for the emotion to transform using gentleness, mindfulness, and positive leadership. She employs bodywork, brain-based groundwork, classical in-hand work, lunging, liberty training, and under saddle work in almost every session to facilitate human and equine learning through many modalities.

Annemieke also has abundant experience training in hunter-jumper and eventing, using the fundamentals of dressage as the foundation for over-fences work to ensure proper balance and subtle, yet clear communication. Many of her clients are also western pleasure and trail riders, as the fundamentals of classical dressage improve the health and happiness of all horses, no matter their lifestyle.

Annemieke also offers therapeutic horsemanship and horseback riding lessons, which are lessons that are adjusted to meet the needs of people with physical or mental health challenges or disabilities. She is committed to providing accessible lessons and training sessions to all levels in both English and Spanish. Annemieke currently travels around central and northern Kentucky to teach lessons and train horses, and nationwide to teach clinics. She also offers boarding, training, and other educational services at Sage Knoll Farm in Salvisa, KY.

No matter the context, Annemieke abides by her heart’s code of ethics, which is centered on the principles of integrity and respect for the dignity of the horse. As an equine professional, she is committed to improving equine welfare and giving a voice to the often unheard communications of our equine partners.