Two women Guide Horse candidates to
receive final training
The Guide Horse Foundation will be hosting two new Guide Horse candidates
in November 2003. During this time multiple guide horse candidates
will be training simultaneously.
- Dan Shaw - Dan will arrive at the Guide Horse Foundation to
assist in the training of the new candidates.
- Donna Grahmann - Donna is a past Texas State Champion horse
racer and long-time horse owner and equestrian.
- Shari Bernsteil - Shari is a homemaker in suburban
Pennsylvania. Shari is the mother of identical triplets and a
lifelong horse lover.
Donna Grahmann & Pal
Donna Grahmann & Pal are scheduled to be united in the fall of 2003.
Donna is a lifelong equestrian and champion western competition rider
and won in barrels, poles, stake race, western riding and trial, all on
the same horse. Donna resides with her husband in the heart of Texas.
Donna and Rebel were the 1978 Texas State champions in youth pole
bending. They competed in the Youth Quarter Horse World Finals for 3
years in a row, placing in the top ten their final year. Donna and
Rebel represented the State of Texas at the Quarter Horse Congress in
Columbus, Ohio. They helped bring the Texas team to a 6th
place finish, by placing in the top ten for barrels out of more than
100 riders.
A lifelong horse lover and accomplished horse trainer, Donna was a
successful competitor even after loosing her vision. Relying on Rebel to
guide her, Donna learned to trust Rebel to guide her and won many
competitions after loosing her vision. Pole bending is an extremely
challenging timed event where the horse and rider must navigate between
a series of 6 poles, placed 21 feet apart and in a straight line. It is
similar to a slalom skiing event. Sadly Rebel was killed in a lighting
strike, and Donna has retired from competitive riding. Donna now turns
her considerable animal training experience to herding dog competitions
where she has been very successful despite her blindness.
Donna passed her preliminary orientation and mobility skills
assessment test in Spring 2003, and has traveled to the Guide Horse
Foundation for preliminary work with Pal, an exceptionally intelligent
two year-old buckskin gelding, weighing in at less than 90 pounds. Donna
traveled to the Guide Horse Foundation in June 2003 where she performed
preliminary guide work with Pal and successfully trotted and loped
unassisted with
Raspberry Jam++, a champion National Show Horse and recipient of the
prestigious Legion of Merit award .
Donna will travel to the Guide Horse Foundation in the fall of 2003
for an intensive three-week orientation where she will learn to use Pal
safely, mastering all areas of guide work including urban travel,
traffic crossings and intelligent disobedience.
Donna & Rebel
winning Texas State
Championship |
|
Donna & Rebel at Home |
|
Shari Bernstiel & Tonto
 |
Shari Bernstiel & Tonto are scheduled to be united in the fall of
2003. Shari is a homemaker near Philadelphia Pennsylvania where she cares for her
husband Jim and their four boys, including a set of identical triplets. |
A lifelong horse lover, Shari was relentless in her pursuit of a horse
guide. Shari has passed her preliminary orientation and mobility
skills assessment test and has traveled to the Guide Horse Foundation
for preliminary work with Tonto, an talented two year-old blue-eyed Tobiano
gelding , weighing
in at less than 70 pounds.
Shari will travel to the Guide Horse Foundation in the fall of 2003
for an intensive three-week orientation where she will learn to use
Tonto safely, mastering all areas of guide work including urban travel,
traffic crossings and intelligent disobedience.
| |
Janet Burleson Training Tonto in Henderson, North Carolina |
|
Please Note: Each of our candidates cherish their privacy and the
Guide Horse Foundation will not provide their direct contact information
unless given direct permission from the candidates. Please
direct any requests to speak with candidates to
info@guidehorse.com.
