About Lauren

Lauren Fraser has always had an affinity for horses. A good portion of her childhood and teenage years were spent riding, predominantly in English disciplines. After a brief absence from horses during her twenties, she was fortunate enough to purchase Raz, who although semi-retired, is still a big part of her life. Around that same time she was also introduced to a different philosophy of working with horses.

A decade working as a veterinary assistant (both large and small animal) and four years managing Whistler’s no-kill animal shelter gave Lauren a solid background in animal behaviour, health and welfare. This background, coupled with her previous riding experiences, allowed her to see that this training philosophy was more humane, better respected the horse’s true nature, yet still allowed them to maintain their dignity. As the famous quote by Oliver Wendell Holmes suggests, "Man's mind, once stretched by a new idea, never regains its original dimensions." The decision to commit her life and career to a better way of being with horses inevitably followed.

Although certified to teach both Western and English riding, Lauren’s true passion remains focused on helping people better understand their horse. She particularly enjoys working with "problem" horses to resolve unwanted behavioural issues, and giving horses of all ages a strong foundation of skills on which any riding discipline can be built. Fascinated by behaviour, learning styles, personality traits and motivators, she is equally flexible whether teaching horses or people.

Lauren devotes countless hours annually to attending clinics, studying, riding and apprenticing with the best horsemen and horsewomen in the field. She has also chosen to further her knowledge of equine nutrition, physiology, anatomy, and equine behaviour through courses offered by the University of Guelph’s Equine Studies department. Her personal horsemanship interests include endurance riding, and developing her horses from the hackamore to "straight up in the bridle".