About Len...

Len Judd is an internationally acclaimed horseman. He has spent his life learning about horses and working with them. Len has been invited to teach at clinics across the western United States and around the globe, to share his knowledge. Over the past decade, he has presented his HorsePower program to thousands of people in all equine disciplines.

Len works for the horse, advocating communication between the horse and rider through feel, timing and balance. This type of communicating leads to development of a relationship that is not based on pressure, force or fear.

Horses were Len's first love in life. Born in Australia, he began riding on his own at age three. Riding became the “University of Hard Knocks,” where Len was taught the laws of nature, physics, animal husbandry, and running the family property. When his chores were all done, Len could not wait to be out with the horses. Riding was also an escape — to ride hard and fast while racing the odd "roo," or chasing his dad's fat steers when dad wasn't around, or jumping, or swimming with his horse as part of the day-to-day childhood activities on a ranch.

Len and his brothers formed "The Judd Cattle Catching Company" where they were contracted to capture wild bulls in the Queensland bush....brilliantly done on horseback. (That is an epic adventure only told by Len.) Later, he worked as an art director in the Australian film industry and then moved to California in 1991. He and Nina met, and shortly afterwards were married. The Judds now reside in the town of Alpine, just east of San Diego, with their three sons.

In the past twelve years, there has been an international movement which comes under the title of natural horsemanship. From the horse's perspective, one can see just how unnatural some of this work can be. While the natural horsemanship and horse whispering movement has opened up the world of equine edification to the masses, the practice comes with varying opinions of conjecture with varying definitions for gentling and learning. The central theme for most authors and clinicians on this road to horsemanship is that of early childhood problems. There has been a prolific influx of horsemanship information short cutting the novice rider into believing the myths while unwittingly putting themselves at peril by leaving out important steps to prevent injury. The myths become broken down by the reality that this information means nothing until one has an understanding of feel, timing & balance. This practice of feel, timing and balance enables one to safely integrate knowledge with their horse. Practical success is achieved by spending time with the horse - observing the horse, carefully listening to and reading the horse, slowing down the movements, defining and refining a feel for the horse... developing an understanding.

At the end of the day, it is the horses we work with that are the judges and show us what we have learned. If we are watching and listening, we learn communication from our equine pedagogues. Len has never referred to his work as natural. Len lives and breathes his art, walking the walk, as well as talking the talk...and for him, it comes naturally.

If Len's knowledge about the relationship between you and your horse is to mean anything, it has to go beyond concepts and ideas and move into practice. And the only practice with horses that Len recommends is to stay in the moment and to be aware of the possibilities.  To become a Master horseman does not only mean that you become skilled, but that you become aware of the horse’s inner self.