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 Miltonian Barbara Hutcheson says she has a way with horses. She uses her patience and gentle nature to take some of the wildest of equines and tame them to be rode on the racetrack or in the show ring.
The local freelance horse trainer is now looking to put those skills to use at a permanent spot in the Milton and Campbellville area, where she's searching for a suitable place to set up a new equestrian training facility.
"I specialize in starting the horses right from scratch." Ms Hutcheson said. "I can get into the horse psyche and know where they're suited at.
While the Milton area is already heavily populated with horse-related businesses, Ms.Hutcheson said she isn't worried about the competition. "We're going to be a different kind of facility. I'm going to be specializing in actual training for racing and show ring(horses),"she said. "I want to stay focused on what I'm good at."
The back of a horse is a very comfortable and familiar spot for Ms Hutcheson-where she's spent a huge portion of her time since the tender age of nine.
"Like every other girl, I was always in love with the horses," she said with a laugh.
 Ms Hutcheson attended Humber College for Equine Studies Management and went on to the competition circuit in the disciplines of jumper and eventing across Canada and Europe, also spending some time jockeying for Quarter Horse Racing in Ontario.
Her love for the thoroughbred horses led to her involvement in training, breeding, buying and selling equines. She's trained extensively in British Columbia, England, Scotland and Germany and made a name for herself in the horse industry, recently earning her a feature article in Life and Fashion magazine.
Ms Hutcheson said one of her niches is "backing" horses, or getting them accustomed to having someone on their back. "People used to call it breaking a horse, but it's kind of a harsh term because it's like you're breaking its spirit," she said."I prefer backing because it's less harsh."
While doing this can mean enduring being tossed from the horse's back, Ms Hutcheson takes it in stride as part of the job. "It's a high-risk, dangerous job, and it's mostly male dominated," she said. "But, I feel women have more of a sensitive touch for backing."
Ms Hutcheson said her training program for show horses is usually about four to six weeks, while preparing a horse for the race track circuit can take about 90 days.
"Every horse needs a different approach," she said. "I usually can assess their temperament within a couple of days." She points out that in addition to the training aspect of her programs, nutrition is also an important component.
"Feeding and nutrition play a big role in getting a horse to its peak," she said. Some of the horses that Ms Hutcheson trained race at Woodbine, where she said they usually do very well.
While she said most of her current client base is local, her training takes her right across the country.
"I train for a lot of high-profile clients in Canada and Ontario," she said.
For more information on Ms Hutcheson and the services she offers, visit www.hutchesontraining.ca.
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