Testimonials

I have known Barbara Hutcheson for several years. She is an excellent all around horsewoman and a very good rider. I myself competed for the Canadian Equestrian Team at the '75 Pan Am Games and the '76 Olympic Games on the Dressage Team. I feel Barbara has the dedication, skills and desire to achieve her goals. She has worked for me in the past exercising T.B. race horses for my racing stable. Always prompt and thorough I was able to leave her to her job and it was always well done. She runs a very promising business which includes re-schooling ex-racehorses for new careers. Horses from her farm always look well and she provides excellent care and management at her facility.She is organized and runs a very good barn. She would be an ideal candidate for a sponsorship to help fulfill and expand her career choice. She is a person who will be 100% committed to making things work and does not get discouraged. Always a very honest, straightforward person and very dedicated to her family. An excellent communicator would make her an excellent spokeswoman for anyone involved. Barbara would put to good use any funds and has the maturity to be able to appreciate it. Regards, Barbara Minshall-Minshall Racing Stable.

As Vice President of the Ontario Standardbred Adoption Society(OSAS), I have had the pleasure of knowing and working with Barbara. Barbara Hutcheson has been an ardent supporter of OSAS since 2007 and has generously donated her time and experience to the organization on a constant basis. As one of our premier foster farms, Barbara has extended herself and her barn to many OSAS  horses in their time of need. She gives freely her expertise and successfully retrains many former racehorses into pleasure and show mounts for a wide array of disciplines. While OSAS relies on many foster farms across the province and appreciates the efforts of each individual caregiver, Barbara's knowledge, compassion and professional horsemanship have made her our most successful foster farm to date. She exceeds our expectations across the board and we receive nothing but positive feedback from clients who have adopted an OSAS horse from Barbara's facility. Despite running a successful training and sales barn and in addition to a busy competitive schedule, Barbara has always made time to support our indsutry and the horses that make it possible. She has been a tireless campaigner for the merits of the breed and has successfully shown many OSAS horses in a variety of disciplines. Barbara is knowledgeable about the aspects of horsemanship and works hard to promote the breed in an effort to change the perception of what Standardbreds are capable of and suited to. In addition to her professional services, Barbara is a talented rider whom we feel has constantly been able to develop and showcase our horses in the most deserving manner. Barbara has made herself an invaluable resource to our organization as well as to those who adopt our horses. She is quick to lend a hand or provide additional coaching to clients in need. As a registered charitable organization, with limited resources and a seemingly endless workload, OSAS is thrilled and proud to have Barbara Hutcheson as a foster farm caregiver/trainer. She is an exemplary ambassador for the breed and our organization. Sincerely, Sarah Lauren Scott-Vice President-OSAS.

It gives me great pleasure to endorse Barbara Hutcheson as a person who has great knowledge and appreciation for equines of all disciplines. As an original member of the Ontario Standardbred Adoption Society being a Director for eight years, and President for two years, I can say without hesitation that Barbara has become an invaluable foster/retraining farm for many of the OSAS horses. Speaking on a personal level, Barbara has retrained three of my retired racing Standardbred horses and enabled them to begin new careers in jumping, dressage and trail riding. She assesses all horses given into her care and determines the discipline best suited to their ability and character. Barbara is currently retraining a Standardbred mare of mine who had foot issues. Barbara is competent and caring and this mare's issue has now been resolved and she is in training. Yours Truly, Sandra Monk-Standardbred Horse Owner

Ridgebrook Farm is a breeding farm for Welsh Mountain Ponies. We produce riding, driving and show quality ponies and we have had many first place finishes at the Royal Winter Fair in Toronto. Barbara Hutcheson is currently boarding, training and showing one of our younger mares. We have been so pleased with Barb's results that, as in the past, we will continue in the future to recommend Barb and her training facility. We have found Barb to be a very hard working individual and a person with integrity. We look forward to continuing our business relationship with Hutcheson Training Stable for years to come. Yours truly, Dallas M. Sawyer-Ridgebrook Welsh Mountain Ponies.

You did such a wonderful job of training my two year old in 2007 that I will be sending her back for training in 2009. Then in June and July I will be sending her two year old sister to you as well to be backed. Yours truly, Teresa Hilson-Sport Horse Owner.

I have had the pleasure of knowing Barbara Hutcheson since July 2007 when I sought out her services for a project/rescue horse that I was attempting to restart. This horse had definite fear issues that I and his previous owners were unable to overcome. Barbara quickly assessed Yogi, identified his fear, and recommended starting with 10 days of training and re-assessment after the 10 days had passed. Barbara was completely honest with me when those 10 days ended. She explained that Yogi needed at least two weeks with a professional and there was no guarantee of success but she believed he was worth investing the time into. She also stood firm that he was a horse that only a professional should be riding. I wholeheartedly agreed! Yogi's talents included not trusting people,bucking,rearing and running backwards uncontrollably. Barbara was not only able to make him into a riding horse but also gain his trust. This was truly a wonderful experience. Barbara kept me informed of his progress and allowed me to visit him whenever I wanted. When it was time for Yogi to return to my farm Barbara had me out to watch her ride him and then had me out to ride him myself at her farm. When she returned him to my stable she rode him around and determined that he was not safe for me to ride that day and came out to work with both Yogi and I together the following day. I appreciated her honesty and constant concern for safety. It was a very positive experience and Yogi and I developed a great partnership over the rest of the summer and early fall.Unfortunately I needed to purchase a house and therefore made the decision to sell Yogi.Barbara was very helpful and constantly marketed Yogi trying to find an appropriate home for him. He was not an easy sell! She kept me informed of all progress. She was honest with potential buyers.Barbara is professional,talented,practical, and above all an excellent horsewoman. She has an uncanny ability to asses a horse within moments of meeting it and formulates a plan that takes into account both horse and rider. She gains the trust of her clients and their horses immediately. She provides honest tactful opinions and first class care.I suspect should you require her services that you will have the same positive experience I have had! Sincerely,Jenn Panko,RVT/CCRP

Hi Barbara! If you recall, I adopted "Own The Moment" from OSAS back in September 2008. Two seperate families were in love with her, however you recommended us. I wanted to give you an update on how she is doing. You told me that "Moment" needed a family to fuss over her and treat her like a princess-were you ever right! She adores being groomed and fussed over by my two daughters, five and seven, as well as the rest of the family. She will stand forever in cross ties as long as we are giving her the royal treatment. I have been hacking with her since October, and there is nothing she won't do-an absolutely sound mind on the trail. My five year old rides her while I drive her, and "Moment" is the perfect mother hen to her. She has two paddock mates that she has bonded with and is now apart of a small herd. I often look into her big brown eyes and wonder if she is happy with her new life, and I know that she is loving all the attention and TLC we give her. Her confidence grows by the day with each new challenge she faces. I cannot thank you enough for allowing "Moment" to be apart of our family.Kindest regards, Kristin Savoie and Own The Moment(Molly).

I have been a client of Hutcheson Training & Sales since 2004 when Barbara "backed" a young horse that we found to be very difficult. Since that time, Barb continued to work that horse until he was ready to accept our in-house rider. As well in 2008, she backed two more of our horses. I have been in the horse business for nearly 40 years and have rarely come across an individual like Barb. She has a real talent for working with unbroken or "problem" horses. I have recommended her to many of my friends and my husband's shoeing clients. Barbara is a very hard working individual who is dedicated to her profession and,when working untrained horses, she achieves remarkable results in a very short time. Janet Zizian-Oxer Stables.