I have known Jodie for 18 years. Her mother, Nancy Hansen Parks, was my riding instructor. We were a tripod seeing how there was another rider that always accompanied us on our adventures on horseback. Jodie was always the leader she knew where she wanted to go and how to accomplish it. She has always been a fantastic rider and instructor to all of the people and equine alike. Her horses would do whatever she asked with little to no altercations. We now live miles apart, but I still will call her for advice on how to pursue the best road with my own horse. She is informative and honest. She will be clear on what the task is she is attempting to fulfill, and will stick to your side til a goal is achieved or finding the road to take to achieve that goal. If I lived closer I would definitely be taking lessons from her! -Noel Cass
I first met Jodie and got to know her better during the 2009 Parelli tour when we both ended up in the Finesse Spotlight. Pat took one look at her finesse riding and invited her to come to the Parelli center to begin her training as an instructor. When she returned from Florida, I was fortunate enough to participate in her lessons as she gained hours toward earning her stars as a Parelli instructor. Her positive energy is contagious and you can't help but smile at the funny and amazing analogies she makes while teaching. She helped me with my young, spirited filly, taking the time needed to gain her confidence and encourage her emotional fitness as she matured into the very sensible and responsive partner that she is today. I give credit to Jodie for always having the right arrow to pull out of her quiver when my left brain extrovert decided to invent a new games out of the ones we were teaching her. Thanks to Jodie, my six-year-old daughter has become interested in gaining the skills necessary to pass her level 1 test. Jodie shows up to lessons with a smile and offers instruction with encouragement, helping us to set goals for ourselves as we continue our horsemanship journey. -Liane MacMillan
Jodie is a good teacher because she is nice and I think she would be a good coach for other kids who want to learn about horses. She is patient and she explains things really well. -Claudia MacMillan, 6 years old
Through her steady and competent teaching, Jodie has made our horse Pogo (16.1 HH) a much smaller horse. He often intimidated me when we got him, now he is more like a very very large chestnut teddy bear because of what I've learned from Jodie. Thanks, Jodie. -Jerry Yost
I have been working with Jodie for 2 years and she has been a gift from God for me & my horse, Juicy Fruit.She is patient, dependable, a wonderful teacher and passionate about helping others learn natural horsemanship.I honestly don’t know where we would be without her. -Nicki Nelson
When my mare Shiloh and I began working with Jodie back in 2011...I had absolutely no idea what we were in for! Jodie is a passionate instructor...committed to excellence. Her love for all things equine is clearly evident in everything she does...she lives for horses! I believe she sincerely listens to her students (and their horses!) to get an understanding of their goals and desires. She is patient...but she will push you to excel. We always laugh when I start a sentence..."Jodie...do you remember when I couldn't...?". Sometimes I'm in total disbelief of the progress that we've made under her guidance. The journey is far from over; there is always more to learn. Jodie ensures that my mare and I grow "together" making the training process far more achievable and ultimately rewarding. We look forward to more adventures in the years to come! -Pamela Scott
