About Jan Snodgrass

TTEAM®/TTouch® Practitioner 2

Jan Snodgrass' first important instructor in her quest to become a horse trainer came when she was 14 years old in the form of her first horse, a 17-hand four year old Thoroughbred off the track. The two developed a rapport and were soon competing in A-rated hunter shows. Later, with another Thoroughbred, Jan jumped from the hunter ring into the exciting sport of eventing. She climbed the levels quickly and competed in her first three-day event in 1983.

Jan’s equine-assisted learning led her on a journey to rehabilitate another Thoroughbred—one suffering from back and metabolic problems. Luckily she found Tellington TTouch® Linda Tellington-Jones' revolutionary method of training and healing horses. Jan realized she had found exactly what she had been looking for—a method of training that has a deep respect for the spirit and intelligence of the horse as its foundation. Jan completed her first week-long training with Linda in 1990. To date, she has completed more than 20 week-long TTouch® training sessions. Jan has applied this training to her horses and to an extensive list of clients’ horses in one-on-one sessions, clinics, and demonstrations.

Eventing has continued to be part of Jan’s life.  She has brought several horses along, most notably, Harry Who?, a Thoroughbred/Cleveland Bay gelding she competed at the advanced level. It is her strong relationship with Harry that led her to take the TTouch® bridleless riding training and develop it into a bridleless jumping exhibition set to music with Harry. Jan and Harry performed at the 2001, 2002, and 2003 Horse World Expo in Timonium, MD; the 2004 Horse World Expo in Harrisburg, PA; the 2005 and 2006 Equine Extravaganza in Richmond, Virginia; the 2000 International Centered Riding Symposium; the 2000 and 2001 Cleveland Bay Affaire; and at polo games and horse shows throughout Virginia. Read more about Jan and Harry's bridleless performances HERE.

Jan is an avid supporter of The Middleburg Humane Foundation. She has helped foster, train, and care for several animals rescued by the organization. Her deep empathy for these animals has made her an outspoken supporter of the humane care of all equids.

Though she sees horses as her most important instructors, Jan credits her human teachers as well. In addition to Linda Tellington-Jones, Jan cites Gabor Foltenyi, Jimmy Wofford, Karen O'Connor, and Denny Emerson as the most influential. A perpetual student, Jan continues to train herself and is on a continual quest to learn more about her equine friends. Her studies in liberty training with California-based trainer Carolyn Resnick during the past several years have given Jan many new tools for her training.

Jan is based at LightHeart Farm in Northern Virginia where she rides and trains.