About LaDene Scott

Always having horse fever as a youngster, I was fortunate to have my grandparents grant my continued wishes of owning a horse. In the 1970’s I started out with a barrel racing horse and spent my first years in a western saddle.

Upon nearing my teenage years, I found myself wanting more challenges. I then moved into to the English jumping world. I relocated to the Eugene area to begin my training as a working student in two of the larger Hunter/Jumper barns in the Willamette Valley. I attended rated shows that allowed me the privilege and experience of participating in clinics with professionals such as Kevin Freeman, John Turner, Michael Patrick, Brad Laird and George Morris.

In 1995, I left the training barns and began the search for my own facility. A year later Hobby Horse Farm was established, and I began a fulltime schedule of training, lessons, sponsoring clinics and attending shows. During that time, my interest started leaning toward more detailed work on the flat and I started dressage clinics with Sonya Vracko, Charles de Kunffy, and Lorraine Chappell. In 1999, I attended my first clinic with Karl Mikolka to learn the complexities and intricacies of the “Old School” system and have continued with his clinics to advance my skills in that method.  I continue my own training by attending regular clinics with Anita Adams.

She is now a PILLAR of the SYSTEM. LaDene proved over all those years that she has the smarts, the will power, the enthusiasm and the stamina to live up to this Latin Quote: “PER ASPERA AD ASTRA.”–through hard work to the stars.

For over a decade, I have worked with LaDene Scott and she has proven herself a superb horsewoman and dedicated student of the classical school (see her philosophy, it summarizes this approach).  Earnestly she follows the method of Karl Mikolka and stands by it, utilizing its principles in all of her training.  I have seen excellent progress over the years with her, her students and the horses.  Through this work, the natural abilities are enhanced. As a result, she has well-going horses with improved athleticism and strength. She has produced happy, well-adjusted horses that are eager to work and fun to ride, no matter what discipline they are doing.