Our Experts

ThinLine is proud to have the support of experts from many different fields. Veterinarians, Riders, Massage Therapists, Farriers, Saddle Fitters, Surgeons and Chiropractors are all offering there advice. For more information on how to submit your question, and when the answers will be posted, click here.

Below are information on a few of our experts.

Dr. James Warson -Neurosurgeon
Dr. James Warson has a long history with horses. As a child, he spent his summers at the Heart Bar the family’s working cattle ranch in Quitaque, Texas, that also specialized in breeding Quarter Horses for ranch work and polo.

Dr. Warson began neurosurgery practice in Lexington, Kentucky in 1974. He relocated to Fort Collins, Colorado, where he founded Front Range Brain and Spine Surgery in 1978.

He has personally endured three spine surgeries and devoted the majority of his practice to spine surgery — performing over 5000 procedures during his career. Equine-related spinal injuries are Dr. Warson’s field of expertise.
“After caring for innumerable rodeo injuries over a period of several years, I felt I had something to say on the subject,” he says.

Dr. Warson has distinguished himself among his peers, presenting his findings to:
American Association of Neurological Surgeons
Neurosurgical Society of America
Meacham Neurosurgical Society
International Congress on Disability Prevention and Rehabilitation in Traumatology, and others

Dr. Warson conducts “Back in the Saddle” and regularly speaks on topics related to maintaining optimal equestrian back health. In recent years, he has been a contributor to Discovery.com. He has been a featured expert in numerous articles including “Hope for Hurting Riders,” which appeared in the February, 2005 issue of Western Horseman magazine.

Dr. Warson retired from medical practice in 1998, and has devoted his efforts to his horses and to educating riders on optimizing their back health ever since. In 2003, J & J Farms transferred to its current location “on a ranch in a ghost town on the slope of Mauna Kea volcano” in Kamuela, Hawaii.

J & J Farms LLC owns and breeds Morgan and Saddlebred / Morgan crosses in Hawaii. They stand a Morgan, JJF Guinness Stout, and the Saddlebred sire Galahad Golden Warrior who was the headliner “Cowboy Dressage” horse under Eitan Beth-Halachmy until he retired to Hawaii.

He has been involved in Quarter Horse and Appaloosa racing, and has served on the board of the American Morgan Horse Institute. Dr. Warson is the only certified horse appraiser in the state of Hawaii. He is currently a member of the American Morgan Horse Association and the U.S. Equestrian Federation.

Jochen Schleese - Certified Master Saddler and Master Saddle Fitter

Jochen Schleese trained with Passier & Son in Germany, and in 1984, he was certified as the youngest Master Saddler ever in Europe. In 1986, he was asked to be the Official Saddler for the World Dressage Championships held just north of Toronto, Canada.

Together with the Ontario Ministry of Skills Development (now Labour Training and Adjustment Board), Schleese developed a 3-Year apprenticeship program to make saddlery a registered and certifiable trade. His design and entrepreneurial skills since then have been recognized with many prestigious corporate awards and the company has been profiled in major media including The Wall Street Journal and on the Discovery Channel.

Jochen is widely respected in equestrian circles for his knowledge and expertise as a Certified Master Saddler (CMS) and as a businessman. A progressive developer of innovative products, Schleese received an international patent in 1996 for the AdapTree® saddle tree design which allows the saddle to be adjusted to fit as the horse grows and develops.

Jochen is a regular guest speaker at major equestrian trade fairs and events, as well as at various veterinary colleges across the US and Canada, and is widely recognized as an authority in his field. He incorporates his personal experience as an international event rider into every product and service offered by the company.

Today, Schleese Saddlery Service caters to clients with a trained team of certified saddlefit technicians, most of whom are riders themselves.

Authors of the "36 Point Checklist to Evaluate Saddle Fit", the team of Schleese Certified Saddle Fitters and service representatives provide ongoing service to clients through on-site Personal Schleese Saddlefit Sessions. All of this has contributed to make Schleese Saddlery a leader in the equestrian industry.

Dave Richards - Equicast, Inc

My name is David Richards, founder and owner of the ETSS. I grew up in New Hampshire, the son of a gunsmith. I became involved in shoeing horses after I purchased two draft horses to work with on my sheep farm. As luck would have it, a former shoeing instructor from Michigan State University, Edward Grove, (semi-retired) came over to shoe my draft horses. In talking with him, he was interested in learning how to carve metal and I became fascinated in the art and science of shoeing horses so for the next year or so we exchanged ideas and, ultimately, careers. After working with him and seeing how I could incorporate both my art (engraving, stock-making) and EMT into one career, I knew a change in my career was imminent. Skills that I developed as a stock-maker and engraver helped develop an eye for detail and adding a medical approach for anatomy, the mechanism of movement and physics gave me an eclectic approach to shoeing. After working in NH with farriers, trainers, veterinarians, and attending area clinics for about ten years, I was ready to try the big league and a warmer climate so in the fall of 1989 I moved to Southern Pines, North Carolina. The timing was great and I was very fortunate, working with many upper level riders, coaches, trainers, and horses of all levels - from draft horses to dressage horses, ponies to race horses. I worked with owners that had one horse in their back yard to trainers that may have 30 horses under their control. I was in shoeing heaven. The Southern Pines area with driving, dressage, hunters, and Thoroughbreds is a very diverse horse community and has helped me acquire a very across-the-board knowledge of horses.

Early in 1990 Dr. Fred McCashin of Southern Pines introduced me to casting as a treatment for a severely foundered horse he had at his clinic. After seeing the immediate comfort and remarkable recovery that the cast gave this horse (adding temporary support to the hoof wall) I realized that this may be the answer to hoof wall failure. For the next 15 years I worked to developed Equicast, an equine product and temporary support system to help restore hoof wall integrity and soundness to a failing/failed structure (hoof wall). After working on hundreds, if not maybe thousands (almost as many as Dr. Michael Steward) of cases with farriers, veterinarians, trainers, and owners a product/system has been developed that addresses hoof wall problems. Working with specialists in cloth design and resins, a poly-cloth and resin was developed that can stand up to the environment and to the wear that horses put on their feet.

Christan Trainor - Advanced Level Event Rider

Christan began her riding career as a child in the U.S. Virgin Islands, where she grew up. Christan joined the local Pony Club there where she participated in eventing rally and was hooked.

After moving back to North Carolina, Christan continued to ride and show with a leased pony named Cloud Nine. She evented through Training level on the pony before purchasing Ticket To Ride off the Penn National track when she was 15 and "Ben" was 4. They quickly moved up the levels together, competing at the Advanced level in just 3 years. Along the way, they won the 1998 NAYRC team silver medal and individual 6th at the 2-star level. They were short-listed for the 2000 Olympic Games, and named to the USEF Developing Rider list. Christan still owns Ben, and he recently placed 13th in the 2007 Morven Park CCI* Long-format...at the age of 17, with his current rider Betsy Harrison.

Christan was contacted by P. Wynn Norman about training and competing her pony, Theodore O'Connor, in 2004. She competed "Connor", or "Teddy" as he was renamed, at the Training and Preliminary level that spring, and moved him up to the Intermediate and Advanced level shortly after that. Teddy and Christan finished in 8th place at his first FEI event at the Poplar Place CIC** while based in Ocala.

When Karen O'Connor took over the ride on Teddy, Christan decided to return to North Carolina and finish her studies at UNC-Chapel Hill where she graduated with degrees in History, Classical Humanities, and African Studies. She earned these three degrees in just 3 years total, which often times required taking up to twenty hours a semester and summer school. She continued to ride and teach full time during her studies. Christan was on the Dean's List every semester after returning to UNC.

Dr. Cesar Parra - FEI Dressage Rider

Born in Colombia, Dr. Cesar Parra now spends half his year based in New Jersey and the other half in Florida with his own Piaffe-Performance Farm. Dr. Parra’s philosophies by which he conducts his life are courtesy, integrity, perseverance, self-control, sharing, and strength of character. These are the same qualities he tries to pass on to all his students and staff who make up his team.

His list of accomplishments are extensive including many FEI wins, and competing in World Equestrian Games, Olympics, and Pan-American Games.





Seth Ingram - Reining Rider

Seth grew up in Idaho and Wyoming and has been riding with his parents before he could even walk or talk. He spent a lot of his time as a youngster in the barn or in a pick-up truck. He started to train his own horses by the time he was eight years old and started showing reining horses when he was just ten years old. Seth has always had a passioin for training and showing these remarkable equine athletes.

Seth trained and showed reining horses to several titles on behalf of Ed Fear Quarter Horses and Double J Ranch from 2002-2005. He was a Top Ten Rider in two open divisions of the NRHA in 2002. In 2007 Seth rode Heza Holi Sugarman to Reserve Champion at the Florida Reining Horse Association Futurity. Seth's lifelong involvement in training and showing horses assures him success at his present goal of competing at the NRHA Futurity in 2008. Seth and his wife, Julie, have a very active four year old daughter, Jordan.

Jon Ingram -Reining Rider

Jon grew up in Southern California with the traditions of the California reined cow horse, which emphasize lightness and finesse. He trained his first horse when he was just ten years old and hasn't looked back since. He work with the renowned stock horse trainer, Ronnie Richards, in Southern California. For over thirty years Jon has been successful at professionally training and showing working cow horses, cutting horses as well as his specialty, reining horses. He has used his thorough training programs to improve horses from a variety of disciplines. Jon has earned nine world and national titles and has trained non-pro riders and their horses to become competitive partners at NRHA shows. Jon is a constant and enthusiastic student of anything equine and never quits learning or trying to improve his methods.

Jon attended Cal Poly in Pomona, California majoring in Animal Husbandry. He has supported and promoted the sport of reining for more than twenty years. He was a founder and the first President of the Idaho Reining Horse Association. He continues to share his enthusiasm for the sport here in Florida. Jon is an excellent equine dentist and finds time in his busy schedule to do a limited amount of equine dentistry. Jon and his wife, Lauri, have three children and five grandchildren.

Anne Kursinski - Show Jumper

Anne Kindig Kurskinski (born April 16, 1959) is an international rider from the United States, who competes in the sport of show jumping. She is one of the leading woman riders in the sport today. Kurskinski currently resides in Frenchtown, New Jersey at Market Street Farm. She is a veteran member of multiple USET Nation's Cup teams, USET Olympic teams, USET World Equestrian Games teams and World Cup Finals.





Denny Emerson - Event Rider

“One of the 50 most influential horsemen of the Twentieth Century ...”(The Chronicle of the Horse, 2000).

The only rider to have ever won both a gold medal in eventing and a Tevis buckle in endurance.

In 2006, Denny was inducted into the United States Eventing Association (USEA) Hall of Fame.

Denny Emerson, eventer, trainer, coach, author, leader, activist, has been a significant, influential force in the equestrian community for a half-century. Beginning with his first competition, the Stoneleigh Prospect Hill School Gymkhana, at the age of 12, Denny has forged a career with horses which culminated in his receiving the both the USEA’s Wofford Cup for lifetime service to eventing, the American Riding Instructor Certification Program (ARICP) Lifetime Achievement Award, induction in 2006 into the USEA Hall of Fame, and included leadership in such organizations as the USEA (twice president), the USET (vice-president of Eventing for seven years), the USEF (on the Executive Committee), and Chairman of the Breeder’s Committee of the AHSA.

Now in his 48th consecutive year of competing at the preliminary level or higher, Denny has achieved much success in the sport of eventing. At 20, Denny rode in his first event, a preliminary three day event at GMHA. By 1965, Denny had moved up to intermediate, on Lighting Magic, his first event horse, and in 1971, on Cat, he rode in his first advanced event, at Dunham, Quebec. Denny’s advanced career would last for 29 seasons, during which time he brought 14 horses to that level, an average of about one advanced horse every two seasons.

Betsy Steiner - Dressage Rider

American World Championship team member Betsy Steiner began riding at the age of 13. Her first horse was an unruly Palomino mare named Zsa Zsa. Although three-day eventing first drew Betsy into the competitive arena, it was a year at Christilot Boylen’s barn that cemented her devotion to dressage.

An unquenchable desire to immerse herself in dressage led Betsy to spend more than two years in Germany with Egon von Neindorff. It was the endless lunge lessons there that Betsy credits with developing her seat. In the years since her first Grand Prix at the age of 20, Betsy has enjoyed working with such luminaries as Uwe Steiner, Herbert Rehbein, Robert Dover, Kathy Connelly, Guenter Seidel and Klaus Balkenhol.

During Betsy’s career, she has successfully trained many horses to Grand Prix including Attache, Special Delivery, Ortac, Komtur, Unanimous, Metternich and Hilltop’s Giotto. With grand prix wins at prestigious shows around the country, Betsy has enjoyed success at the highest levels for more than three decades. A USDF Bronze, Silver and Gold medalist, Betsy has numerous FEI wins.

One of the highlights of Betsy's illustrious career was when she represented the United States at the World Equestrian Games in Stockholm, Sweden in 1990 aboard her own Dutch Warmblood, Unanimous.

Chris Duggan - Tack Expert
President & Founder of Equestrian Collections.com

Founded in 1994, Equestrian Collections.com brings you the entire collections of equestrian apparel and equipment from the top manufacturers around the world. A World of Choices. Delivered.

Dr. Beverly Gordon
-Licensed Human Chiropractor
-Certified AVCA Animal Chiropractor, specializing in horses
-Authored many articles including a regular column called “The Horse in Motion” which is currently published in Sidelines Magazine.
-Given numerous lectures/demos/seminars geared toward understanding the Science of Equine Training, several sponsored by Purina Feeds
-Given numerous lectures/demo/seminars on “Performance Horsemanship” focusing on alleviating equine physical and mental resistances
-Practice is limited to horses and focuses on improving movement and performance at all skill levels through grand prix
Past/Present Credits
Director, NY Chiropractic College Outpatient Facility, NYCC, Greenvale, NY,
Instructor, Clinical Sciences, NY Chiropractic College, Brookville, NY,
Owner, Port Washington Chiropractic Associates, Port Washington, NY
President, Gordon Chiropractic Associates, The Horse In Motion, LLC
Equine Chiropractic Consultant, L. I. Equine Medical Center
Developer, “Classification System to Evaluate Resistances and Physical Braces in Horses (presently writing a book on this subject)
Guest Lecturer, Purina sponsored presentations
Consultant, Paard Hill Farms Equine Chiropractic and Performance Horsemanship Clinician
Contributor, Sidelines Magazine: Regular column called “The Horse In Motion” centering on issues relating to biomechanics of movement for performance horses
Contributor, Various articles on horsemanship, biomechanics, and equine chiropractic published in equestrian magazines

Larissa Cox & Libby Keenan - Tack n' Talk Blog

Larissa Cox and Elizabeth (Libby) Keenan started Tack n’ Talk Blog as a joint venture between two North American dressage coaches 3000 miles apart, to promote safe horse handling, connect with and promote other trainers, equine product manufacturers, and showcase equestrianism to the global online community.

Larissa Cox is from Vancouver, BC, Canada. She holds NCCP Level 3 certification, ARIA Level 2 certification in both Dressage and Recreational Riding, CHA Level 1 certification in both Western and English disciplines, and qualification from Centered Riding as a Level 1 instructor. Larissa has achieved numerous dressage awards from Equine Canada, United States Dressage Federation, and United States Equestrian Federation. Although she has ridden and trained many breeds of horses, she is especially fond of her Arabian gelding, which she competed up to FEI levels. Presently, she is riding and training in England, while attending graduate school to pursue her MSc in Equine Science.

Libby Keenan is from Detroit, Michigan, USA. She was hooked on riding after her first lesson at the age of 10 in 1965, and has been around horses ever since. She worked with the Canadian Three Day Event team from 1972 to 1978, and trained with a riding master in Yugoslavia for two years in the early 80’s. Libby achieved her Equine Canada Level 1 coaching certificate in 1986, and opened her farm, Sunhall Equestrian Centre in Windsor, Ontario, Canada soon after, where she hosts many clinics, annual competitions, and other equestrian events. Libby has ridden and trained many horses to upper level dressage, and continues to coach and compete in Eastern United States and Canada.

Together on Tack n’ Talk Blog, they share training advice, interview equestrian industry leaders, showcase “Real Riders”, and host equestrian themed contests. They are thrilled that through technology, the equestrian world is coming closer than ever before, and that equestrian knowledge, sound horsemanship advice, and safe practices are being promoted and accessible to horse lovers around the world through many different mediums and that they can be a small part of it.