Jessica Pittman grew up riding and showing hunter/jumper throughout Virginia.  Riding hunter for many years taught Jessica balance and feel through experiencing different horses.  4-H played a part in her education, teaching essential horsemanship. After high school, Jessica attended Radford University.  Staying competitive on the Radford Redcoats Intercollegiate Riding Team, Jessica studied to be a teacher. She graduated in 2000 with a BS in Psychology.  This training has helped her understand the essentials of teaching people and horses.  Jessica was then introduced to Tennessee Walking Horses.  After riding the unique gaits and seeing the amazing disposition they had, she hungered to learn more.  Unfortunately, there were no local instructors to teach equitation on gaited horses.  Jessica set her sights to learn more about these amazing horses.  In the Fall of 2005, she achieved her Riding Instructors Certification through the Tennessee Walking Horse Breeders and Exhibitors Association.

        Jessica takes Walking Seat Equitation very seriously.  It’s her goal to teach people about the unique gaits of Tennessee Walking Horse and the importance of understanding how the riders biomechanics effect it’s natural way of going. 

Ben Pittman  
AFA Certified Farrier                       

    As a forth generation horseman, Ben Pittman has been able to combine his love of horses with his devotion to helping them.  Ben spent most of his childhood on his grandparents farm in West Virginia.  He thrived on the long days and hard work of farm life. His grandfather taught him about horsemanship and instilled in him a compassion for animals. This shines through in his daily work.

    Ben graduated Eastern Farrier School in Fall 1997.  He apprenticed with some accomplished farriers for the next few years as he built his full time business.  Through apprenticing, Ben learned the basics of shoeing different disciplines and the art of hand making horseshoes.  This lead him to competing with his shoemaking skills.  Traveling from Michigan to Florida, he has achieved many of his goals.  Most recently, Ben won the Virginia State Horseshoeing Championship for the second consecutive year.  In past years he has been the North Carolina Champion in the Novice and Intermediate divisions.

    In Florida, he won Reserve Champion and in Virginia, he’s won all divisions.  Ben’s dedication to quality inspires him to reach his goals.    

    While he has knowledge of shoeing many disciplines, Ben currently specializes in shoeing performance Hunter/Jumper horses.  He travels across state lines for his work as well.  He has a background in the specific gaits known to the Tennessee Walking Horse and has experience shoeing all show divisions.  Ben is a certified farrier through the standards of the American Farriers Association.