Congratulations to Becky and Slick on demonstrating the power of
Natural Horsemanship in the horse human relationship. Becky
and Slick are also outstanding Trail Trial competitors and have
won many belt buckles in competition. Well written story.

-Andrew
Sunol, CA

So nice to see a feature story about horses (and people) in the Almanac. The strong horse community here was part of the founding of this area. There is still a strong community of horse people around. Becky Witter is a leader in that community and nice to see her featured for her role in natural horsemanship and keeping horses as part of our neighborhoods.

Its amazing what can be accomplished when the horse becomes your partner and not just a vessel to get the job done. Nicely done Becky!

I am also an advocate for Natural Horsemanship and was delighted to see Becky Witter at BOK Ranch Therapeutic Riding Center (where I work) playing the 7 Games with our 2 mini horses. She volunteered her time and natural horsemanship skills to help the minis become comfortable around people. BOK rescued the minis after they had been abandoned. They were basically feral when they arrived at BOK. With Becky's "patience and persistentance in the proper position" the 2 minis now enjoy being taken for walks around the Horse Park at Woodside (where BOK Ranch is located). They are enjoying all the attention they are receiving. We have Becky to thank for their new social skills and their ability to participate in our program. Thanks for publishing this story.

Very nice to see such a great feature story about horses (and people) in the Almanac. Our strong horse community here was part of the founding of this area and continues to be an integral part of our communities rural character. There is a strong community of horse people around. Becky Witter is a leader in that community and nice to see her featured for her role in natural horsemanship and keeping horses as part of our neighborhoods. Great job almanac & Becky!

As a practitioner of Natural Horsemanship, I know how the positive manner which you use to communicate and nurture a relationship with your horse, leaks into every aspect of life. It is nice to see Becky featured here and the writer explaining these seemingly simple things to the non horse world.
There are certainly a lot of life lessons to be learned through this type of horsemanship. I hope the Woodside community grasps at these glimpses they are offered.

What the reporter failed to mention is that Becky is the author of two books: "Winning with Horsepower-" and "Living with Horsepower-" I treasure my autographed copies of her books as well as the memory of a wonderful Halloween Parelli playday at her barn in Woodside!

What a newsworthy article. The method of Natural Horsemanship as stated is as old as the hills and needs to be revived. It's an amazing feeling to have a 1200 pound animal want to be with you and respond willingly because you understand them and respect them. It's a lot of fun too.

Raising the visibility of the local horse community benefits us all. Thank you Dave Boyce for showcasing Becky Witter and Slick.

Wonderful article and so nice to see Natural Horsemanship being showcased. There are so many ways communicating with horses in this manner can enhance a human's life and other relationships in it. Great job Becky!

Great article! Becky is a wonderful teacher and animal communicator!

The Witter horse farm looks like a moon scape. The horses are in small pens all around the property with barely a blade of grass in sight. WAY TOO MANY HORSES PER ACRE! The Town of Woodside should not allow this to go on. There is a rule as to how many horses per acre for good reason and it should be enforced. How can a person who says they love horses justify this treatment. I am guessing most of the horses are there for a fee which explains it.

A big smile came to my face when I picked up my Almanac and saw a horse on the cover! When I first moved to the bay area with my horse and discovered Woodside, I made it my goal to get my horse over there so I could enjoy the horse community and all the wonderful trails.

Becky Witter is an excellent representative of the horse community. She is kind & considerate to all horse owners and always willing to step up and help someone who needs help with their horse. She's what I would call a "horsewoman" and I'm happy to see her continue to influence the community in a positive way.

Good job to the Almanac!

LaV

Woodside has such a wonderful horse community. Becky Witter is one of the special people who is extremely generous with her knowledge and time, truly a natural horsemanship advocate. Nice to see an article which helps provide visibility for this local horse community.

Kudos to Becky and Dave Boyce for this wonderful article. Becky is an accomplished horsewoman who is extremely generous with her time and resources. Her horse facility is exemplary, with very happy (and lucky!) horses living there. And the horse community is both lucky and proud to have Becky at the forefront.

I've grown up watching horses get beaten unfairly for various behaviors, some not bad just instinctive. It is so enjoyable to see this training habit of negative reinforcement transition to the more productive "positive reinforcement" within our horse world. Thank you Becky for showing us the way!

Great article about Becky and natural horsemanship. There are many "natural" methodologies, but the Parellis have the easiest and most understandable teaching program. Becky is a wonderful ambassador. Glad to see interest in this type of program is catching on in Woodside, a community known for its horses and horsepeople!

Thank you for the wonderful article about Becky and the gentle methods she uses with horses.

Thank you, Alamanac, for this wonderful article helping readers appreciate yet another taste of the variety of our horse community and the many interests and activities within it. We are so fortunate to have such a thriving equestrian presence, and I appreciate the opportunity to celebrate this!

I am so glad to see the almanac covering real stories within the Woodside horse community. A well written article about a very capable and kind horse-woman in Becky... The information was usefull, interesting, and close to home. I,too, have used Parelli methods with my horses for 30 years... It seems Becky has taken their lead and enhanced their suggestions to achive greater heights... I'll be calling, Becky...

Becky generously helped train my Fjord (and me!) in Natural Horsemanship/Parelli a few years ago. She is one of Woodside's treasures. It is so refreshing to read an in-depth equestrian article and the story is so uplifting. I would love to see an equestrian column or something like it in the Almanac. Since Becky is an author and writer, maybe she could have an on-going column in our wonderful local newspaper. I'd love to see that!

Hay!
Really nice reminder of how it should be.
I have known Becky for many years and I am always presented with her understanding of natural horsemanship principles.
A true soul sister!

Great story on a great person ( and former neighbor!). When my daughter was at M-A High School, one of Becky's horses had a foal. My daughter got to work with the horse from day one, using the Parelli techniques. within a year, the horse was doing all the behaviors noted in the article - all with just body language, hand signals and verbal cues. Becky not only teaches horses, she teaches people, too.

I have been riding horses all my life. I discovered natural horsemanship when I was 41, and have never looked back. I now follow the Parelli method, but I've also looked at a few different practitioners of the 'natural' method, and they all look pretty wonderful. The new connections I'm finding with horses are astonishing. He now learns really fast and has developed so much confidence. He has overcome many "problems" he had with his previous owner, like being head shy and afraid of the saddle. He's a new guy. I am frequently moved to tears when he overcomes one of his barriers, and by the affection he shows me.

I was so pleased to see Becky & Slick on the cover of the Almanac this week! She is a genuine horsewoman and treasure to the horse community in Woodside. She works tirelessly on behalf of the equestrian community to keep Woodside truly "Horse Country!" I, personally, would love to see an equine section in the Almanac to help maintain our horse heritage in Woodside.

Such an inspiration to have heart to heart meetings with these beautiful beings instead of force and control. I hope many more people adopt this method of natural horsemanship for the benefit of horses and people alike!

I really enjoyed this article featuring natural horsemanship and Becky Witter. Becky demonstrates great passion for horses and empowering people to fully enjoy them. Since learning these methods from her, I enjoy the relationship I have with my horse now more than ever! I also have more fun and stay safer because we are both more confident. I would love to see more articles featuring horses and natural horsemanship in the future.