Kim Roe

Kim Roe grew up riding on the family ranch and competed in Western rail classes, trail horse, reining, working cow, and hunter/jumper. She trained her first horse for money at 12 years old, starting a pony for a neighbor. Kim has been a professional dressage instructor in Washington state for over 30 years, training hundreds of horses and students through the levels. In recent years Kim has become involved in Working Equitation and is a small ‘r’ Working Equitation judge with WE United. Kim is the editor of the Northwest Horse Source Magazine, and also a writer, photographer, and poet. She owns and manages Blue Gate Farm in Deming, Washington where she continues to be passionate about helping horses and riders in many disciplines.

How to Find a Trainer

August 5, 2020August 1, 2017 by Kim Roe

Tips for Choosing Your Best Match by Kim Roe Recently I attended a clinic given by someone I find gentle, patient, and classical. I enjoy riding with this trainer because I know my horse will be safe and I won’t be pushed into an uncomfortable place that I can’t …

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Horse Training is a Lifelong Pursuit

August 5, 2020August 1, 2017 by Kim Roe

A Journey of Discovery by Kim Roe One of my favorite poems is Riding Lesson, by the Pulitzer Prize winning poet Henry Taylor. I learned two things from an early riding teacher. He held a nervous filly in one hand and gestured with the other, saying “Listen. Keep one …

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August 2017 Cover Story: Windhaven Therapeutic Riding

August 5, 2020August 1, 2017 by Kim Roe

Help for Those Who Serve by Kim Roe Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is defined by the Mayo Clinic as “a mental health condition that’s triggered by a terrifying event — either experiencing it or witnessing it.” Symptoms may include flashbacks, nightmares, depression and anxiety, as well as uncontrollable thoughts …

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Unconventional Performance Horses

August 5, 2020July 1, 2017 by Kim Roe

Horses with Heart Rise Above Traditional Roles by Kim Roe In 1992, the well-known reined cow horse trainer Bobby Ingersoll rode into the National Reined Cow Horse Association Snaffle Bit Futurity in Reno on a 3-year-old Kiger Mustang named Kiger Tiger. Kiger Tiger was a born-wild colt that Bobby …

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Western Dressage

June 30, 2020July 1, 2017 by Kim Roe

Systematic Training for the Western Horse by Kim Roe Are you interested in the precision, flow, and systematic training of dressage, but enjoy your western saddle, tack, and horse? Well, check out western dressage! As in traditional dressage, western dressage is performed in a 20 by 60-meter arena. Letters …

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Bumps in the Road

August 5, 2020July 1, 2017 by Kim Roe

Finding Answers for Training Problems by Kim Roe Early in the year I sit down and outline long-term and short-term goals for each of my performance horses. I then strategize a training protocol that will help me get there. Unfortunately, with horses our goals often have to change. Horses …

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My Favorite Things

August 5, 2020June 1, 2017 by Kim Roe

The Training Tack & Equipment I Can’t Do Without by Kim Roe Recently I read the book The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing by Marie Kondo. Like many others who read this bestseller, it prompted a frenzy of cleaning and unloading …

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Kim McElroy, Equine Artist

May 1, 2020June 1, 2017 by Kim Roe

Horses and Her Muse by Kim Roe Kim McElroy is a well-known equine artist from Washington state. For more than 20 years her pastels have been found on popular greeting cards, collectibles, and fine art prints. Her visions of horses portray the power and beauty of the horse’s form, …

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Paula Helm, Saddle Fitter

November 2, 2017June 1, 2017 by Kim Roe

Making Horses and Riders Comfortable by Kim Roe Paula Helm is an in-demand and respected saddle fitter in the Northwest. Warm and cheerful, she is known as a tenacious hard-worker with an infectious enthusiasm. Paula won’t quit until she knows the saddle is right for both horse and rider. …

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Horses and Their People

August 5, 2020June 1, 2017 by Kim Roe

A Supportive Tribe by Kim Roe One of my favorite picture books as a child told the story of a woman who owned a barn full of horses of every color. Each day she went out to the barn, walked down the row of stalls, and chose one of …

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Thank you for supporting the businesses that support The Northwest Horse Source

Thank you for supporting the businesses that support The Northwest Horse Source

Thank you for supporting the businesses that support The Northwest Horse Source

Thank you for supporting the businesses that support The Northwest Horse Source

Thank you for supporting the businesses that support The Northwest Horse Source

Thank you for supporting the businesses that support The Northwest Horse Source

Thank you for supporting the businesses that support The Northwest Horse Source

Thank you for supporting the businesses that support The Northwest Horse Source

Thank you for supporting the businesses that support The Northwest Horse Source

Thank you for supporting the businesses that support The Northwest Horse Source

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