Heidi Potter is an internationally recognized and respected Trainer, Clinician, Instructor, and Author, sharing almost 60 years of horse experience. Her teaching and training are strongly influenced by her practice in traditional Eastern Martial Arts. She is a Centered Riding® Clinician, Senior Horse Speak® Instructor, Horse Agility Accredited Trainer (w/the International HA Club of England), Holistic Horsemanship Trainer, and CHA (Certified Horsemanship Association) Master Instructor/Certifier.
Heidi feels blessed to have learned directly from her neighboring friend, mentor, and the founder of Centered Riding, Ms. Sally Swift. Sally’s work beautifully and effectively blends Heidi’s experience with Eastern philosophies into her horsemanship practice. The Centered Riding basics of Soft Eyes, Breathing, Centering and Balance, along with Grounding and Awareness, lead to amazing results both on the ground and in the saddle. Heidi has assisted riders of all levels and disciplines improve comfort, communication, confidence & effectiveness in the saddle. She has experience working with a variety of horses, including gaited breeds.
Heidi’s Holistic Horsemanship approach to training evolved from her education in Natural Horsemanship and her subsequent search for a calmer, softer, more empathetic approach to creating lasting relationships. She was driven by her desire to improve behaviors, safely create boundaries, earn mutual respect, and establish connections, all while focusing on enrichment for both horses and humans. Students across the globe have benefitted from her teachings and have been successful in building safer, more trusting, respectful, and enjoyable partnerships with their equine friends.
In 2012, Heidi became one of just a few Accredited Horse Agility Trainers in the US through the International Horse Agility Club of England. Horse Agility uses primarily in-hand skill building and obstacle play to establish improved communication, trust, and confidence between horses and humans. It’s a fun practice for horses of all ages, abilities, and breeds, including Minis, Donkeys, and Retired or Rehabbing Horses.
In March of 2017, Heidi discovered the “missing link” in understanding, supporting, and communicating with horses through Horse Speak, Precise Equine Body Language Skills. She began working with founder Sharon Wilsie, who authored three books, Horse Speak, The Equine-Human Translation Guide, Horses In Translation,n and Essential Horse Speak. Sharon’s step-by-step equine translation program has opened new doors for horse owners, trainers, instructors, rescue horse operations, and those in many equine professions, such as therapeutic, massage, Masterson, and dentistry. In late 2018, Heidi became a Senior Horse Speak Instructor/Clinician and joined Sharon and Laura Wilsie to form the Horse Speak Educational and Certification Program. Being the true language system of the horse, you will find elements of Horse Speak being taught in every clinic.
Heidi and her husband, Rob, reside at their Southern Vermont farm, The New England Center for Horsemanhip. She and her Cheval Canadian Riley enjoy pleasure riding, trails, and liberty play. They enjoyed several years of training and competing in Western Dressage. This practice helped them both focus on improving fitness and mindfully working up the dressage training scale. In the four years they competed, they enjoyed many rewards:
NAWDA 2016 High Point Trax Live Competition-Open Division-Intro Level
WNEPHA 2017 Reserve Champion-High Point Professional Division-Intro Level
WNEPHA 2018 Reserve Champion Professional Division & High Point-Intro Level 
Northeast Western Dressage Champion 2018-Intro Level
Northeast Western Dressage Reserve Champion 2019-Basic Level
WNEPHA 2019 Champion Professional Division & High Point Professional Overall-Basic Level
WMADA 2019 Division Champion-Basic Level