Learn About Head Trainer Megan Sorentino
As a little girl, Megan was absolutely in love with horses; her parents say she came out into the world saying, “horses”. At 5 years old she was drawn toward the beauty of horses, as friends and companions, and so she started riding lessons. Riding instructors throughout her youth employed Megan to: “Make the horse do it,” “Show the horse who is boss,” and “Don’t let them do that.” This harsh approach saddened and conflicted Megan as a little girl who still longed for connection with the horse through friendship. For years, this was the only type of instruction she received; the only way she knew how to interact with horses.
In 2012, Megan was introduced to Classical Equitation work through her mentor Craig Stevens. This approach excited her, and allowed the little girl inside her to finally find the connection with horses as partners, friends and companions. Since that introduction in 2012 Megan has dedicated her life to showing others a better way of working with horses.
Classical Riding Training and Education
Megan studied the art of classical riding through the Foundation for the Equestrian Arts (FEA), an organization created to preserve, promote and share the art of French classical horsemanship. FEA supported the riding academy of the National School of Academic Equitation (NSAE), which offered clinics, professional training and certification in classical horsemanship.
Megan participated in over 20 NSAE clinics over the years, before NASE closed down in 2024. Among other topics, she has studied the biomechanics of the horse, work in hand, principles of seat-work and managing fear in the horse and rider. She uses this knowledge to put on similar classical riding clinics at Classical Horsemanship.
In 2016 Megan completed NSAE’s Professional’s Course. This year-long program included intensive daily study of classical equitation, teaching riders from around the world and working regularly with school horses to help them develop freedom in motion.
Certified instructor through The Foundation of the Equestrian Arts
Safe Sport Certified
Megan’s Bachelor of Science degree in Equine Science and Business from Colorado State University provides a scientific and business foundation for her horsemanship training.
Early Training and Natural Horsemanship
Megan’s earlier training was at local riding stables, taking lessons and spending weekends at the barn. After becoming more hands-on in training horses, she learned natural horsemanship through clinics and lessons. Her experience with natural horsemanship gave her confidence in training horses and made her a better horseman.
Megan appreciated and was attracted to natural horsemanship’s methods for handling horses. However, she found herself looking for more precision and development, something to advance her riding beyond what she’d attained with natural horsemanship. Using fear to get what she wanted from her horses also never seemed right to her.
Megan’s search led her to the classical training. She has learned this training style through the clinics and courses with The FEA.
Life Long Learner
“My work with Megan was as one of her instructors in her credential program here at the Foundation for the Equestrian Arts. I was one of her professors, and also supervised her as an instructor when she was working in the riding academy here. Megan is a dedicated professional, she’s an experienced rider and trainer, and a scholar of the art of riding. Yet she’s also very down to earth, not ‘full of herself’ as so many riding instructors seem to be. She is as comfortable executing the highly focused movements of haute ecole, piaffe, passage, flying changes– as she is enjoying a day on the range rounding up cattle for branding with family and friends. It’s not about the tack! It’s about the tact. She’s funny, focused, and very well educated as a riding instructor, and highly skilled as a trainer. Megan’s warmth and empathy helps riders feel safe to make mistakes, and she is skilled at helping sort out the mistakes toward a more and more balanced and connected riding experience. The seatwork alone would be worth the lessons, but along with the balance, Megan’s teaching develops the rider’s ability to improve the horse through the intelligent use of the classical art. Megan Sorentino is both intuitive and intellectual, and she’s a lot of fun to be around, too. I highly recommend Megan Sorentino and Classical Horsemanship.”
-Mary Anne Campbell
Megan continues her study of Classical Equitation through continuing to read and study books written by the old masters. She loves incorporating her studying into her teaching and training. Always trying to find new ways to improve riders and horses.
Megan says, “When a horse or rider is having a problem in training I always think of it as something I need to improve upon. What could I be doing better? What am I not seeing? How can I explain this differently?”
Megan’s late mentor Craig Stevens, instilled in her this desire to learn and constantly improve. He always said, “Ride, Read, Reflect,” and Megan takes this moto to heart. Especially since Craig left her with his equestrian library upon his passing away.
Riding and Competition Experience
Megan bought her first horse, a pony named Fancy, at age 11. Fancy turned out to be greener than she anticipated, so Megan began her horse ownership and training career at the same time.
Over the years, Megan has competed in several types of competitions, including:
Jumping, eventing (a 3-phase competition with dressage, cross-country riding and show jumping), dressage and ranch sorting (a timed team event sorting calves from a herd).
Megan has pursued many different disciplines with her other horses, including trail-riding, working cattle, ranch sorting, working equitation and galloping through the pasture.
For many years every fall she would help with a cattle branding at a ranch near Weldona, Colorado and helps friends gather cattle throughout the year.
Megan finds trail-riding to be a great way to build a strong bond between rider and horse. It also helps strengthen muscles and build courage in the horse, and the horses enjoy the change from arena work. She especially enjoys trail rides in Soapstone Prairie Natural Area and the Pawnee Grasslands near Fort Collins, and the DT Ranch in Morgan County.
Competitive Dressage:
Megan purchased a Trakehner named Falcon in 2005. Although spooky at first, Falcon built confidence with Megan’s training. He became brave and calm on the trails and at horse shows.
Falcon and Megan have competed in many dressage competitions together and in 2010 qualified for the Rocky Mountain Dressage Society Regional Championships.
Summer of 2024 Megan decided to dip her toe back into the competitive dressage arena on a client’s horse named Julepe Erre (owned by Ashley Kirk). Megan successfully showed Juplepe at Fourth Level dressage but found that her heart is no longer in competing. Though she is more then happy to help clients with showing.
Megan says, “I hold the horse in my heart and that is the best possible prize a rider could ask for.”
Horse Training & Riding Lesson Experience
Megan has trained dozens of horses of varying breeds and disciplines. She has trained several horses to high school level dressage and has helped many horses with lameness issues become sound riding partners again.
Since incorporating classical equitation into her training, Megan has seen her own horses become happier and healthier. Her students and their horses have seen the same positive development.
What Megan loves the most about training is fixing lame horses, cultivating a deeper relationship with horses, and growing both mentally and physically with them.
Megan’s goal in training is to form sound curious horses that are excited to be ridden and excited to interact with people. Megan is constantly learning from the horses she trains and the riders she teaches. Helping horses and riders achieve a happy, harmonious relationship is her passion!
“Naturally Gifted and Classically Trained Megan Sorentino’s gifts and skills with horses and students alike, know no limits. Watch her nurturing her horses, instructing her students or just caring for her barn and land, and you’ll see a abundance of love, talent, knowledge and professionalism. However, it is her amazing blend of patience and intuition that impresses me the most. Megan knows just when and how to bring me to the next level; her patience allows me to build confidence and never rushes me. Her intuition, in combination with her knowledge and skills, assures my continual progression and joy filled successes. A morning at her barn brings serenity and energy, along with humility and confidence.”
-Suzanne R.
