Rachel Sigman
My riding journey began in Chicago, Illinois. Under the tutelage of Mary Goldman, Lisa Goldman, Sari Reid, and Barbara Theurk, I went from riding my first pony, Augie, to the big equitation with my young horse, Roc Elle. Starting in the equitation world gave me a detail-oriented foundation that has stayed with me. I was fortunate to grow up in a barn that gave me opportunities to ride anything and everything-- it allowed me to develop a light and adaptable seat and an open-mindedness for making things work in any situation. In clinics, I have ridden with some of the greats, including: Frank Madden, Kevin Babington, Candice King, Diane Carney, and more.
In 2017, I moved to Boulder, Colorado. After spending my freshman year on the CU Equestrian Team, I started as a working student at Sleepy Hollow Farm. I became an Assistant Trainer in 2019 and began my professional career. There, I taught all levels of riders and developed my own teaching style. I gained experience managing the home barn, working with young horses, re-starting horses with behavioral challenges, rehabbing horses, and preparing horses and clients for A show competition. I learned that the right mix of challenge with fun creates confident riders and happy horses.
In 2021, I started law school at the University of Denver. Until 2024, I balanced law school with riding. I continued to assist clients on the front range even though I took a step back from the sport while focusing on my studies. This time was critical for me to re-establish my relationship with the sport and define my riding goals on my own terms. While seemingly incongruous, law school has improved my ability to communicate complex ideas in an easy to understand way, in addition to fostering a creative approach to riding and training.
In 2024, I moved to the Roaring Fork Valley where I currently work full-time as an attorney focusing on civil litigation. Today, I work with riders who are independent but want to work hard on self-improvement, want to get the most out of their horses, achieve their goals, thoughtfully develop green horses, fix bad habits, and refine skills. I believe the best riders are ones who can communicate, negotiate, and understand what their horses are telling them.
Showing is not a current priority, but I still travel throughout Colorado to A and local shows. If you believe that you and/or your horse would be the right fit for my program, I would love to connect. I am open to traveling to barns located on the western slope.