Our Trainer

Karen Kau is our full time Trainer/Assistant Manager.

Karen grew up in Waterford, Wisconsin. She began riding at the age of eight, and began competing on her own pony when she was ten. She began in the 4-H with Western Pleasure and then moved to the “A” circuit where she showed Hunters. As a Junior, she qualified for the National Marshall and Sterling Children’s Hunter Finals and placed 15 th as well as qualifying twice for Harrisburg in the Large Junior Hunters.

As a youth and young adult, Karen worked around the barn as a groom, barn manager, catch rider, and instructor and then finally went to Lake Erie College and obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Equestrian Science for Teaching/Training and Facility Management. While at Lake Erie she road on the Intercollegiate team, coached the Western team, and was the High Point Competing Student for two years in a row, riding hunters, jumpers, and dressage. Since receiving her degree, Karen has been teaching and showing full time.

Give Karen a call at 203-938-3760 and make an appointment to visit us in person, train your horse or have a lesson Tuesday through Sunday. You’ll be pleasantly surprised!

Our Training Approach

Whimsy Brook Farm has raised and trained horses since 1972. Because horses are expensive to keep, we feel they should do their job well. And we want them to do their job happily. To this end, we specialize in a non-confrontational approach, often called “horse whispering” which promotes the natural alliance of horse and trainer referred to as “joining up.” To do this we make significant use of a covered, high-sided round pen (see our virtual tour) followed by a lot of ground work on the lounge line or with long lines. We then progress to work mounted on the flat and finally mounted over fences if the horse is to be a hunter or a jumper.

We start young horses, as well as work with more finished mounts. WBF is a great place to bring your horse for a one month show season tune-up if you do not have a trainer at your barn. And, for an additional fee, we can also provide off-site trail experience for your equine companion.

We also specialize in helping owners with training problems, rehabilitation after injuries, or simply tuning their horse up after a period of inactivity or illness.

If your horse does not ordinarily reside with us, and it has a training problem, we will provide an assessment of the problem, along with a training recommendation that includes an estimate of the time it may take us to correct the difficulty. Our intention is to send you and your horse back to the barn you came from in a happier frame of mind.

As an owner, you can select single session training, or Training Board which, in addition to your boarding services, includes grooming, face/bridle path trimming, and two hours of professional training a week. Call us for a current price schedule.