Karin Glynn has been riding dressage at a competitive level for twenty years, training riders and their horses from the training to the FEI levels. Karin has a deep passion for the horse and rider. She has earned the Kansas City Dressage Society (KCDS) bronze, silver and gold medals & numerous year-end awards. In addition she has won the United States Dressage Federation (USDF) Bronze & Silver Medals, the German FN Bronze Apptaichen and numerous other championship wins locally & nationally.

Karin grew up in Dokka, Norway near Lillehamar, where the Winter Olympics were held in 1994. Her family has been in the forestry business for 200 years. Horses have traditionally been part of the logging industry so it's no surprise that Karin had a Shetland pony named Ponyman at an early age (and also a black lab named Bumse).

With the support and encouragement of her Mother, Karin started riding lessons at age 7. Her horse, a warm blood mare named Sjoka, was quite a challenge! But Karin learned how to handle the mare and her riding steadily improved. At age 16 Karin won her first medals in show jumping, cross-country and steeplechase - an exciting accomplishment for a 16 year old.

In 1990 Karin traveled to California to visit her 2 brothers living there. While in the US Karin became a working student for Olympic dressage rider Leslie Morse at the Los Angeles Equestrian Center. She later worked in the Bay Area at the Golden Gate Park hunter jumper stable, Lisa Devito Equestrian Center.

Karin realized her true calling was dressage. She quickly figured out that her German neighbors to the south were the experts in this discipline. So in 1992 she began study at the Westfalen Riding & Driving School in Munster under Herr Putz. Karin recalls the thrill of riding a Schoolmaster and truly understanding for the first time what Dressage should feel like. Karin studied hard and completed her FN Bronze Apptaichen in Germany after 3 months of training.

In 1997 Karin and her American husband, Jerry, moved to Kansas City where she became a member of the KCDS while working at Landers Farms. While at Landers she trained extensively with the noted German dressage instructor Michael Beining.

In 2000 Karin spent 3 months again in Germany, in an intense dressage apprenticeship at one of the premier dressage barns in Warendorf. In 2007 Karin trained for 3 months at Temple Farms in Chicago with top German instructor Jochen Hippenstiel. In addition Karin has participated in clinics with several famous Dressage horsemen, including Conrad Shumaker and Steffen Peters.

Karin's philosophy is that every horseperson, regardless of breed or discipline, can benefit from the theories of correct horse/rider partnership encompassed in dressage. Whether its athletic conditioning, centered riding, or finessing the body/hand/mouth aids, dressage can provide that synergy between horse and rider. Karin's greatest thrill is imparting to her students the thrill you experience when you obtain that perfect ride and understand how it all works together.

Karin is an independent contractor and not an employee of Painted M Ranch. For service listing, fees and lesson bookings refer to Karin's web site Karin Glynn Dressage. Karin can further be reached by phone at either of these numbers - (816) 679-3456 (cell) or (913) 262-6912 (residence).