Katherine Acuna / Roundup
Our new full-time professor of equine science has been riding horses since she was 2 years old, and began competing at age 3 and training them at 12.
Professor Patricia Ann Warner begins full-time status with the Spring 2009 semester, yet she has been teaching beginning equine training—her “absolute favorite class”—here at Pierce College for approximately 10 years.
Kathie Cole, equine management major, said Warner is “disciplined and fun.”
“Her classes are very instructive,” she said.
Now Warner would like to see more practical hands-on classes to help students transfer to college, and give them the knowledge to train themselves or be able to select the proper professionals.
“A lot of people out there send their horses away for training and have no idea what goes on,” Warner said. “So I open their eyes to what trainers do: the feeding, conditioning, cleaning, equipment, signs to look for how your horse is being treated and if being ridden and worked.”
She brings her real-world experience to give her students the edge to succeed.
“She rocks!” said Stacey Dancy, agriculture business major, who has completed her required courses but continues to take Warner’s classes because of her in-depth knowledge of the field.
Warner has won numerous championship awards and titles, including Laureado titles, which are final awards given to a multiple-winning champion horse.
One of her most memorable awards was for the Peruvian Horse Show World because the award was given to her instead of the horse, and she was invited to perform in Peru.
This win was featured with her on the front cover of California Horsetrader magazine in August 1996.
Her background in competitions and exhibitions helps add a different perspective to her lessons.
“From a competitive standpoint, I have students that want to go on compete. I also judge, so I can look at it from judging point of view. And I can also flip the coin and look at it from a competitor’s point of view. So it does help enormously,” Warner said.
She has ridden twice in the Pasadena Rose Parade with one of them being the Millennium 2000 Rose Parade that was “extra special” for her.
The parade experience is something she would like the Pierce Horse Show team or select riders to participate with Pierce’s horses sometime in the future.
Not only that, but she would also like to establish a competitive team in the horse sport in addition to Pierce’s sport teams which would give the college a broad range in the field of sports.
“She is an all around great new instructor at Pierce College. We are fortunate to have her as a part of Pierce College faculty,” said Leland S. Shapiro, director of pre-veterinary science and professor of animal sciences.
Currently, Warner is a member of the United States Equestrian Federation (– USEF). She continues to judge events and volunteers her time to benefit shows.
But her interests are not just limited to equine field.
She is also a gourmet chef, and is actively involved in competitive dog obedience training and shows.
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Pierce College new Equestrian professor Patricia Warner takes her horse on daily walk on Tuesday Feb. 25. 2009, Woodland Hills Calif. (Homer Perez/ Roundup)
