

Charles Wilhelm
Charles has been working with horses for over 30 years. A lifetime pursuit of improving his won horsemanship skills has resulted in a comprehensive program of foundation training that improves the horse and rider of every discipline and experience level.
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Charles Wilhelm is internationally known as America’s most respected horse trainer. His unique approach to horse training enables horse owners to train their own horses.
Charles is the creator of Ultimate Foundation Training; equine training techniques that combine the best of traditional, classical and natural horsemanship into a methodology that is applicable to every riding discipline.
His extensive background of over thirty five years of training includes Dressage, Working Cow Horse, Reining, Western Pleasure and Trail class. He is one of the few clinicians of our time who is known for his superb skills in communicating and motivating people as well as his astounding natural abilities with the horse. He believes that “It’s Never, Ever the Horse’s Fault” and his training methods reflect that belief. Charles is one of the few trainers specializing in re-schooling horses with often-severe issues.
His relaxed, warm and amusing character has made him a great favorite at clinics and demonstrations. We receive hundreds of letters and e-mail each year commenting on how approachable Charles is for his audience, and how much practical information participants took home and were able to use with their own horses successfully – seeing results right away. His motto “Success Through Knowledge” reflects this training philosophy that the owner should learn alongside the horse.
Charles has been seen weekly on RFDTV. Charles also writes monthly columns for Riding Magazine, Ride! Magazine, Northwest Rider, U.S. Horse Market and Thoroughbred Digest. His book “Building Your Dream Horse” was published in 2005 and his new book “Starting Baby Jaz” was released August 2006. He also offers an ongoing series of educational DVDs.
He performs clinics and demonstrations at national and regional venues such as Equine Affaire, Horse World Expo, Ride the West, Equine Experience, The Mane Event, Midwest Horse Fair and Western States HorseExpo. He has also been on radio programs with Jim Campbell and Rick Lamb. He has been a featured speaker at U.C. Davis Horse Days Symposium for four years. This year he was the winner of the Trainer’s Challenge at the Mane Event.
His training facility in
Castro Valley, California is among the top equine educational
institutions in Northern California. With thirty to thirty five
horses in training on a regular basis the facility offers
extensive hands-on learning programs for every level of
horsemanship, from novice through trainer. He specializes in
working with beginning and returning women riders between the
ages of 35 and 55, his "Women's Horse Camp is a favorite of
clients. Apprenticeships and Horsemanship programs occur on a
year-round basis as well as one to three day clinics scheduled
several times a year. After over 15 years of working with
problem horses, Charles Wilhelm Training will shift focus to
performance training, including Western Pleasure, English
Pleasure, and Ranch Versatility.
Charles will still offer colt starting, and work with problem
horses on a limited basis.