It’s late on a Friday night and hunter/jumper trainer Leigh Berman is doing her last rounds for the day at her Two Bit Farm in Boyerstown, Pennsylvania. As she checks each of her equine charges to ensure they’re safely bedded down, she lingers to dish out extra treats and kind words and sometimes even stops to cuddle one of the sleeping horses.

This individualized attention to detail is also evident in Berman’s work with her students. For the past 25 years, the trainer has been supporting her riders for the long run, encouraging them to focus on their journeys with horses as a whole—the ups, downs and in-betweens.

“More than anything Leigh has taught me that understanding how to speak to your horse in his language is key for a successful partnership,” noted student Alana Conrad, who’s been riding with Berman for the past five years. “She also gives riders who might not have the budget or chance to be around horses or experience showing the opportunity to succeed in whatever direction they want.”

Actions like these and Berman’s far-reaching fidelity to the sport led to her being named the 2024 Practical Horseman Trainer of the Year, with prizes provided by Cosequin^®. When the award was announced in late October, the Two Bit Farm family threw a surprise party for the honoree to share and celebrate the good news. “I was speechless and truly had no idea,” Berman said. “To see all my students together was overwhelming. I am so honored by it.”

In submitting Berman for the Practical Horseman Trainer of the Year honor, her students noted her devotion to helping them achieve their goals and enhance the relationships they share with their horses. Laurie Beson takes lessons with Berman three times a week and said she has an innate ability to understand horses. 

“Leigh’s love of horses is very heartwarming. She is always there for her riders, but the time and care she gives to the horses isn’t always seen,” Beson said. “When we’re working or enjoying vacations and holidays, she’s there making sure our horses are happy and healthy.”

Berman explains that she simply enjoys being around horses. “They’re my friends and they give me a great sense of confidence and calmness at the same time,” she said. “I love spending time in the barn just playing with them.”

A Trainer for All

With training so highly specialized in equestrian sports, Berman is a rare breed of trainer who opens her program to riders with a wide range of goals. Surrounded by the Blue Mountains of the Appalachian Mountain chain in Pennsylvania’s Americana Region, Two Bit Farm welcomes beginners, intermediate and advanced riders, as well as weekend pleasure riders.

Berman started her career as an amateur and won numerous awards aboard her off-the-track Thoroughbred Catch 22, who she found at the New Holland Horse Auction. As a professional, she spent years showing and training at top-ranked competitions in both hunters and jumpers and was featured on the cover of Practical Horseman in 1995 for an article about her and Catch 22.

Even as a horse-crazy kid, Berman had ambitions of training out of her own boarding facility, and as her dreams came to fruition in 1999, the horsewoman endeavored to create a fun-loving, laid-back atmosphere where students of all levels and ages can pursue their riding aspirations—no matter how small or big.

Helping riders develop genuine partnerships with their horses—in the saddle and on the ground—is at the core of her program. To this end, she stresses the importance of teaching her students how to understand what their mounts are saying without the convenience of conversation.

“Riding and working with these animals is about having a conversation with your horse. It’s not a command or a demand. It’s about developing a partnership,” Berman said. “Riding is the only team sport where one of the members can’t communicate verbally, so you have to learn how to read your horse’s body language and his emotions to understand what he’s telling you.”

After being out of the saddle for almost 20 years, physician Michele Brown discovered Two Bit Farm when a friend and her horse-obsessed daughter goaded the former hunter/jumper rider into taking a lesson with them. While she initially thought this would be a one-time endeavor, Brown quickly reconnected with her passion for horses and started taking regular lessons under the instruction of one of Berman’s assistant trainers. One afternoon, however, she learned the head trainer would be filling in.

“I’m not going to lie. I was terrified and almost canceled my lesson that day,” Brown laughed. “I’d seen Leigh’s students and their horses—they were all accomplished riders who jumped the ‘big’ fences. I didn’t think I would fit in and assumed she wouldn’t want to waste her time teaching a low-level beginner like me.”

In hindsight, Brown said she couldn’t have been more wrong and after a few more lessons with Berman, she was making swift progress. “She immediately made me feel like I belonged and treated me no differently than she did her other riders,” she said.

Brown went on to import several young horses from Europe with Berman’s help and said the horsewoman truly has a gift for training young horses to be amateur-friendly so they can be safely enjoyed by their future owners. 

“Leigh never rushes a horse—or rider—beyond what they’re ready to handle. She recognizes that we’re all individuals and progress at our own pace, and she tailors her training accordingly,” Brown noted. “She believes putting in the time to instill the basics pays off in huge dividends down the road. With Leigh, the free horse gets the same quality care and attention as the more-expensive horse, and beginner adult riders are treated the same as those who aim to compete at the highest level.”

Connecting With Her Students

Following a 10-year hiatus from the sport, Beson also rediscovered her passion for riding after joining the Two Bit Farm family almost three years ago. She said Berman has played a vital role in helping her develop confidence in and out of the arena. “Leigh constantly encourages me to push myself and reminds me how capable I am,” she said. “She not only inspires her riders, but she also encourages us to be our best selves.”

Berman teaches her students early on that perfection doesn’t exist in riding. Instead, she encourages her students to work toward small goals, one at a time.

“As long as students continue to try and grow, I will always stand by their sides and work to help them reach those accomplishments for as long as it takes,” she said. “I’m a big fan of positive reinforcement. I don’t yell or push my students in a way that would make them feel demeaned. I want them to be confident walking into the ring and I try to give them the correct tools and practice to get there.”

Conrad brought her 3-year-old Warmblood “Squishy” to Two Bit Farm after hitting a training wall with the gelding. “From the first time I met Leigh, she was kind and compassionate toward me and my horse, despite his large attitude,” Conrad laughed. “She is gentle and supportive while also being clear in her teaching style. And Leigh never fails to make me laugh, even when I’m incredibly frustrated with myself.”

Her mother, Brenda Conrad, has enjoyed watching her daughter and Squishy grow under Berman’s tutelage and said the trainer strives to provide forthright and meaningful instruction and insight based on the personal goals her students set for themselves.

“At her core, Leigh is genuine and that resonates with her students and colleagues,” she noted. “When we first started looking for the right trainer, Leigh’s name came up as a first choice many times. That alone spoke volumes. But when we met her, we knew she could guide us through this journey.”

Dawn Murphy, who’s been riding for almost five decades and has been at Two Bit Farm for the past 15 years, said that under Berman’s guidance, her riding, horsemanship skills and confidence have excelled.

“I had always considered myself a decent equestrian, but Leigh taught me how to be an outstanding horsewoman,” Murphy said. “She guides us through our lessons with kindness and understanding and never makes us feel foolish or incompetent for mistakes.”

After her previous horse passed away, Berman encouraged Murphy to try an off-the-track Thoroughbred she’d found who was little rough around the edges. “She thought he might be something special and ‘Duey’ has turned out to be one of the finest horses I’ve ever owned,” she said. “I owe all my success with horses to Leigh. She not only taught me the finer points of riding and horsemanship, but she’s become a dear friend. She’s had a huge impact on my life, and I’m truly a better person because of her.”

Fostering Barn Camaraderie

For Berman, Two Bit Farm’s essence extends beyond the training ring. She considers every barn member—boarders and weekend warriors alike—part of the barn family. “We are a family—and families are all-encompassing from spending holidays together to the ups and downs of life,” she said. “We ride together, but we also take care of one another and celebrate together.”

Last year, Berman hosted the farm’s inaugural Bring Your Own Pumpkin party that included a pumpkin-carving contest and Friendsgiving feast to give her students the opportunity to spend time together outside their lessons. 

“Leigh creates these special moments for her riders, but she also has fun herself so we all can embrace the experience,” Beson said. “She always fosters an environment that’s fun and respectful—and in turn—her riders strive to do their best. Whether you’ve been at the for barn for a couple weeks or 20 years, we all support one another and refer to the barn as our ‘TBF family.’”

Sharing With Her Community

Berman also recognizes how much horses and the sport have to offer to all and pays that forward by supporting her local riding community and the Boyertown area in general. She hosts biannual derbies to provide high-level competition experiences for riders who might not be able to afford or have the time to travel to rated shows. 

“It’s important to make showing more open to riders of all levels, so they can experience what it’s like and further develop that partnership with their horses,” she said. “These derbies also help build up my students’ confidence and often leads to them to go on and compete at bigger shows.” 

Never one to eschew hard work on behalf of her students, Berman even builds creative—and sometimes tricky—jumps for her derbies and designs courses similar to those at higher-level shows. “Leigh puts 150-percent into everything she does,” Beson said. “Her courses are so artistic and fun that it really makes you feel like you’re at a rated show.”

Berman also partnered with a local gym to introduce middle-school students to a few of her mounts to offer pony rides and to teach them about physical wellness and the partnerships people can share with horses.

“We take it for granted, but outside our industry a lot of people never have the chance to meet or touch a horse,” Berman said. “It’s important to introduce kids and adults who don’t have that opportunity to all that these amazing animals can teach us. It was so fun to see the smiles on the kids’ faces when they were interacting with the horses. I think it was a great experience for them and some even came out to the farm to visit the horses again.”

Hidden Heroes of Our Sport

The Practical Horseman Trainer of the Year Program, with prizes provided by Cosequin^®, is designed to honor the unsung heroes of our sport—trainers who work tirelessly to improve the education of both their riders and horses. Entrants were nominated for the contest by individuals in the horse community. Out of all the trainers nominated, 10 finalists were selected, with Berman earning the 2024 Trainer of the Year title.

Whether she’s hosting a barn-family Friendsgiving dinner, coaching students at the top of the sport, offering tips to a weekend rider, introducing her local community to horses or shoveling manure at the end of a long day, Berman’s students unequivocally believe the lifelong horsewoman was more than deserving of the award.

“I love the all-encompassing journey of watching my students and their horses come together as partners to grow and excel in whatever they want to achieve,” Berman said. “I’m never happier than when my students come out of the ring feeling like they’ve accomplished something. I couldn’t care less about the ribbons, as long as my students and their horses are happy. That’s what makes me feel whole at the end of the day.”

2024 PH Trainer of the Year: Top 10

Here are the Top 10 Trainers from our 2024 Practical Horseman Trainer of the Year program, listed in alphabetical order:

• Leigh Berman
• Andrea (Andi) Bill
• Tammy Chipko
• Jackie Ericksen
• Lauren Griffin
• Emma Hainze
• Nancy Ligon 
• Andrea Pfeiffer
• Kirsten Priebe
• Monica Whitmer

For More:

• To listen to our recent Practical Horseman Podcast with Leigh Berman, click here.
• To read about former winners of the Practical Horseman Trainer of the Year, click here.

Be on the lookout for our announcement about submissions for the 2025 PH Trainer of the Year later in the year.