The horse and I have always been intertwined. My earliest horse memory
(when I was three or four) is sitting on a workhorse, straddling his
wide back and holding onto the hames while my dad drove the team to the
field. I would spend hours brushing them in the barn. The flame that
was the passion was ignited.
I moved west going wherever horses drew me. Racehorses, rodeo, trail
riding, cross-country eventing, English or western - each new sport was
exciting. Soon I would be beckoned to a new one - optimistic that this
new sport would challenge me as well as honor the horse. I was looking
for the horse to be respected more - loved more - understood more.
I took care of horses and managed barns, but the quest continued. Gradually
I started teaching. I wanted children and later, adults, to understand
horses, not for what they could do for them, but what they needed to
do for the horse. I believe that how you ride (equitation) is so important
to help the horse balance and feel comfortable.
Many of my young students wanted to compete in the Show Ring. This path
has taught me much. Keeping the show world in perspective - so that the
horse and the relationship are more important than the ribbons - is a
real challenge. The gift it’s given me is helping people learn to ride
from their soul and not from their ego.
After 35 or more years in the horse industry, I am so excited to have
written my book, Is Your Horse a Rock Star? Understanding
Your Horse’s Personality, and to be doing workshops where we don’t just train, we
explore the true meaning of the relationship while learning to have fun
with horses, always aware of how they are feeling, what they are thinking
and even why particular horses are in our lives.
