About Us
The Coach
I have always been that horse girl. From as early as I can remember, I wrote about horses for school projects, drew them, read about them, and had them all over my room. My favorite toy was a set of a mare and her foal; most of the gifts I received were horse-themed. On road trips, I’d imagine horses running alongside the car, manes whipping in the wind. I’m almost 30 now, and to this day I still say “ponies!” when I see some in passing (as if I don’t see my herd every day...). I begged my parents to let me have a horse in the backyard, despite living in the city. I wasn’t always the biggest help with the dogs, but with a horse, it would be different. When I was 10, we bargained— if I put together a booklet about horses, I could take riding lessons. And so, I read every horse book in the library I could get my hands on. I wrote about colors, breeds, care, and maintenance, and drew pictures on every page to illustrate the different components. I included a list of what I wanted in my dream horse, from gender, height, speed, to his name... I was nothing if not thorough. On September 13, 2007 I had my very first riding lesson, and my parents soon learned it wasn’t “just a phase.” Thanks, mom and dad ♥️ I remember every lesson horse I had the privilege of riding; their names, personalities, and quirks. I can still picture the heart-shaped spot on Red’s rump, see the wary kindness in Rain’s eyes, and feel the warmth of King’s breath on my hand. Everything I do, I do for the love of the horse. My goal is not just to teach you how to ride, but to show you what makes them so special, why some of us are drawn to them like magnets. The magic of horses isn’t found from their backs, it’s discovered through time — learning how to read their signals, speak their language, and respect them for the powerful individuals they are. There’s one horse in particular, however, that changed my life. You’ll meet him next.
The Horse of a Lifetime
I met Max at my first lesson barn when I was 11 years old, and about a year and a half into lessons he was added to the rotation of horses my instructor assigned me to ride. I began to dread the days I saw “Max” next to my name; he was an ex-racehorse and seemed larger than life. I eventually had to move lesson barns, and it was a couple of years before I saw Max again while visiting my old instructor. She asked me to help her keep him legged up... we worked together for months and downright loathed one another. But one day seemingly out of nowhere, something clicked - we started to figure each other out, and began working as a team. Eventually, Max went up for sale. I begged my instructor at the time to go see him, just in case she might want him for her lesson program. To my absolute delight, she loved him and brought him home. I leased Max from the fall of 2012 to the spring of 2020, when I was finally able to buy him and officially call him mine. We moved to a barn much closer to home, and I went from seeing him a few times a week to every single day. Max gained the wings I always knew he had on May 6, 2022. Losing him felt like losing a piece of my soul - he shaped me into the horsewoman I am today, and I will always be so thankful for the time we had. Max was my heart-horse, we had a special bond like none other. He took care of me in ways he never did with anyone else, and I swear he could read my mind. I truly believe I am who I am in large part because of him. Despite 22 starts on the track, Millennium Prince only placed first once — but he will always be first in my heart.
