About Us

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 almost 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 in the next section.My training was predominantly English growing up; I learned basic dressage, and at one point was jumping 3-3'6 regularly. In more recent years, I've had the honor of working with some incredible trainers, including dressage with Maggie Broekman, a German-licensed trainer and FEI trainer/rider (Fédération Équestre Internationale, the international governing body for equestrian sports), and both English and Western with Daisy Petrey of Petrey Horsemanship LLC, who specializes in rescue horses, training problems, halter breaking and colt starting.

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.

DOM~20 years old, off-track AppendixThe definition of a gentle giant, Dom is the biggest member of our herd with a heart of gold. His favorite activities include hanging out with his bestie Jack, begging mom for treats, and going for walks with his students. Despite his age, he’s the most playful member of the herd and can often be found trying to rile his buddies up.JACK18 years old, off-track thoroughbredJack is an off-track thoroughbred with a rough past. Having come from a hoarding situation, he’s a sensitive soul with a whole lot of love. Jack naturally gravitates toward those who are hurting and loves to make people laugh with his smiles.OSCAR~20 years old, quarter horseDue to an unknown but likely tough past, Oscar struggles with joint pain and has made it clear his riding days are over - but don't discount him yet! Oscar loves nothing more than to be doted on and is the first in line for spa days and going on walks.SALTY21 years old, quarter horseHaving been a working ranch horse for most of his life and learning to jump at 18, Salty has been around the block. He now enjoys life being a pasture ornament and doing his favorite thing - toting around kids!SECRET18 years old, quarter horseSecret is the Matriarch of the herd, truly the glue holding the boys together. She is incredibly opinionated but can be won over with treats and scratches (if you're patient enough!). While she's not a part of the lesson program, she will still take all the love she can get!

BLANCHEOfficial Lesson GreeterSAMHead of House SecurityOREORat Prevention TeamBROWNIERat Prevention TeamFERGUSONRat Prevention Intern