2018’S
Putting all of the pieces together!
Here is Tahoe ponying Maui.
We did a lot together!
We love our trail rides and finding places that we can get into!
I believe that alot of training can come from a great trail ride, and when you can ride is stunning places! It is absolutely worth it!
I am always about getting horses into safe water, it helps their confidence, it builds onto them that scary things are not too scary, and it’s so much fun!
it’s amazing looking back and seeing how much work I have put into these beasties!
My long days, long rides, and wet saddle blankets have taught me so much. I have learned how to do it right, and to get the results I need with the knowledge I had then.
I was an apprentice to my parents, I am blessed with that. They know so much and I am forever grateful for their guidance. However, in the end, I needed my butt in the saddle to figure things out! To become the rider I am today, to have the horses that I have to help me step up my game, and now to put back to them where I felt I may have failed.
If you follow my other channels, I recently raced Tahoe for the first time in three years. My mama has been riding her , and Tahoe’s main job is to take care of my mama. Mama wants to race and I said well, I better make sure this mare still knows the game. I got to throw my leg over the mare that started it all. My parents literally gave me a Ferrari and sad learn to go after your dreams and to learn while doing it. I am blessed that Tahoe loves me so much, that we were both beginners, but I had a horse that would do anything I would ask her too.
I am thankful that the cowgirl I have grown into, I can still have the opportunity to throw my leg and use my knowledge on the one that started it all for me. The one who made me into the horsewoman that I am today. I get to literally let her know, look at what I have learned now! And let me tell you the result was more than expected.
There were days I would feel terrible I was not enough for her, but that never made me give up, it made me want to be better for her. It never told me that she was beyond me, it told me, time to hit the books. She was all that I had before reaching the paints. I wasn’t going to let that opportunity go, she is family after all. Tahoe is sport of the over 50 years of breeding from my family. They believed this is where I should start and I did it.
Now I have Tahoe’s sun, Red Thunder. I get to start all over again, and what a blessing it is. I can see his mother and father within him, but I also see him. I see the horse that was the perfect combination, the best of both of my horses into one. I get to put my hands on him and throw my leg over my legacy, my family’s legacy, and the horse I am ready for.
Never give up on what you love the most, believe me, you will never regret it!
Maui has come along way from the unknown. We don’t know what would become of her, we really didn’t know her breeding and she was so big! I am glad I had her tag along with so many rides with Tahoe and I! I believe that in doing that she became exactly who she needed to be, and became what no one else expected. Well I did. I knew she was fast and smart by all the time on the trails with. I knew her potential by the time spent with her. Also, she had to keep up with Tahoe 😆. Maui has grown into the mare that I needed, she gave me the confidence that I could become a great horsewoman like the ones in my family before me. To this day she is my main and reliable. She has also become the horse that if I wanted to do it, she is the one I pull out of the trailer.
As I train my new foals now, and Doja. Many things I have learned is being put into them as was put into me to create an all around horse. From 2011-2019 that was my education period. 2019 was the start to my competition era. It wasn’t just training horses, it was training myself, making myself better for them. Even attending school to become a large animal vet tech to be a better horsewoman for my horses and my goals. To be the leader they needed to succeed in the goals we were going after.
I was under the guidance and care of my parents, with a horse that wouldn’t give up on me.
Today, I look back and see what it taught me that to be the horsewoman today, and I wouldn’t change a thing. I know how to use the tricks to make training easier, I know the skills to make a good horse faster, I learned that patience creates the greatest horses. Life changing horses, that will forever run in my heart.
Trail riding has always been more than just a pastime for me; it’s a vital part of horse training that builds trust and confidence for both rider and horse. Taking horses through safe waters, like I do with Tahoe and Maui, is a fantastic way to desensitize them and develop their bravery. Those experiences create a foundation that makes training challenging skills easier later on. One thing I’ve found throughout my journey is that consistent time in the saddle matters immensely. It’s not only about the number of rides but the quality and variety of experiences. Exploring diverse trails and facing different environments has taught my horses adaptability and boosted their mental toughness. Reflecting on my family’s 50-year breeding legacy, I feel honored to ride and train horses like Tahoe, who was given to me as a beginner. That trust and partnership were crucial as I progressed, pushing me to deepen my own knowledge and skills—sometimes through formal education like going back to school for vet tech training, which truly enhanced my ability to care for and understand my horses. Maui, initially an unknown in lineage but showing incredible intelligence and speed, proved how much a horse’s potential can blossom with the right environment and rider perseverance. Her growth alongside Tahoe gave me the confidence to believe in myself as a horsewoman. Currently training new foals, I integrate everything learned over almost a decade—patience, trust-building, varied training methods—into a comprehensive approach. It’s rewarding to see these young horses develop into well-rounded partners, ready for any challenge. My experience underscores that being a great horsewoman is a continual journey of learning and resilience. Embracing every trail ride, training session, and moment in the saddle shapes not just the horses, but myself along the way. It’s about honoring the past, cherishing the present, and believing in what lies ahead. Never give up on what you love the most, because those moments reach far beyond the trail.