I have been involved with horses in one facet or another for most of my life. I was born in Chicago, Illinois, and I was introduced to the world of horses at a very early age. My father bred, raised and trained Morgan horses, and I was in the saddle showing by the age of two.

A move to NC in my early pre-teen years left me horseless but more determined than ever to ride! So determined, I rode my bike 5 miles to a local horse trader’s farm where I loaded feed for an entire day to ride one horse that was barely broke to ride in most cases. As a horse-crazy high schooler, I left home and worked at a neighboring breeding farm and prepped young Quarter Horses for in showing at Quarter Horse Congress.

After college, I married a Coast Guard officer. He and I moved thirteen times in his 30-year career, alternating East Coast and West Coast tours. Although many may think this was hard, these moves provided an excellent opportunity for me to work for many types of trainers and embark on a diverse instructional career. 

As a result of this journey, I have seen first-hand the frustration that results from miscommunication between horse and rider. When I decided to become a professional trainer, I didn’t want to be just another trainer. I wanted to be the best educator I could be, so I embarked on a mission to study training methods across all disciplines and learn from other trainers’ successes and failures along the way. I wanted to see what methods worked for each trainer and what methods I could incorporate into my own system. I read countless books, watched hundreds of videos, attended numerous clinics, and apprenticed with numerous trainers from East Coast to West Coast. They were all valuable experiences, but I still had not found what I was looking for.

  Finally, while stationed in Rhode Island in 2004, I attended a clinic with Mark Russell. I learned about his training method and his acclaimed book Lessons In Lightness. I realized immediately that this training method was a perfect fit with my personal philosophy and mission of building a bond between horse and rider to create highly competitive pairs.  

I found a method to teach connection with elasticity from the ground which made accomplishing it under saddle much more accessible for the rider. This, coupled with centered riding skills, produces a more relaxed and elastic horse and rider – One of the most difficult accomplishments for any instructor to achieve. 

  I have now been teaching and training with lightness and elasticity for over 15 years and I am still excited every day to teach, train, and continue on my journey as a rider, trainer, and instructor. The Thoroughbred Makeover is an incredible opportunity for me to demonstrate this innovative training philosophy from the ground up with my awesome partner Mac And Breeze.

 Life is God’s gift to you. What you do with that life is your gift back to God. Once again, I am very thankful God chose to give me this gift to share.