Kylie Bartel

10/04/2026

Had a great time teaching a workshop on Trauma-Informed Care for Dora Isaak equine connections! Special shoutout goes to Carrie Plantinga Equine for daring greatly and showing up in the arena to be our demo rider with Fox. 🦊 🙌🏼

09/26/2026

“The life you long for is hidden in the life you have.” - Joshua Luke Smith

Tonight, my dear friend Elisha Bradburn sent me this photo that she snapped of Shiloh and I enjoying the sunset three years ago in Red Deer, Alberta. It was our second year of presenting as clinicians at Horse Expo Canada and our first year of co-hosting The Horseman’s Hot Seat talk show. Elisha’s timing tonight was undoubtably what I would call a “God thing” because I was feeling discouraged by some of the challenges I’ve been facing in this season of building a life and a new business in a new country. But as I looked at the photo and dug through the archives to find some of the other highlights from Horse Expo Canada 2023, I was reminded of how many of the things I long for that are hidden in the life I already have. For instance, I long to do meaningful work helping people find more freedom and purpose through relationships with horses, and I get to do that more weeks than not. There were also years when I longed for friends to accept me unconditionally (even when I talked too much about horses 😅), and then I received a text tonight from my dear, horse-loving friend. There are still metaphorical mountains to climb but many of the things I once longed for are hidden right under my nose and for that, I am grateful.

So I invite you to take a moment and ask yourself, what are the things you long for and where are they hidden in the life you already have? And if you have trouble answering that question, whose perspective could you borrow for a moment that might be able to see something hidden in your blind spot? May you be surrounded by people that see you fully and remind you of all the good that was and is, and is to come.

09/13/2026

I really enjoyed being back in the arena today and learning from Kathleen Beckham of Ethos Equine! Rio is 28 years old and has some stiffness around his poll joint (where his spine connects to his skull). Before Rio came to semi-retire at Hooves & Heroes, he was a successful jumping, liberty and trail horse. The stiffness in his poll is related to Rio’s tendency to over-flex his neck, drop behind the vertical, and break at the C3 vertebra when he feels contact from the bridle. In order to help Rio, we tested to see how much he could flex his poll joint with gentle pressure from our hands. This switch from cavesson pressure to hand pressure helped Rio think about our request with more openness because he had fewer preconceived notions about our hands compared to the tack.

When I look back at the photos, I am happy to see small improvements throughout the session where Rio offers more lateral flexion through the poll in addition to raising his head more so that the poll is closer to being the highest point of his neck. At Rio’s age, we aren’t trying to undo everything he knows but we are trying to help him move with better biomechanics in order to keep him as sound as we can in his golden years. 💛

I’d like to say a special thanks to Roy Stansell for taking all of these stunning photos 📸 and to Lori & Sonia for hosting the clinic. 🫶🏼 Looking forward to Day 2 tomorrow!

09/09/2026

✨ A “Top 10” Ride ✨

Riding has been my passion for three decades now so it takes a lot for a ride to be memorable enough to crack my “top 10” list. However, this ride on the beach was without a doubt a “top 10” ride. With Misty getting older, this year has included many hours of groundwork and a dwindling number of days in the saddle. As I reflect on it now, I don’t think I let myself feel the fullness of how much I miss riding because Misty’s wellbeing is always my top priority and my focus has been keeping her as sound as possible, even if I can’t ride her much anymore.

So when I was invited by some new friends in Washington to go horse camping at the beach, I was eager to go. Was it easy to get away? No. But was it worth it to make the trip anyways? Absolutely. Life for me lately has felt full and fast, and that can be a beautiful thing. But sometimes we need to say no to good things in order to say yes to better things, and I didn’t realize how much I needed some dedicated time in the saddle until I felt the familiar ache of riding creep back into my muscles.

So as I flip through photos of the trip and smile, I can’t help but feel grateful. I’m grateful that this beautiful bay gelding named Rio decided to come out of retirement and be a true gentleman for me as we covered miles of the beach. I felt like Rio and I had a quiet understanding that he had other riders he bonded deeply with in the past and my heart belonged to another horse, but we could enjoy this special impromptu adventure together. I’m grateful to the ladies that invited me on the trip, especially Sonia for sharing Rio with me and Christina for reminding us how much we all needed the time away to unwind and be in nature with the horses. And last and most important of all, I’m grateful that God made horses and beautiful beaches to ride on. In grad school, one of my favourite professors taught us to make an intentional practice out of appreciating things that are beautiful because our brains can get a bit hyper-focused on the challenges of life in an attempt to keep us alive and safe. So this is my photo journal entry of something beautiful. Definitely a top 10 ride. ✨

09/09/2026

Your ticket isn't just a ticket to dinner.

It's a seat at a table where community meets purpose.

Your support helps make it possible for Hooves & Heroes to offer equine-based experiences without charging Veterans, First Responders or their families to participate.

At our September 19th fundraiser, you'll enjoy:

🍽️ Dinner
🎁 Silent Auction
🔨 Live Auction
❤️ Participant stories
🐴 A closer look at our mission
🤝 Community and connection
✨ An evening dedicated to gratitude and hope

And according to our event commitment, 100% of the funds raised during the event go directly back into the Hooves & Heroes program.

So come hungry.

Come curious.

Come ready to celebrate.

And leave knowing you helped someone else get through the gate.

🎟️ September 19 • 6 PM • Stanwood, WA

Get your tickets here: https://hoovesandheroes.org/fundraiser-dinner

08/24/2026

Exploring Pilchuck Tree Farm on horseback with Sonia, Christina, and Laura! Sometimes I feel out of place as a Canadian in the states but when we go out in the forest, I take comfort in seeing the same trees, ferns, moss, and mushrooms that I see on my trails at home. Feeling very grateful for good horses and good company.

Sonia Jorgensen Hooves & Heroes Spirit2Spirit Christina Guajardo Fauna Friend Connection, Healing & Integration Laura Rice

💖🐴🌲🍄‍🟫🍁⛰️

06/19/2026

Day 1 of the Buck Brannaman clinic in Spanaway, WA is off to a great start! One point that already stands out is the importance of balance. Balance is your horse’s lifeline; if they stumble or fall in the wild, it can result in their imminent demise. You lose credibility in the horse’s eyes quickly if you are not aware of their balance or if you ask them to do a movement that is incompatible with their footfall. Learning the proper way to set up a horse’s balance not only makes the horse more athletic and available; it makes you someone worth listening to from the horse’s perspective.

Buck will be teaching in Spanaway, WA at the Tacoma Unit Horseman’s arena from June 19-22, 2026. There’s plenty of room for auditors on the grandstands in the indoor arena ($30 / day).

05/12/2026

04/27/2026