10/19/2026
I’ve been sharing a few things about my confidence journey this summer. The clinic I held a few weeks back was really the icing on my cake.
In this video, you can hear the nerves in my voice. The incredible clinician is talking me through each step and keeping me on task. To be honest, I had a PTSD moment. A memory from my childhood came back and as much as I tried to push it down, breathe it out, it was turning into a panic attack.
In 2014, I was riding Stitches full brother Wisdom. Wisdom was my first ever horse I started under saddle myself. He was strong, sweet, had his Dams opinions, but he taught me a lot. We had mainly done reining work, cowboy challenge, low level jumping and some cattle sorting. The accident occurred at a cattle sorting competition, I had pulled on him one to many times and he reared. Now, I was 15 at the time and had never had a horse rear. Nor had I seen one rear either. So I made the mistake of pulling on him. He flipped over and landed square on my body. Knocking me out momentarily. I left the accident with a small bruise on my bellybutton and likely a concussion. But we were okay, and I got back on before being taken home(as per mom and dad’s orders).
It’s been years since that fear has resurfaced. I thought I’d finally moved past that one. But, Stitch and I had a moment at the ditch. He hopped on his front end and my body remembered. And she was going to make me relive it.
I could’ve let my body win and panic. Not finish the lesson. Let myself be disappointed from the new set back. Instead, I rode anyways. I repeated the new course given to me. I rode the best I could while I was shaking. I listened to the coach. And I finished with a big let go of the shock and old trauma.
Was this video pretty? Absolutely not. Did I ride the best I could’ve? No. But I did it anyways. I kicked him on when my body said to stop and get off. I went to the big log even though I was crying. I repeated what the coach said to me as I knew it would keep me breathing. Stitch was a SAINT as I rode through this moment. I am proud of myself, for this season of riding. For the growth, for the new friends, and for the new journey I’m o
