What are the opening hours?

Saturday 10am - 8pm Sunday 10am - 8pm

http://www.willowcreekequineservices.com/

Nelson Horsemanship, Williams Lake, BC (2026)

09/12/2026

Nobody warns you that being a horse mom means you're sometimes the groom, trainer, chauffeur, barn manager, therapist, photographer, snack provider… and somehow still expected to remember where everyone's boots are. 😂

There are days when I feel like I'm doing everything.

Feeding horses.

Cleaning stalls.

Getting kids where they need to go.

Homeschooling.

Answering messages.

Training.

Trying to keep the house somewhat functional.

Trying to build a business.

And somewhere in the middle of all of that, I'm supposed to actually ENJOY my horses. 😅

But I'm learning something.

Not every moment with your horse has to be productive.

Sometimes you don't need to train.

Sometimes you don't need to accomplish anything.

Sometimes grooming your horse while your kids play nearby is enough.

Sometimes your kid climbing onto a pony for ten minutes is enough.

Sometimes you just stand in the pasture, put your hand on a warm neck, take a breath and remember why you started doing all of this in the first place.

Those moments count.

Actually…

I think those moments might be the whole point. 🤎

So here's your reminder today:

You don't have to squeeze productivity out of every second you spend with your horse.

Go enjoy them.

Be there.

Make the memory.

The arena will still be there tomorrow.

Horse moms… what is YOUR most ridiculous “job” at the barn? 😂👇

09/11/2026

And weirdly enough…

I think that's making me a better horsewoman.

Because I'm learning that horsemanship isn't about proving something.

It's not about knowing everything.

It's not about having the fanciest horse.

It's not about winning every class.

It's not about being the person everyone asks for advice.

It's about connection.

Awareness.

Patience.

Confidence.

Humility.

And learning to listen.

To the horse.

To yourself.

To that little voice that says, “This isn't working anymore. There's another way.”

I'm changing the way I work.

I'm changing the way I teach.

I'm changing the way I create.

And I'm changing what I want my life to look like.

I don't want a life where I'm constantly exhausted because I'm trying to prove I'm worthy.

I want a life filled with horses, family, adventure, purpose, and room to actually LIVE.

Maybe becoming the horsewoman you've always wanted to be isn't about adding more.

Maybe it's about finally becoming more intentional about what you choose.

That's the journey I'm on.

And I'm bringing you along for it. 🐴🤎
❤️

09/10/2026

Social media does a damn good job of making us feel like we should.

Someone is winning ribbons.

Someone bought the dream horse.

Someone is riding every single day.

Someone's kid is already showing.

Someone has the beautiful barn.

Someone has the perfect tack room.

Someone's horse is doing flying changes while you're still working on getting a decent transition.

And suddenly you're wondering…

“Am I behind?”

No.

You're living YOUR horse life.

Maybe you have toddlers.

Maybe you work full-time.

Maybe you're homeschooling.

Maybe you're rebuilding your confidence.

Maybe your horse needs a slower approach.

Maybe you're starting over.

Maybe you simply don't want your entire life to revolve around competition.

That's okay.

There is no universal timeline for becoming a horsewoman.

The only timeline that matters is the one that allows you and your horse to actually enjoy the journey.

You are not behind.

You're just on a different path.

09/09/2026

We talk about training horses all the time.

How to get them softer.

More responsive.

More balanced.

More confident.

More broke.

But sometimes I think we forget that the relationship works both ways.

Some horses teach you patience.

Some teach you courage.

Some teach you boundaries.

Some force you to slow down.

Some expose every place where you're trying too hard.

And some…

simply teach you how to enjoy being around a horse again.

That's one of the reasons I love introducing you to the horses here.

Because behind every horse is a story.

And behind every story is a lesson.

Not just about horses.

About us.

What's one thing a horse has taught YOU that had absolutely nothing to do with riding? 🐴👇

❤️

09/06/2026

Let's talk horsewomen.
Because I think we're a lot more alike than we realize.
We struggle to find time.
We question our value.
We doubt ourselves.
We wonder if we're doing enough.
We wonder if we're good enough.
We sometimes wonder why we're still doing this.
And yet...
we still love the horses.
I think so many of us carry this idea that we should be riding more.
We should be progressing faster.
We should be showing.
We should be competing.
We should be doing more.
And when we aren't, it's easy to start believing that maybe we're not really "horsewomen" enough.
I've had women tell me they don't know what they're supposed to do next.
I've seen women who don't feel good enough to go after the things they want.
I've watched people wonder if they should give up.
And I've felt some of those things myself.
I think we've created this idea that horses are an all-or-nothing sport.
That you either show, compete, have the fancy horse, ride all the time and keep progressing...
or somehow you're falling behind.
I don't believe that anymore.
Maybe you ride once a week.
Maybe you haven't ridden in months.
Maybe you never show.
Maybe you don't want to show.
Maybe your horse is 26 years old and your biggest goal is simply enjoying a trail ride together.
Maybe you're working toward a huge dream.
Maybe you're just trying to find your way back to the saddle.
You still belong here.
You don't have to prove your worth through what you accomplish with your horse.
You don't become less of a horsewoman because you can't ride as much as you'd like.
You don't become less valuable because you haven't achieved what someone else has.
We all start somewhere.
And we all deserve a place at the table.
I think sometimes what we're missing isn't more motivation or another thing to achieve.
We're missing a support system.
People who remind us that we're not behind.
People who help us figure out what comes next.
People who celebrate the little wins.
People who remind us that our journey doesn't have to look like anyone else's.
So let's actually talk about it.
What's something you've struggled with as a horsewoman that you thought you were the only one struggling with?
Because I'm willing to bet you're not the only one.
And if you needed to hear this today:
You're worth it.
You're exactly where you're meant to be.
You're valued.
And you deserve to be in the saddle—
whatever that looks like for you. 🐴❤️
❤️

09/06/2026

Let's talk horsewomen.
Because I think we're a lot more alike than we realize.
We struggle to find time.
We question our value.
We doubt ourselves.
We wonder if we're doing enough.
We wonder if we're good enough.
We sometimes wonder why we're still doing this.
And yet...
we still love the horses.
I think so many of us carry this idea that we should be riding more.
We should be progressing faster.
We should be showing.
We should be competing.
We should be doing more.
And when we aren't, it's easy to start believing that maybe we're not really "horsewomen" enough.
I've had women tell me they don't know what they're supposed to do next.
I've seen women who don't feel good enough to go after the things they want.
I've watched people wonder if they should give up.
And I've felt some of those things myself.
I think we've created this idea that horses are an all-or-nothing sport.
That you either show, compete, have the fancy horse, ride all the time and keep progressing...
or somehow you're falling behind.
I don't believe that anymore.
Maybe you ride once a week.
Maybe you haven't ridden in months.
Maybe you never show.
Maybe you don't want to show.
Maybe your horse is 26 years old and your biggest goal is simply enjoying a trail ride together.
Maybe you're working toward a huge dream.
Maybe you're just trying to find your way back to the saddle.
You still belong here.
You don't have to prove your worth through what you accomplish with your horse.
You don't become less of a horsewoman because you can't ride as much as you'd like.
You don't become less valuable because you haven't achieved what someone else has.
We all start somewhere.
And we all deserve a place at the table.
I think sometimes what we're missing isn't more motivation or another thing to achieve.
We're missing a support system.
People who remind us that we're not behind.
People who help us figure out what comes next.
People who celebrate the little wins.
People who remind us that our journey doesn't have to look like anyone else's.
So let's actually talk about it.
What's something you've struggled with as a horsewoman that you thought you were the only one struggling with?
Because I'm willing to bet you're not the only one.
And if you needed to hear this today:
You're worth it.
You're exactly where you're meant to be.
You're valued.
And you deserve to be in the saddle—
whatever that looks like for you. 🐴❤️

09/05/2026

🌾 I don't want to spend the rest of my life trading time for money.
Every year, I seem to hit the same point.
I've coached enough to make enough money, but by the time I get there, there isn't enough of me left.
I'm exhausted.
I need naps.
I don't have much desire to do anything other than make it through the day.
I don't have the energy to show up for myself.
Sometimes I don't even have the energy to show up for my kids the way I want to.
And that's when I started realizing something:
I don't want to build a successful life that requires me to destroy myself to maintain it.
Because the weird thing is…
I actually love helping people.
I love watching someone progress with their horse.
I love seeing confidence grow.
I love helping people chase something they didn't think they could do.
I just don't love what I've had to give up in order to do it.
When I coach enough to make enough, I don't have enough time or energy left to chase my own riding goals and dreams.
And I don't want that anymore.
I don't necessarily know what coaching will look like for me in the future.
Maybe it's small groups.
Maybe it's mentoring.
Maybe it's online.
Maybe it's something I haven't even thought of yet.
But I know I want to help people without giving away all of myself in the process.
That's a huge part of why I'm building Nelson Horsemanship Academy.
I don't have the whole thing figured out.
Honestly, there's a LOT I don't know.
And that scares me.
But I'm excited too.
Because when I imagine this actually working, I don't picture some glamorous business.
I picture having time.
Time for my kids to homeschool.
Time for them to ride their own ponies.
Maybe we're taking lessons instead of giving them.
Time for my own horses.
Time to chase my own riding dreams.
Time to rest.
Time to actually enjoy this life we're working so hard to build.
And hopefully, time to help other people chase their dreams too.
Because I don't want to stop helping horsewomen believe in themselves.
I just want to find a way to do it that doesn't require me to lose myself in the process.
So I'm building something.
I don't know exactly what it's going to become yet.
But I know what I want it to do:
Help people chase their dreams, believe in themselves, and find their way with horses—while allowing me to have a life too. ❤️
❤️

09/03/2026

Have you ever considered giving up horses?
The first time I seriously thought about walking away from horses was when I was pregnant.
I was exhausted. Horses were becoming harder. And I was watching the dreams I'd had for myself slowly slip away.
At the time, I felt like motherhood was taking something that belonged to me and changing it beyond repair.
And honestly?
I've thought about it many times since.
I've done large herd reductions. I've considered walking away completely.
Usually it happens when everything feels like it's falling apart.
Horses are getting hurt.
The expenses keep coming.
There's always another problem.
You're trying to take care of everybody and everything and eventually you realize you're exhausted too.
But I think I've finally started asking a different question.
Maybe I don't want to give up horses.
Maybe I want to give up the version of horse life I've created.
Because somewhere along the way, horses became my identity.
They became my livelihood.
They became something I was responsible for providing for other people.
And somewhere in all of that, I stopped simply loving horses for horses.
I stopped asking:
"What do I want my relationship with these animals to look like?"
And started asking:
"What does everybody else need from me?"
I don't know exactly what it would look like if I removed all of that pressure.
But I imagine it would be quieter.
Less stress.
More joy.
Just me and my horses.
Something that hasn't been true for a very, very long time.
And maybe that's what I'm actually trying to figure out.
Not whether I need to give up horses...
But whether I need to give up the versions of myself that have allowed horses to become a gateway for other people to consume my time, energy and identity.
Because horses have given me purpose.
They've given me life.
They've carried me through some of the darkest times in my life.
I'm not ready to pretend they don't matter to me.
But maybe loving them again means letting them belong to me, too.
And if you're in that place where you're wondering whether you need to walk away from something you love...
Maybe you don't need to make a forever decision while you're exhausted.
Maybe it's just a chapter.
I tell Colleen this all the time:
It will get better.
This is just a chapter.
And maybe the next chapter doesn't require me to give up the horses.
Maybe it just requires me to find me again. ❤️

09/02/2026

Houston is 26 now.
I've had him for many years. When I got him, he was unhandled. My dad and I started with him and did all of his training ourselves.
And let me tell you...
He was not a cookie-cutter horse. 😂
He was grumpy. Opinionated. Stubborn. Quirky.
And I was a teenager who was pretty damn stubborn myself and had something to prove to the world.
So, naturally, we were a perfect match. 😂
Houston taught me that if you really want something, and you're willing to keep showing up for it, you can accomplish things you once thought were beyond you.
But he also taught me something I didn't fully realize until now.
He taught me about myself.
He has tested my patience, my confidence, my expectations and my abilities for more years than I can count.
He taught me that horses aren't cookie-cutter.
That what works for one horse might not work for another.
That sometimes you have to trust your own judgment instead of following somebody else's formula.
And sometimes progress is anything but linear.
I'd have rides where I'd think:
"We're finally getting somewhere!"
And then five minutes later I'd be wondering why the hell I was even trying. 😂
But I kept showing up.
And eventually, we got somewhere.
Even now, at 26, Houston still has opinions.
He'll block someone new.
He'll tell you exactly what he thinks about having time off.
He'll jig on the trail.
He'll look permanently offended by the existence of other people.
But underneath all of that is a horse with an incredible amount of try.
And I think that's what I love most about him.
Because when I really think about it, I have an incredible amount of try too.
Talking through this has actually made me realize how much I've forgotten.
I've been so focused on what I haven't done with horses lately that I've forgotten what I have done.
I created this horse.
I trained him.
I made him into a champion.
I accomplished things with him that I don't even think I give myself credit for anymore.
And maybe I haven't done anything particularly productive with horses in a long time.
But that doesn't erase what I've already built.
Houston reminded me that I do have the skills.
I am capable.
I'm stubborn as hell.
And apparently a little grit goes a long way. 😂
So if I could thank that old grumpy paint horse for one thing, it would be this:
Thank you for reminding me who I was before I forgot.
You taught me to be tough.
You taught me to show up.
You taught me to put the work in.
And maybe most importantly...
you taught me that I was capable of doing hard things.
And I think I needed to remember that. ❤️

05/25/2026

Something new is coming in June.
I’m launching The Show Up Project, a monthly horsemanship and mindset challenge focused on consistency, connection, and showing up without pressure.
Each month will have a simple theme designed to support horse owners through real life and real seasons.
June’s theme is Just Get On, and it will be a free founders month.
More details coming soon.

Nelson Horsemanship

09/12/2026

09/11/2026

09/10/2026

09/09/2026

09/06/2026

09/06/2026

09/05/2026

09/03/2026

09/02/2026

05/25/2026

Address

Opening Hours

Website

Alerts

Contact The Business

Shortcuts

Share

Listing takedown request