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Cairns Ranch-Equestrian Division, Box 268, Grayson, Yorkton, SK (2026)

09/02/2026

It’s been such a crazy season. I haven’t really written my thoughts down for quite sometime. After spending this past weekend at a show with a few longtime students I just had to put these thoughts into words.

One of the most rewarding things as a coach is watching a student stick with the process long enough to truly grow. ❤️

There is so much value in staying with a program, trusting your coach, and allowing the pieces to build over time.

Riding is full of moments where progress feels slow. Sometimes you’re asked to change something that doesn’t immediately make sense. Sometimes the work feels harder before it feels better. That’s where trust becomes so important.

It’s easy to jump from coach to coach, collecting different exercises, opinions and pieces of information. But sometimes, in constantly looking for the next answer, we never give one program enough time to actually work.

The riders who make the biggest transformations aren’t necessarily the ones who find the perfect exercise every week. They’re the ones who are willing to listen, learn, struggle, repeat and trust the process.

Good coaching is a relationship. It takes time for a coach to understand a horse and rider, recognize patterns, build a foundation and know when to push—and when to back off.

So to my students who have stayed, trusted, worked through the frustrating days and allowed the process to unfold: I see you. And I’m proud of you.

The results of consistency may not always be immediate, but they are often the most lasting.

Stay long enough to let the work become yours.

04/20/2026

Let Them. Let them make the mistake.

Let them pick up the wrong lead. Let them drift. Let them lose their balance or miss the distance. Not because you don’t care but because that’s how they learn.

Horses don’t learn from everything going perfectly. They learn when something doesn’t work… and then you show them a better way.

A lot of good riders turn into really good babysitters. Every stride is held together, every mistake prevented before it happens. It looks nice. It feels smooth. But underneath it? The horse isn’t actually taking responsibility.

When a horse has been “helicopter ridden” their whole life, they never learn to carry themselves or fix their own problems. And when they end up with a rider who isn’t holding them together every second, they fall apart. Not because they’re bad but because they were never truly taught. They were just managed.

Part of real training is letting the horse be responsible for their own choices. Give them the chance to try, even if they get it wrong. Then correct it in a way they understand. That’s how they start to think and take ownership.

And the best trainers aren’t avoiding mistakes—they’re just really good at breaking things down. They take big, complicated movements and turn them into small, simple steps. Then they build it slowly, one piece at a time, ride by ride, until the horse understands.

Let them make the mistake so you can show them the answer.

Let them feel it, so the correction makes sense.

Let them get it wrong so they can learn to get it right. That’s real training.

Because a truly trained horse doesn’t need to be held together every stride. They know, because they’ve been trained, what to do.

03/26/2026

My best horse — my horse of a lifetime — doesn’t have papers.
He’s a little wiry, definitely falls into the plain category, and he was never the kind that would turn heads in the sales ring. He’ll be with me for life, and I’m thankful every day that I have the means to make sure of that.

He’s also a reminder that some of the most talented horse trainers out there aren’t the ones who only end up with the perfectly bred, perfectly built, perfectly colored, six-figure prospect.
They’re the ones who take the one-off horses… the overlooked ones… the “too small,” the “too plain,” the “wrong color,” the ones with quirks, limitations, or a story behind them. Not the broncs and outlaws everyone expects to need fixing — but the outcasts, the ones who simply never fit what the world thought they should be.

The horses that don’t fit the mold.
The horses people aren’t sure what to do with.
The ones that come with a disclaimer instead of a highlight reel.

Great trainers see something anyway.
They don’t try to force the horse into what everyone else thinks it should be — they meet the horse where it’s at, and build from there.
They adjust, they listen, they work with what they have instead of wishing for something different.

Those horses are a lot like people.
Not everyone fits society’s idea of the perfect prospect.
Not everyone starts with the right build, the right background, or the right opportunities.
Some just need time, patience, and someone willing to believe in them as individuals.

So here’s a big kudos to the trainers who are truly gifted at developing the ones that don’t fit the picture —
the misfits, the late bloomers, the rehabs, the plain ones, the complicated ones, the ones nobody lined up to buy.

You’re not just training horses.
You’re changing their whole story.
And that kind of talent can’t be measured on paper.

02/19/2026

Bloom where you are planted. 🌱🐴

In the equestrian world, it’s easy to build a list of reasons why we’re stuck. The weather is terrible. The footing isn’t ideal. Lessons are expensive. I need a better job. My horse isn’t fancy enough. I’m too tired. I started too late. The list can go on forever if we let it.

But here’s the truth: every rider you admire has faced limitations. Not everyone has the perfect indoor arena, the imported warmblood, or unlimited time and money. What sets some apart isn’t perfect circumstances — it’s perspective.

I learned a long time ago that happiness in this sport is a choice. Progress is a choice. Gratitude is a choice. When you decide to spread your wings right where your nest is — whether that’s a windy outdoor ring, a quirky horse, or a busy life — something shifts. Instead of focusing on what you lack, you start maximizing what you have.

That “wrong type” of horse might teach you feel, patience, and timing better than a push-button ride ever could. Limited lesson time can make you more intentional and prepared. Crummy weather can build grit. A tight budget can sharpen your creativity and horsemanship.

When you stop waiting for the perfect moment, the perfect horse, or the perfect situation, you start growing. And growth creates opportunity. Confidence builds. Connections form. Doors open. Not because everything suddenly became ideal — but because you did.

The riders who bloom where they’re planted are the ones who last. They’re resilient. They’re resourceful. They’re grounded in gratitude. And they understand that joy in this sport doesn’t come from having it all — it comes from making the most of what’s already in your hands.

Your arena, your horse, your season of life — it’s enough to begin. Spread your wings there. 🌸

02/12/2026

As a rider and coach ages, you can’t help but think about the next generation. It’s taken me a few months to ponder this and get it out in written form.

Back at the end of November, I hosted our rider’s Christmas party. About 25 of my riders gathered around the table — laughter, stories, barn memories, and (of course) plenty of horse talk. 🐴✨

As I sat there that evening, something really struck me.

Five of us at that table — myself included — are coaching riders of our own.

Five.

It was one of those quiet, powerful moments where you realize succession doesn’t always come from a formal plan written on paper. Sometimes it grows naturally from supporting people well, from encouraging their goals, from mentoring beyond just riding skills, and from creating space for leadership to develop.

What makes it even more meaningful is that every one of those coaches still takes regular lessons with me. They are committed to continuing their own education while pouring into others. That’s the culture I’ve always hoped to build — one where learning never stops and where we lift as we climb.

Seeing my students step into leadership while staying connected to the program felt like the greatest compliment, not just as a coach but as a horsewoman.

Succession isn’t about stepping aside; it’s about building something strong enough to carry forward.

And that night in November, I realized we’re doing exactly that.

01/06/2026

Just doing horse things………

11/29/2025

🌟It takes an iron will and a soft heart🌟

Some horse trainers and coaches who stay in this business for the long haul aren’t just tough—they’re forged from grit, passion, and an iron will to make a difference. They’re the ones who spend their nights replaying training rides in their minds, planning new approaches, and searching for the tiny adjustments that might unlock a horse’s understanding or help a rider finally “get it.”

There is no switch that turns their brain off. Caring this deeply costs something.

Because the truth is: this industry is not kind. It demands far more than it gives. It asks for early mornings, late nights, emotional energy, and physical sacrifice—and it seldom repays that effort with money. Most days, the real paycheck isn’t financial at all. It’s the quiet triumph of a horse trusting again, a once-frustrated rider smiling ear to ear, or a breakthrough that took months to earn. Those moments don’t pay the bills, but they keep devoted trainers in the saddle.

The long haulers are a different breed. They give up evenings out, weekends off, family gatherings, sick days, and holidays—because horses don’t understand calendars, and progress doesn’t pause. They learn to balance burnout with responsibility, passion with pressure. They learn to protect what’s left of their time and energy. They learn to say no—sometimes to clients, sometimes to opportunities, sometimes to the version of themselves that would give everything away.

Over time, they become both tougher and softer—tough enough to withstand the weight of the job, soft enough to still care deeply. They guard their heart because they’ve poured it into countless horses and riders who may never fully understand the sacrifice behind their success.

Here’s to those who stay. Those who hold the line through exhaustion, doubt, and the quiet moments no one sees. Those who keep showing up with sweat on their brow, patience in their pocket, and hope in their hands.

You’re the backbone of this industry—not because you make a living in it, but because you give a life to it. 🐴💛

Photo of my problem child horse. We have been together 28 years. He was a dream come true and a headache all at the same time. He was terrified of his own shadow and took years to get confident in the show atmosphere. He went on to help my son learn to ride his first changes. Today he still graces my pastures but he is slower and no longer worried about anything except whether or not I have the right flavor cookies in my pocket

Cairns Ranch-Equestrian Division

09/02/2026

04/20/2026

03/26/2026

02/19/2026

02/12/2026

01/06/2026

11/29/2025

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