09/17/2026
After a great lesson with a client this week, it really dawned on me how much I enjoy working with people who want to grow.
I've almost always had a younger riding friend under my wing, and I genuinely love watching their minds work. Watching them struggle, think, try again and eventually have that moment where something clicks... whether that's that day or a year from now.
I love giving them opportunities that may not happen anywhere else.
Cleaning stalls. Hooking up a trailer. Driving the truck and trailer. Learning to drive a tractor. Solving a problem without someone immediately stepping in. Doing a job when they don't feel like it. Learning that communication isn't always verbal. Learning that making a mistake doesn't mean you're a failure.
Those experiences shape us.
And I feel the same way about the adult horse owners I love working with. The ones who don't just want me to “fix” their horse.
The ones who want to understand. Who ask questions, take lessons, practice, get frustrated and come back anyway. Who are willing to rethink something they've done for years and sometimes admit, “I'm part of this problem.”
Those are the people that I will gladly go above and beyond for.
Because real change doesn't happen in one lesson. It doesn't happen because you send your horse away for 30 days. It happens when you're willing to become part of the process.
The more I learn about brain development, psychology, nervous systems, hormones, trauma, learning and behavior, the more fascinated I become in the development itself vs the outcome.
I'm less triggered and more interested in: What's happening here? Are they ready to learn?
What are they capable of processing right now?
Do they need more time, more clarity, more challenge or less pressure?
Because development isn't linear.
People aren't finished products. Horses aren't finished products. And neither am I.
I've been fortunate to have people in my life who didn't quit on me when I struggled. People who challenged me, encouraged me, held me accountable and pushed me beyond the limitations I had placed on myself.
They didn't do the work for me.
They gave me the space and guidance to do it myself. The older I get, the more I realize what a gift that was.
And maybe that's what I love most about what I do because I myself continue to evolve.
Just getting to work alongside someone who is genuinely willing to learn, not make excuses, and watching what happens when they apply themselves is an honor. Im so greatful.
What say you?
