Second Chance Ranch, South Fork, CO (2026)

09/27/2026

I 💛 our backyard and my giant mutt-horse. 🍂🌞

09/22/2026

This stunning, perfect boy lost his home today through no fault of his own—and yes, I fell in love with him immediately. ❤️🐾

Meet Apache.

His person is elderly and recently moved into a nursing home, so his entire world changed overnight. He was being surrendered just as I arrived for a tour of Conour Animal Shelter, and I could tell instantly that he was a lover.

I sat right down with him in his kennel while he licked my face and buried his head in my armpit. I gave him a Beggin’ Strip and promised I’d take him for a hike the next time I visit.

I’m incredibly honored to be joining the Board of Conour Animal Shelter so I will be visiting often. My role will include squeezing in as many volunteer hours as humanly possible, supporting the amazing staff, and making sure these beautiful dogs receive some much-deserved love.

I’ve followed this nonprofit for a while and have been deeply impressed by its work. Like many rural communities, the San Luis Valley faces poverty, limited access to mental-health care, and substance abuse. When people are struggling and resources are scarce, nonhuman animals suffer too. Organizations like Conour provide an essential safety net, and I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunity to help.

Second Chance Ranch has taught me so much about the equine side of rescue. Now I get to step into the canine side—and I have a feeling this will be a whole new adventure.

As for Apache: I am NOT allowed to acquire a fifth dog unless I also want a divorce. 😆 Mostly kidding. I love my husband very much, and he has been extraordinarily patient with my habit of collecting furry people with paws and hooves.

So, I’m hoping one of my friends will adopt Apache and grant me lifelong visiting rights. You’ll save a perfect dog and save Will from being driven completely insane. Two-for-one good deal. Good karma. Gold star. ⭐️

If Apache might be your boy, please shoot me a message or contact Conour directly to schedule a meet & greet—or share this post so he can find his person.

And if you thought the horse spam was obnoxious… you may want to unfollow now. The dog spam is about to be equally intense. 😬🤷🏼‍♀️

09/16/2026

Oh, hello.

How does one unload and organize 4,000 lbs. of hay without a tractor, you ask?

Don’t worry. I got you.

My method has been perfected over many years using the complex laws of physics, blind optimism, and the indomitable spirit of the dung beetle.

Now, “perfected” may be a generous word. My neighbors have witnessed some truly unholy sh*t while I’ve attempted to unload these massive bricks of gold—which, in this economy, they may as well be.

But like the almighty dung beetle, when the sh*t starts rolling downhill…we let it roll. Then we retrieve it, reconsider every decision that led us to this moment, and try again.

Follow me for more tips on how to live like a queen on the income—and equipment budget—of a scrub. 😂🤩🙌

09/05/2026

Conflict is not the opposite of compassion. Sometimes, compassion is what allows us to move through conflict without turning it into contention.

Reality: Conflict is part of life. Learning to meet it with honesty, healthy boundaries, and curiosity is a skill.

Culture: Conflict is uncomfortable—and discomfort is increasingly treated as proof that something, or someone, should be cut off.

The first photo is a throwback from three or four years ago—time is a blur—to a very special PRE stallion I was lucky enough to spend a summer with. He was recovering from kissing spine surgery, and his wonderful owner, who has since become a dear friend, wanted to give him a second chance at a riding career.

This horse moved through the world with plenty of conflict of his own. He feared very little, and he knew his size and strength could bulldoze through most perceived threats. Working with him required a delicate balance: setting clear, healthy boundaries while helping him discover better ways to communicate.

He was an absolute god of a horse, and I was honored to spend that time with him.

Fast-forward to today: he is owned and deeply loved by a professional who specializes in PRE stallions. He is dancing with joy—the picture of physical strength, expression, and grace.

But what if his owner had “canceled” him? What if his physical weakness and behavioral challenges had been too uncomfortable to work through? What if his conflict had been met with opposition or avoidance instead of compassion, boundaries, and time?

Life is a struggle for all of us. None of us gets it right all the time.

One thing I’ve learned at 35 is that discomfort alone is not always a reason to discard a relationship. Sometimes, real strength means looking conflict in the eye and approaching it with compassion and discernment.

That doesn’t mean tolerating harm, abandoning boundaries, or staying where there is no accountability. It means recognizing that both human and horse relationships can become stronger when we are willing to navigate conflict honestly, respectfully, and compassionately.

I’m deeply grateful for the people—and horses—in my life who have been willing to go there with me. ❤️

09/03/2026

It does my heart a WORLD of good to see Roux starting to move like this. 😻

We’ve been dissecting his body—figuratively, not literally 😅—trying to understand where his pain was coming from and what he needs to feel good again.

This process has reaffirmed everything I believe about horses: discipline, consistency, time, and the absolute fallacy that every horse can—or should—be “turned around” in 60–90 days.

Whether the issue is physical, behavioral, or some tangled combination of the two, you have to evaluate the individual standing in front of you. Sometimes progress comes relatively quickly. Sometimes the only honest answer is patience.

There is no one-size-fits-all timeline for horses. Or humans—but humans are another issue for another day. 🤪 Anyway, back to Roux.

He spent three years on the track, and realistically, we may be looking at another one to two years before his body is truly healthy and comfortable. That doesn’t make these small changes less meaningful. It makes them mean everything.

Show up every goddamn day for the thing you love. Do the quiet, repetitive, unglamorous work. Eventually, progress starts showing itself.

Aristotle has always been one of my peeps, and this summary of his philosophy in Nicomachean Ethics (*highly* recommend as an easily digestible philosophy read with most of the answers) says it perfectly:

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act, but a habit.”

We’re on our way, Rougarou. 👏 Slow and steady wins the race. ❤️

Huge shoutout to Creede Animal Clinic/Dr. Adam for helping me manage Roux’s rehab, and to Kyle Likes for your exceptional farrier care. Truly a cut above. I wouldn’t be able to help this horse without this village.

Address

South Fork, CO

Telephone

+16318975318

Website

http://www.secondchanceranch.co/

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