The Bitterroot Selway Wilderness strips life down to what really matters. Last week, I rode two long trips up Mill Creek Canyon—twelve-hour days, thirteen miles each way. We carried a crew and their supplies to Mill Lake Dam, then returned a few days later to bring them back out. Stormy, steady as ever, carried me…
Healing in Progress
Chasing Rainbows, Finding Balance
✨ Note to Readers: It’s been a few weeks since my last post. Life has a way of stirring up chaos at the end of a cycle, clearing space for the new one to begin. Thank you for giving me the grace to pause, process, and return with fresh perspective.* ✨ Equine Core Relaxation: Diving…
Liberty: The Little Mare That Could
She came into my life like wildfire—fiery, fierce, and full of try. Liberty was a weanling filly when my dad gave her to me as a birthday gift. She was 14 hands of fire, grit, and grace. Small in stature, but she packed a presence that couldn’t be ignored. Dad had a knack for choosing…
The Winding Way
The road ahead isn’t straight—and that’s the point. I used to think I had to choose. Be a trainer or not. Be a competitor or a caregiver. Be all in or step away entirely. But horses—and the road—keep teaching me otherwise. These days, I’m not just chasing one dream. I’m braiding together pieces of a…
Trusting the Process
I used to ask why bad things kept happening in my life— What had I done to deserve the pain? But over time, I’ve come to see that those hard chapters weren’t punishment. They were preparation. They led me here. Like my horses, I’m learning to live more fully in the moment— to soak in…
The Cowboy In Us All
I’ve put off writing this, not because the words weren’t there, but because some things feel too big to fit into sentences. How do you sum up a life that shaped yours? How do you explain the kind of love that still echoes in the quiet moments? My dad was loved by many—truly loved. You…
A Clinic Rooted in Curiosity and Care
Tanya’s first clinic gathered thirteen of us—each a devoted horse owner, not looking to become professionals, but simply wanting to do better by our horses. We worked in pairs, two people to one horse, which gave us the gift of time—time to observe, to feel, to move with intention. Some horses were athletes, some seasoned…
One Small Choice
In April of 2012, I made a small, spontaneous choice that would change the course of my life. It was a beautiful spring day in Montana, the sun was warm, the horses were shedding winter coats, and I was out in the pasture brushing them. Stormy stood by a large boulder, head low, grazing. I…
The Spring That Changed Everything
I’m not a trainer. I’m not a clinician. I’m not anyone you’d know from a magazine or clinic poster. I’m just a woman with a horse named Stormy—and a heart that’s been shaped by hoofbeats, heartbreak, and a handful of small miracles. Stormy has never been easy. He’s clever, stubborn, and often downright difficult. At…