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…
Lessons from Stormy
Catch Me If You Can
There are horses, and then there are characters.Stormy, from the very beginning—even at two weeks old—made it clear he was no ordinary colt. Mischievous didn’t even begin to cover it.He had a personality bigger than the pasture and a mind that never stopped working. He was just two weeks old when he figured out how…
The Other Man in Stormy’s Life
If you’ve ever seen two stallions fight over a mare, you’ve got a decent idea of what Stormy’s relationship with my husband looks like. It’s not subtle. Stormy has loved me fiercely from the beginning. I raised him from birth — his mom, his playmate, his teacher. He’s followed me like a shadow, challenged me…
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…