Iโm a mom and cowgirl with over 16 years of horse experience. ๐ด Hereโs where I share tips, laughs, and real talk on wrangling horses and raising boys โ the messy, magical, horse-loving way! โญ Interested in coaching or collabs?
12/16/2025
9 more days until Christmas!
I cannot believe this year is over in a couple of weeks. Im very grateful ๐
Are you done Christmas shopping? I've got a couple more people on my list as always lol.
Every year im like im not going to be last minute and I am lol ๐ ๐
11/11/2025
15 Fascinating Facts About Horsesโ Emotional Memory and Empathy
Horses hold one of the most powerful long-term memories among domestic animals โ recalling people, voices, and events for decades.
They read human intent through facial expressions, distinguishing friend from threat long before a hand is raised.
A single act of kindness can echo for years โ a horse may seek out the same person even after a long separation.
Trauma carves deep grooves โ a horse may forever avoid a place, object, or person tied to fear.
They sense human emotion through voice tone, breath rhythm, and body tension โ even from across a field.
They respond not just to fear, but to sadness, joy, or confusion โ silently, instinctively.
Mirror neurons in their brains allow them to feel what others feel โ true empathy in motion.
When tears fall nearby, a horse may approach softly, lower its head, and offer a gentle touch โ comfort without words.
A wounded horse can form the deepest bonds with a patient human โ shared pain becomes shared trust.
Horses are proven emotional therapists for PTSD, depression, and anxiety โ healing hearts, not just bodies.
They grieve deeply โ lingering by a lost companion or withdrawing in quiet mourning.
Once bonded, they memorize your personal rhythms โ footsteps, breath, even the silence between.
Their memory isnโt just survival โ itโs the foundation for profound connection with those who earn their trust.
With gentle consistency, fear can be rewritten into safety โ even shattered trust can be rebuilt.
Horse empathy is biological fact, not folklore โ their brains and hearts sync with human emotion in real time.
11/11/2025
Staff Sergeant Reckless (c. 1948 โ May 13, 1968) was a highly decorated U.S. military horse who served in the Korean War. Named for the reckless missiles she commonly carried, she also transported supplies and evacuated the wounded. She was frequently led along supply routes, then memorized them and traveled by herself, often alone and under fire.
During just one battle Sergeant Reckless made 51 solo trips to resupply front-line units, most of them by herself. Retired with full military honors in 1960, she was stationed at Camp Pendleton.
11/11/2025
Lest We Forget ๐บ
Today, we pause to remember the brave men, women, and animals who served and sacrificed for the freedoms we enjoy. Among them were countless horses โ loyal companions who carried soldiers through unimaginable conditions with courage and grace.
As we spend time with our families and our beloved horses today, may we reflect on their strength, loyalty, and the bond that helped carry hope through the darkest times.
We remember. We honor. We are grateful. โค๏ธ๐ด
Army veteran Adam Halloran found hope and healing through the Therapeutic Horsemanship Program at SUNY Cobleskill, where horses helped him rebuild his life. Today, heโs using what heโs learned to help other veterans heal, one horse at a time.
๐ Read his inspiring journey, From Hopeless to Healing to Healer, at bit.ly/3XlDBAa
Horse Health Sense๐ด- Some horses are finicky drinkers at the best of times, and the transition between the fall and winter months can be a particularly challenging period. At this time of year, horses have a higher risk of developing impaction colic when their diets change from moist pasture grass to dry hay. Another contributing factor is changing weather: horsesโ water bowls or tanks can potentially freeze overnight if thereโs a cold snap or unexpected storm โ causing a decrease in their water intake.
Impaction colic is a type of colic thatโs like constipation in people and other species. When a horse doesnโt drink enough water, it causes the f***s in the small colon to become very firm and dry. Over time, the f***s get drier and harder, causing increased pressure in the intestine. In severe cases, these hard f***s can cut off circulation in the horseโs intestinal walls.
If your horse is displaying signs of colic such as a disinterest in eating and drinking, pawing, sweating in patches, rolling and looking at their flank, call your veterinarian. Your vet will determine if colic is the problem by performing a re**al exam. If they feel a dry, hard mass of feed content, then itโs likely an impaction colic.
What can you do to prevent impaction colic?
โข Ensure that your horse has access to a consistent water source that will not freeze over in colder temperatures.
โข Since horses are less inclined to drink cold water, consider investing in a heated watering bowl or tank heater to keep the water temperature between seven and 18 C.
โข Donโt rely on snow as an adequate watering method. Most horses donโt eat enough snow to meet their water requirements, resulting in dehydration and impaction colic.
To learn more: https://saskhorse.ca/News
11/07/2025
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Hope everyone is having a great Thanksgiving! Be safe!
I'm grateful for everything that happened this year. There was a lot of tough moments but I have amazing people around me and im forever grateful for them โจ โค here's my list and not in any order lol
1. Flash is healthy
2. Court ended in May
3. My son had the best school year hes had EVER.
4. Finn got 2 yellow stripes in taekwondo
5. Finn ran his first marathon - 2K
6. Was a Educational Assistant and Admin (learned i enjoy it which inspired a career change)
7. Moved in with my amazing friend
8. Took a dance class i haven't done in 15 years.
9. Moved in with my amazing bf ๐
10. Had Thanksgiving with my parents (been 9 years).
11. Going to Celtic Colors in Nova Scotia with my family and family I've met from Nova Scotia and Ontario.
12. Got a raise at work.
10/11/2025
After 5 months I'm so excited that she's not as lame as I thought she'd be after her fracture. Im so grateful of her pulling through and the support we received ๐ โค
09/28/2025
In equine dentistry, three-point balance refers to the principle of balancing the horseโs mouth so that chewing, comfort, and performance are optimized. Itโs a functional goal during dental equilibration (floating/adjusting the teeth), ensuring that pressure is distributed evenly and that the horse can move its jaw properly.๐ค
1. The Three Points
The โthree pointsโ of balance are:
โข Incisors (front teeth) โ They determine how far forward and back the jaw can move. They are ised to nip grass.
โข Premolars and molars (cheek teeth, back teeth) โ They do the bulk of grinding and mastication initial feed breakdown .
โข Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) โ The jaw joint that coordinates the movement of the mouth and and absorbs stress.
2. Purpose
If any one of these areas is out of alignment (e.g., overgrown incisors preventing full lateral excursion, sharp enamel points on molars, or uneven pressure stressing the TMJ), the horse canโt chew efficiently or comfortably. This can lead to:
โข Abnormal wear
โข Difficulty eating
โข Training and performance issues (resistance, head tossing, bit discomfort)
โข Secondary problems in the neck, back, or overall biomechanics
3. Goal of Three-Point Balance
The dentist or practitioner aims to:
โข Balance the incisors so the jaw can move forward, backward, and sideways without restriction.
โข Balance the cheek teeth so pressure is even along the arcade and grinding is efficient.
โข Ensure the TMJ is not stressed, keeping the horseโs jaw alignment comfortable and functional.
When all three points are in harmony, the horse achieves โthree-point balanceโโa state where dental anatomy supports natural chewing, digestion, and comfort.
CAEDPโฆโฆ.
09/27/2025
Horses donโt care how experienced you areโthey care how you feel.
Theyโre drawn to calm, grounded, honest energy. When you're centered and authentic, they feel safe. When you're anxious or pretending, they feel that too.
You can't fake presence with a horse. Thatโs why they connect deeply with people who show up real and steady.
Energy doesnโt lieโand horses never stop listening.
09/25/2025
So interesting!
SKELETAL DEVELOPMENT should be considered more when we are developing young horses.
Iโm not a trainer, and I can appreciate the idea of introducing tack and weight to young horsesโฆslowly and mindfully while keeping the work light enough that the skeletal maturity is allowed for.
What I do wish I saw more of-is developing biomechanical balance in young horses from the ground before introducing tack and rider weight.
From the bodyworker perspective-the most common areas of soreness I see in ridden horses are the areas of the skeletal system that mature lastโฆ
While itโs not a clinical study by any means-but with well over 1000โs of massages under my hands I see enough of a correlation to be convinced we are doing too much too soon. More common than not-I see biomechanical imbalances in horses (of all ages) attempting to be corrected under saddle instead of in hand, which creates various compensation patterns elsewhere in the body.
I had these images created for my online classes to help owners and professionals better understand how the maturity timeline can impact performance development.
I share these thoughts in an effort to bring mindful awareness-never to criticize. I hope to see more ridden horses making it to their teens before theyโre needing pharmaceutical intervention instead of the 5-10 year olds I see now.
The best time to learn new things and do better for the horse is now.
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In person I am a certified Equi-Health Canada First Aid Instructor who teaches north of Saskatoon.
I teach horseback riding north of Saskatoon also. I have my Standard First Aid and CPR Level 1.
Why I teach people horse First Aid ?
I have been in similar situations where my horse got hurt and I had no idea what my next step was supposed to be. I was fighting the initial panic to try to keep my horse calm while I asked the closest person what to do. Hoping that the person who had horse experience knew what kind of product to use on a cut and the steps.
They did not. Although I washed off the product with water; the cut got worse and proud flesh (glandular tissue that prevents the scab to form correctly) began to form. A vet recommend me to scrape the proud flesh off by cold hosing it off a bit each day. Thankfully with the bond I have with my horse, she was patient enough to let me reopen her cut allowing it to heal properly.
With my background as a Firefighter and search and rescue. I knew that my mistake was not being prepared in the knowledge or having the supplies at hand to properly handle the cut. Thankfully from volunteering at a vet clinic when I was younger I had connections to ask for help.
I knew there was a better way and after flipping through the Equine Wellness Magazine I was reading I saw the Equi-Health Emergency First Aid Canada for horses. I looked at their site for a while and fell in love with the courses they where providing to other horse people. I realized that a lot of people where in similar situations. Becoming an instructor I now help people be prepared, have knowledge of the the supplies they need, and when to call the vet.
MY EXPERIENCE WITH HORSES
I began riding at OK Corral outside of Saskatoon and have been riding for the past 15 years. I love answering questions about horses and have dealt with minor emergencies with riders and their horses. I enjoy training horses and teaching people how to bond with their horses. I believe that the bond with my horse has saved her life and mine with past emergencies.
