A Different Way to Partner with Horses

Rooted in trust, awareness, and choice – here’s the story behind the work. 

My work with horses and people over the last twenty years has grown from experience, learning, creativity, and a desire to partner with horses in ways that feel meaningful.

Where it Began

Horses have been part of my life since childhood. I grew up in the countryside near Lake Michigan with a herd of fifteen horses. My mother, inspired by all the horse books she could get her hands on, became the main caretaker, and my three younger sisters and I learned along side her taking care of the horses, training them through trial and error, and participating in 4-H.

The horses became my best friends and foundation, especially during difficult times. After my parents divorced and we moved to the city, I missed them deeply. Years later, after my own difficult divorce, I bought my first horse in 1995, then a house with stables nestled in the idyllic country side. My herd grew, and so did my understanding.

The Professional Journey

While working in corporate America for 17 years, I discovered Prescott College’s pioneering program in Equine Assisted Mental Health and Learning. I enrolled in 2006 and earned my Masters degree in Counseling Psychology with this specialized concentration.

From 2006 to 2018, I traveled extensively, interning at Chaps Academy, attending workshops across the United States, and immersing myself in understanding the horse-human relationship. In 2009, I established Meaningful Life Counseling & Coaching, working with clients both with and without horses.

As my practice grew, people began asking how I was working with horses in such a grounded, respectful way. I was an early pioneer, and their interest inspired me to teach. That’s when the Equine Assisted Coaching Association was born.

Transformative Teachers

In 2013, I stepped far outside my comfort zone to study with Chief Phillip Whiteman Jr., a Northern Cheyenne cultural consultant, horse trainer, and rodeo champion. For six years, I attended his workshops, learning his Medicine Wheel Model to Natural Horsemanship, a spiritual approach that honored connection over domination.

Chief Whiteman Jr. taught me that his work extends far beyond horses. “It is a simple philosophy for life,” he explained, “and shows the connection between man, animal, and all living things.” Horses were becoming my greatest teachers, and I’m deeply grateful he shared these sacred traditions with me.

The Discovery of Liberty

In 2017, everything shifted. I attended Cavalia, a theatrical show featuring horses and humans working together at liberty, no halters, no ropes, just respect and freedom. I was mesmerized.

When I learned that Cavalia’s co-founders, Frédéric Pignon and Magali Delgado, were offering training clinics in the United States, I knew I had to go. I attended three clinics across the country, absorbing everything I could about their approach to liberty horsemanship and partnership.

Liberty offered a different conversation. Working from the ground without force or restraint. I began noticing how horses respond to intention, clarity, body language, breath, and presence. The clearer and ore consistent my work became, the stronger our connection grew. Horses became living mirrors, showing me how to move with intention, regulate my energy, and trust my inner guidance.

Along the way, life experiences, including a car-deer collision and a pit bull attack while riding shaped my understanding of safety, freedom of choice, and self-trust. These moments didn’t define the work, but they refined it, deepening my respect for slowing down, being present, and meeting both people and horses where they are.

My Approach Today

Today, my approach blends equine-assisted coaching, liberty horsemanship, and nature-based awareness. This work isn’t about fixing or diagnosing. It’s about creating space for insight, self-discovery, and grown, guided by horses and grounded in relationship.

I teach horse lovers, coaches, therapists, healers, and horse owners who feel called to a more holistic way of partnering with horses and supporting others. Through this work, they learn to listen more closely, communicate more effectively, and lead with presence rather than force.

Horses continue to be my greatest teachers. They remind us to slow down, notice more, and show up with clarity and confidence in our lives, our relationships, and our work.

[/embellish-box]

The Equine Assisted Coaching Association™