For as long as I can remember, horses have been the center of my world. I grew up in Parker, Colorado, not in a horse family, but with a love for horses that shaped everything I did. From the time I was six until I graduated high school, I took riding lessons all over Parker. Each trainer, each school horse, and each opportunity shaped me in ways I am forever grateful for.

Over the years, I rode nearly every discipline I could. Dressage, jumping, trail riding, western horsemanship, barrel racing, and showing hunt seat equitation through IEA in high school. Experiencing so many disciplines taught me how differently horses use their bodies depending on the work they’re asked to do, and it sparked my lifelong passion for biomechanics, balance, and comfort.

After high school in 2019, I enrolled at the University of Wyoming as a biology major, but something felt missing. I had unintentionally stepped away from horses, and it quickly became clear that without them, I didn’t feel like myself. I eventually decide I needed to find my way back to Colorado.

Transferring to Colorado State University and joining the Equine Science program felt like coming home. Everything aligned. I threw myself into every opportunity. I joined the CSU Polo Club and the Mountain Riders Club, and through Mountain Riders I leased a seasoned trail horse who taught me confidence, partnership, and the importance of patience.

I also worked at the CSU Equine Reproduction Lab and the CSU Equine Orthopedic Research Center. These positions gave me hands-on experience in reproductive management, research procedures, diagnostics, equine biomechanics, and daily care of working horses. Alongside this, I volunteered with the CSU Therapeutic Riding Program, conditioning therapy horses and supporting their work with riders.

One of the most defining experiences of my time at CSU was taking the ASPCA Right Horse class. I was paired with Annie, a bay rescue mare with a big blaze and an even bigger heart. By the end of the semester, I adopted her. Annie became my first horse and my greatest teacher. Through her, I learned the depths of nutrition, hoof balance, emotional attunement, and the importance of understanding the whole horse, inside and out.

After graduating, I eventually returned to CSU as an equine critical care veterinary assistant, where I gained hands-on experience with everything from routine care to high-stress emergencies. I learned to read subtle signals, respond calmly under pressure, and support horses during their most vulnerable moments. Witnessing their resilience deepened my belief in the power of compassionate, attentive care. These experiences continue to shape how I work with every horse, approaching each one with patience, respect, and a deep awareness of their physical and emotional well-being.

In January 2025, I lost Annie in a freak pasture accident. The grief was overwhelming, but her lessons stayed with me. In time, another special horse came into my life: Goose, a quirky gray Quarter Horse blind in his right eye. I originally bought him as a barrel prospect, but a serious spinal injury changed our plans entirely. His rehab was slow, emotional, and profoundly eye-opening. It was during his healing journey that I began to truly understand the impact of intentional, informed bodywork.

I enrolled in the Rocky Mountain School of Animal Acupressure and Massage, and Goose became my first case study. Massage made a remarkable difference in his comfort, movement, and emotional state. For the first time, I felt absolute clarity. Helping horses feel at home in their bodies was not only meaningful, it was exactly what I was meant to do.

Max, my goofy sorrel gelding, joined my little herd soon afterward and happily became another practice partner during school.

Strong Strides Equine Bodywork was built from all of these experiences. From childhood passion and years of riding, from lessons learned in Parker, from hands-on work at CSU, from the rescue mare who changed my life, from my time in veterinary medicine and research, from grief and resilience, and from the belief that every horse deserves to feel strong, balanced, and deeply understood.

The path to this work was long and winding, but every step led me exactly where I was meant to be.