I am a horse and people trainer, educator, student, author, speaker, mentor and believer in acceptance of self and others. The older I get (I still feel 23) the more I realize how little I know, so every day comes with a new discovery.
I grew up in Western Kansas in a very small town, just down the road from Dorothy and Toto. I was gifted my first horse at the ripe old age of 2 1/2, a wicked little Shetland pony named Franco. By age 8, I was showing horses in 4-H achieving top honors and representing Kansas at the National 4-H convention in the horse project. I attended Park College and received a bachelor’s degree in Equine Studies. Upon graduation I went to work for Jack Brainard, a true legend in the horse industry. I have trained, coached, and shown horses professionally over the last 25+ years in a variety of disciplines ever expanding my knowledge and technique in and out of the saddle.
In the early 2000’s I was introduced to author Linda Kohanov’s book “The Tao of Equus” and my world shifted. I studied with her, joined the teaching staff and eventually joined Eponaquest, LLC full time in Arizona teaching The Epona Approach. In 2009 I accepted a program director position in Southern California with Challenge-U, LLC partnering with owner Andi Burgis, providing an innovative approach to horses teaching leadership. At Challenge-U I worked with people in personal growth, and team and leadership formats in a diverse corporate client base. 2017-2021 I spent my time riding, training and teaching while managing and mentoring students at the Al-Marah Equine School of Management in Central Florida; my role was to educate and prepare students for real world, hands-on careers in the horse industry while developing innovative leaders embracing a team approach. In 2019 I added a M.Ed. in Equestrian Education to my toolbox and became program director for Michael’s Foundation supporting veterans adapting to life post service. I was the developer, director, and primary facilitator for the equine program. In 2021 I completed training and added Polyvagal-Informed Equine Training Specialist to my credentials through the world-renowned Polyvagal Equine Institute.
In early 2022 I relocated closer to family returning to the Kansas City MO area. My heart lies in supporting people with horses and through the horse-as-teacher model of learning both in person and on-line with virtual workshops. I added published author to my list of credentials with my first illustrated book, “Through the Eyes of a Horse”, a story about a little girl finding self-acceptance through an experience with a horse named Gypsy. The story is based on one of our real teaching horses at Challenge-U and her impact. My story has translated beautifully into a presentation that can be given in all the places they won’t let me take a horse!
Equine Facilitated Learning is not only my career, but also a passion. As an avid horsewoman, I find I learn daily life lessons from the horses. They model a life filled with presence, emotional congruence, connection, and peace… all things I strive for on a daily basis. It is truly a gift to become a better human within my community by learning from the horse.
Cathy