Although I was born in NYC and lived my pre teen years in a suburban neighborhood, apart from any possibility of even seeing a horse, my thoughts, heart and soul were always on a quest for a real horse encounter beyond the plastic ones lined up on my dresser. My very first words included “horse”. As I approached my teen years, my parents bought their first house up in the country, and my quest for those horse encounters became real. My Dad, Grandfather or Grandmother (Mom didn't drive) took me to a riding stable every weekend, and within a short time, I was working there as a trail guide. Those years were exciting, meeting many new horses each year and leading hundreds of horseback riders through the woods and fields of Templed Hills Riding Academy in Jefferson Valley, NY in the 1970's. When I graduated High School, Mrs. B (as she was known), the owner, gave me my lead horse, Sybil, as a gift. Since those days, I have owned, trained, ridden and cared for many horses over the past 5+ decades. I came to natural horse and hoof care because of lameness issues that kept creeping up on my horse, Sage, when he was shod. A warmer than usual winter had me riding Sage for 3 months barefoot, as I always pulled shoes for the winter months. A happier riding horse and a magazine article that read “Is Barefoot for Your Horse”, opened the door to thinking differently about what I was doing. There was no one in my area close enough to trim my horses using the concepts of “natural trimming” I was reading about. I learned to trim my own horses with, Certified Hoof Care Professional, Amy Sheehy, and we became fast friends. I then applied to the Equine Sciences Academy where I was accepted and awarded an Excellence Scholarship for my studies. I became the first student to earn an Equine Sciences Degree (2010) and Natural Hoof Care Certification (2011) from the ESA, and also served as an ESA Field Instructor (2011-2025). I received my certification from the American Hoof Association (2010), an organization of peer- reviewed hoof care professionals offering progressive, preventative and rehabilitative services, education and information. I served as the Director of Education and on the Board of Directors as a Member at Large and 2 terms as President. I organized the merging of the American Hoof Association with the Progressive Hoof Care Practitioners (PHCP) and currently serve there as a Mentor. I also offer Private Instruction. In collaboration with many Holistic Equine Professionals passionate in their fields, offering a team approach to whole horse wellness with Natural Balance Dentistry, Chiropractic, Acupuncture, Homeopathy, Massage, Reiki, Body Work, Essential Oils and more as the foundation of care. More recently, I have been working with Joy Rigby NHCP, ND offering her services to the Equine community. She is also the Naturopathic "Doc" for me and my family, as well as all our animals. When needed, we incorporate the skills of other practitioners to reach optimal function and health. Our goal is to promote the wellness of the equine and prevent injury and disease through working together for the whole horse. I believe in educating owners on a more natural paradigm of horse-keeping so owners/ caregivers can understand why we need to embrace these changes. Because much of my work has been rehabilitative, it has become evident that we need to change how we are caring for our horses. We need to put them on a path of wellness from the start by understanding their needs as a species, and rethinking what has become convenient for us. I utilize the Cherokee Way of Right Relationship through the Four Directions under the teaching of Cherokee Medicine Elder JT Garrett, to find harmony and balance between humans and the horses in their lives, weather it be be performance, pleasure or retirement. Most recently, I have added Energy Medicine to my Holistic approach after learning about the Emotion Code from Dr. Bradley Nelson, the creator of The Emotion Code, at the Omega Institute in September 2023. It lead me to continue certification in the Body Code and Belief Code. Observing the amazing changes I have witnessed with people, children, horses, dogs and cats has been an amazing addition to how I can assist in a broader holistic picture releasing trapped emotions, body imbalances and faulty beliefs that keep us all from experiencing a full, abundant and healthy life.
