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About Us:
Spanish Horse Experience
 As
a young girl I watched the "World Famous" Lipizzaner Horses perform in
Louisville, Kentucky and dreamed about the day I would be able to perform the
"haute ecole" on a prancing white stallion.
In the early 1990s I was introduced to Peruvian Pasos and trained these gaited
horses for several years. My Peruvian Paso friend directed me to a "help
wanted" advertisement for someone to work with Spanish horses. I interviewed
(about 100 people responded) and was hired as a part-time training/horse selling
assistant with Denham Ranch in Aubrey, Texas in 1996.
Within several months, I had sold my Quarter Horse and purchased a 7-month old
Spanish filly named Keberes D who I nicknamed "Leia."
A few years later my mother and I purchased a half-sister to Leia named
Nobleza
D. Both mares went on to become Champions.
While at Denham Ranch, I worked with the herd of 50 or so horses, handled and
clipped mares and foals, bred stallions, gave tours, showed horses, videotaped
and photographed sales horses, trained young stock, mare-broke colts, attended
"fiestas" and clinics, and took dressage riding lessons.
Around 2001 I went my own way and separated from Denham Ranch. My
Andalusian mares were then bred and boarded for some time at Herradura
Andalusians in Denton, Texas.
I have attended IALHA Nationals and local shows for many years. I've trained my
Andalusian horses for English pleasure, Western pleasure, reining, doma vaquera,
trail riding, dressage, and tricks.
I have not been to Spain, but I can read Spanish and converse casually enough to
gain knowledge from the available Spanish literature and websites. I've also
studied many hours of videotape brought back from Spain.
In 2007 I retained two fillies to add to the herd and am raising them and
training them myself. I am active in maintaining several websites devoted
to the Spanish horse and am making educational videos so that people can
appreciate the beauty and heritage of this special breed from Spain.
Horse Training Experience
I trained my first horse, a wild mustang, when I was 15 years old. When I
lived in Tennessee, I helped trained a new string of patrol horses that had been
purchased for Opryland, USA. Then I moved to Oklahoma and worked for a
western trainer and for a hunter/jumper stable. I started and finished my
palomino Quarter horse who went on to become a stellar mounted patrol horse and
was eventually sold as a dressage mount.
At Denham Ranch I started 5 or 6 young mares and colts for riding and worked
with a large number of weanlings and yearlings. I trained gaited Peruvians
for several years. I've trained my own horses for show and pleasure and
especially like working with young horses on ground work. I'm currently
practicing classical dressage with my Peruvian Paso and working to improve his
piaffe, passage, and high school dressage moves.
I've worked for many different horse trainers and have attended clinics on
de-spooking, desensitization, obstacles, natural horsemanship, and dressage.
While I don't train outside horses, I do assist friends and family from time to
time with their horse projects.
Horse Riding Experience
I ride both "English" and "Western". I started riding rental horses when I was a
child. At age nine I began taking formal riding lessons at a Saddlebred
riding stable. These lessons lasted for six years. I got my first horse when I
was 15 years old and rode a neighbor's endurance Arabians. In
undergraduate college I took hunter/jumper lessons and rode on the
intercollegiate riding team. After graduation I worked for a western
pleasure trainer and eventually moved to Oklahoma where I rode paint horses,
thoroughbreds, and quarter horses. I took more hunter/jumper lessons.
When I moved to Texas I drove horse carriages in downtown Dallas, worked on some dude
ranches and estates, gave riding lessons, and began riding Andalusian horses and
Peruvians. I've taken riding lessons from several instructors in the
Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. Recently I began competing in AERC 50-mile
endurance rides and love the challenge of riding a sound horse over tough
terrain against the clock.
Whenever I travel I try to ride at different places - I've ridden horses in
Puerto Rico, along the Oregon coast, at Padre Island in Texas, and in the
mountains of Colorado.
Formal Education
By vocation, I am a senior project manager for an environmental consulting firm.
I have a masters degree in Zoology/Environmental Science and an undergraduate
degree in Science Education (pre-vet/animal science major). I've taken
courses in Biology, Microbiology, Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, Biochemistry,
Physiology, Animal Genetics, Pharmacology, and Farm Animal Management.
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