Grounded in Trust.Refined Through Experience.

My love for horses began when I was three years old and met my grandmother's horse, Misty. From that moment on, I had what I like to call the “pony bug.” I grew up riding Misty, and she became the horse I learned with.

As I got older, life took me in a different direction, and for several years I stepped away from horses. When I was 29, my grandmother developed Alzheimer's. She no longer remembered who I was, but she still remembered horses. They became the one thing we could always talk about. Those conversations rekindled something in me and reminded me of how deeply horses had shaped my life.

After being away from horses for so long, I knew I needed to rebuild my comfort and confidence. That was when Judy came into my life. Judy was an older mare who had previously been a broodmare and had never been a riding horse. With patience, understanding, and plenty of time, we learned together and shared many trail adventures. Judy helped me find my confidence again, and losing her to colic was heartbreaking.

After a few months, I began searching for another horse. I wanted one that was already “ready to go,” but eventually I was given the opportunity to buy Amber. She needed far more work than I had planned for, but she was intelligent, willing, and full of potential. Sometimes God gives us what we need, not what we think we want.

Restarting Amber changed the way I understood horsemanship. She did not need to be forced; she needed someone she could trust. Building that trust showed me how much can be accomplished through patience, clear communication, and understanding. Amber inspired me to show others that there is another way to train horses.

Once a scared, frightened, and spooky horse, Amber has become a horse I trust with my life. Our journey together is the foundation of Heaven's Gate Horsemanship and the reason trust remains at the heart of everything I do.