Michelle's love of horses was instilled at a young age by her parents. It started with the purchase of their first horse, Star.
Star was a beautiful grullo mare (which is part of the buckskin family). Her disposition was so kind and gentle that the family fell in love with her on the spot. Michelle wanted to spend as much time with her new friend as possible. This proved difficult since Star was boarded quite a distance from the family home.
Before long, Michelle's parents came across a farm for sale that would be a perfect permanent home for Star. Once settled, the family soon found out that horses were just like those potato chips. You can't just stop at one! Instead of every girl's dream of just owning
a horse, Michelle found herself surrounded by these charming creatures.
Of all the horses that were on the farm, Star was still Michelle's favorite. Most summers were spent riding around the countryside, more times than not, barefoot and bareback, with Michelle's best friend. They would leave early morning and sometimes not arrive home for
many hours. Occasionally, they would dare the boys on their dirtbikes to a race through the woods. It didn't take the boys long to realize that Michelle and Star were hard to beat through the trees!
Michelle also belonged to a county 4-H club and Buckeye Buckskin Association. Here, Michelle joined her friends in showing, riding and enjoying their four legged friends. And Star was such a good sport! For a costume contest, Michelle dressed Star in a bridal gown, complete with a 'Just Married' sign and tied cans!
Even today, Michelle's favorite horses are the buckskin and dun Quarter horses, reminders of her very first horse, Star. Although, What's not to love about her wonderful Friesian, Alectra, who you will see here in photos and in the round pen and under saddle at the clinics!
Years went by, and Michelle found herself in a job that she enjoyed, but she couldn't shake off the longing to be in the barn surrounded by horses. She thought long and hard about how she could successfully combine making a living with her love of horses. What's the saying?
"Riding, It's not a habit, It's an addiction." How very true!
Michelle decided that she definitely wanted some type of formal training. After contemplating many different trainers and methods, the one she kept coming back to was 'America's Most Trusted Horseman,' John Lyons. Michelle had followed his methods for many years. She felt John understood the needs between horses and their riders. He just wanted to help people find the best way to form that perfect partnership with their equine companions. So, even though
John Lyons was far away in Colorado, Michelle knew the long trip for the certification program would be worth it. While traveling back and forth across the country with Mark and four horses, four times wasn't an easy experience, the certification program was tough, but very
rewarding. Every day posed a new challenge and discovery on how much there was to learn from these truly amazing animals.
Now, working in the barn with Mark every day is a dream come true. Michelle looks forward to helping many people and their horses create incredible and lasting partnerships!
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