Growing up on a 500 acre family ranch, the freedom and the lifestyle left an indelible mark on my heart. The endless skies, the way of life, and the connection to something larger than myself stayed with me throughout my journey.

Even after attending college and walking down the aisle, a part of me still yearned for that way of life. After the tragic and unexpected loss of my brother, my  heart longed for it even more. I could feel a small piece of my heartache heal, every time I returned to my childhood home. I would take my boys out to the horses, and they gave me permission to sit in my pain, without judgement. Each time, my dream of owning a place where my boys would grow up and others could come and find a place to heal, grew exponentially.

Everything I had dreamed about finally came together. We purchased property big enough for our horses to be in the backyard, and all of the trades I had learned over the years came together like puzzle pieces, giving me a sense of what it had all been for.

Then, one of my boys was diagnosed with pathological demand avoidance disorder. Everyday was a battle to try and keep him from being triggered into fight or flight. He wouldn't attend school, didn't want leave the house, and often ran away to hide and decompress from something as simple as asking him to put on shoes. I began using equine empowerment activities to help him rewire his brain, and I watched him transform from avoidant to outgoing, and fearful to confident. That was the turning point that I knew I could no longer wait for what I had imagined would be the perfect time to begin this work.