I personally struggle with anxiety; the more I talk about it, the more I realize that a lot of others do too. At times, it’s been bad and required me to be on medications to control it.

About 18 months ago, I was considering trying CBD. I was intrigued because it’s a natural alternative, but I was skeptical that it could be as effective as traditional medication. Eventually, I did try it, and I was pleased to find that it works great for me and makes me feel better about what I am putting into my body.

I began to think about the stresses some of my horses have during their training, showing and traveling, and it led me on a path of discovery. CBD works with people, and dogs and cats; why wouldn’t it work with horses? In my experience, much harder medications are used to calm horses. I wanted something that was natural, gentle and proven to really work.

My selfish search for my own solutions had developed into a grander idea, and as I started testing and identifying effective dosages, I began to see great results.
The thing I liked most is that the horses didn’t change in a negative way. CBD doesn’t cause a high – it contains ZERO THC. The effect of CBD is subtle, and I didn’t see a difference in my horses’ disposition. CBD will calm their anxiety, but won’t make them sleepy or have any effect on their normal personalities.

I realized that most of what is in the marketplace today is ineffective in dosage, not third party tested (which could be dangerous,) or in a form that is not easy to administer. I thought , “this is perfect! I can help other people and make sure that there is a safe, trustworthy product out there that can be effectively dosed.”

I discovered my love for horses when I was only 4 years old. My parents recognized my passion and made sure I had opportunities to have my own horses, get the best training and compete throughout the Midwest. I would get off the school bus and head straight to the barn to ride my horses. My work with horses would never have been possible without their support.

In my dreams, I had a grand plan to be an Olympic show jumper. Unfortunately, in high school I had to face the reality that my horse showing days were done, due to the financial requirements of keeping me mounted. I had to walk away, but I never imagined it would be permanent.

Then one day – about 15 years later – I realized that I had to make horses part of my life again.

During the last 20 years I have grown through all my experiences; some bad, but mostly great. Along the way I have always wanted to continue to learn and grow my abilities.

I used to rely on my trainers for everything, but a couple years ago that trust was violated. This gave me the opportunity to re-evaluate what I was doing. I realized then that I must be my horses’ advocate, which meant I had more learning to do. I started focusing on creating the very best conditions for my horses, from feeding to preventive and therapeutic treatments, in order to keep them happy in mind and body.