Morelli Ranch

11/27/2025

This prayer is a token of appreciation for our family, friends and loyal clients. We are truly thankful for your presence in our lives!

09/27/2025

09/01/2025

❤️

08/21/2025

❤️ Little girls and horses…
It’s never just a childhood phase.
It’s the start of a foundation for life.

Horses don’t just teach riding.
They teach patience when nothing clicks.
Responsibility when stalls must be cleaned before play.
Grit when a stubborn pony refuses to cooperate.

They show that trust isn’t given...it’s earned.
Through consistency.
Through respect.
Through time.

Every little girl who swings a leg over a horse learns:
Falling doesn’t mean failing.
It means getting up, dusting off, and trying again.

Discipline isn’t punishment...it’s commitment.
Kindness isn’t weakness...it’s strength.
Confidence isn’t being loud....it’s showing up, even when you’re scared.

Horses shape little girls into women who don’t quit when life gets hard.
Women who know sweat and sacrifice come before reward.
Women who carry themselves with grace,
but aren’t afraid to dig in and fight when it matters.

It’s the 6 a.m. feedings.
The cold winter rides.
The tears after tough lessons,
and the laughter after small victories.

It’s brushing a horse in the quiet of the barn,
realizing responsibility never takes a day off.

So yes…
little girls may grow out of braids and pony bows.
But they never outgrow the lessons their horses taught them.

And maybe that’s the greatest gift of all.
❤️ Michelle Knutson | Born In The Barn

08/13/2025

❤️❤️❤️

07/13/2025

I thought this was so true and wanted to share. I tell my students all the time, horses teach us life lessons.

Riding Lessons Are About So Much More Than Horses

Every time a rider steps into a lesson, they’re not just learning to ride. They’re learning life skills that reach far beyond the barn.

For example in children, riding and horsemanship nurture confidence, patience, and responsibility. From learning to lead a horse to mastering a new skill in the saddle, they’re building self-esteem and developing perseverance in a fun, hands-on way. They discover that progress takes time—and that’s okay!

For teens, lessons can be that safe space to develop resilience, independence, and emotional awareness. As they handle challenges (and triumphs!) with their horse, they gain problem-solving skills and learn how to communicate calmly and effectively—even in stressful moments. It’s a place to grow into themselves and take on new leadership roles.

For adults, riding often becomes a journey of self-discovery and mindfulness. It teaches presence in the moment, courage to step outside comfort zones, and trust—both in themselves and their horse. It’s a chance to leave daily stress behind and reconnect with their inner strength.

From a motor standpoint riding and horsemanship builds and conditions everything from fine motor skills to endurance, strength and stamina. It build body awareness and continued growth for all ages!

🐎 Whether a rider is 7 or 70, the lessons learned in the barn shape the way they show up in the world.

💬 What’s one life lesson you (or a student) have learned from horses? Share below—we’d love to hear it!

07/12/2025

❤️🐴

❤️ Pretty won’t get you far out here.
But grit will.
Heart will.
Hard work will turn you into someone you never saw coming.

Somewhere between the chores and the chaos. I became her.

The one who does chores and checks fences before breakfast.
Who’s got the grit to help pull a calf, but still melts at the sound of baby lambs.
Who can back a trailer, stack hay,
and run her business from the front seat of her dusty truck.

It’s not always pretty.
It’s not always clean.
It’s rarely quiet.

But there’s a kind of peace you find in the chaos of farm life.
A kind of confidence that comes from knowing.
Knowing the land, knowing your livestock,
knowing who you are. Knowing this is the way to raise a strong family.

You start to speak in seasons.
Plan your days around the weather,
your life around the livestock.
You grow thicker skin, softer hands,
and a heart that’s somehow both tougher and more tender.

The horses change you too.
You learn patience in the round pen.
Trust in the saddle.
Grace in the way a thousand plus pound animal reads your soul better than most people ever could...And it all makes you a better wife, mother, and person.

You find therapy in the rhythm of hooves.
Healing in the smell of sweat and sweet feed.
Stillness in a quiet ride at dusk,
when the only sound is breathing.

You stop needing the world to understand you. Because it doesn't matter if they do.
The rhythm of the chores,
the soft knicker of a horse at feeding time,
the sound of boots on gravel,
they tell you you’re exactly where you’re meant to be.

I’m not the woman I was before this point in life.
And I wouldn’t go back if I could.
Because out here, with the dust and the dogs and the daily work,
with a mare that meets me at the gate like she’s been waiting her whole life...

I found her...
The strongest version of me.

❤️ Michelle K | Born In The Barn

07/10/2025

Schleese will be in Colorado again in August. The deadline to sign up is July 21st. I cannot sing my praises loud enough for this saddle company and the way they fit the horse and rider. If you are looking into a new saddle or think you might have a saddle fit issue they are the very best!

Find out exactly what you and your horse need from the comfort of your own home. The online process allows for a fast solution without having to attend or wait for a Professional On-site evaluation near you.

05/02/2025

Don’t forget why you started riding!

12/16/2024