Big Sky Shires & Equine Services and 7 Mile Hampshires

06/02/2026

🎥🐴 Well… here goes nothing! 🐴🎥

Here’s my first practice run with my Pivo and phone tripod.

I’ll be honest—this is way outside my comfort zone. 😅

I teach for a living, but my audience is usually 20 to 30 students sitting in a classroom, not the entire internet! Still, I knew the only way to get comfortable was to start somewhere, so I set everything up and recorded an introduction just to practice.

A few things I learned:
🎤 I definitely need a microphone.
📢 Until then, my teacher voice will have to do.
😂 Talking to a camera is a lot different than talking to a class.

But growth doesn’t happen when we stay comfortable.

So here’s to dreaming big, working hard, learning new skills, and doing something for myself.

My goal is to share more of our horse training journey here at Big Sky Shires. You’ll get to follow along as we work with horses like:
🐴 Shilo
🐴 Hawk
🐴 Melody
🐴 Liz
🐴 Luna
🐴 Zulu

You’ll see the successes, the mistakes, the learning moments, and hopefully some progress along the way.

I’m also considering setting dedicated office hours for Lead Changes Recovery and using part of my day to focus on training horses when I don’t have clients or walk-ins. It’s exciting to think about combining two of my greatest passions—helping people and helping horses.

As we get started, let me know:

👇 What would you like to see?

Groundwork?
Driving?
Young horse training?
Problem solving?
Foaling and breeding content?
Behind-the-scenes ranch life?

Thank you for following along on this adventure. It’s a little scary, but it’s also pretty exciting. 💙

06/02/2026

🐴💙 The Final Foal Watch of the Season 💙🐴

The waiting game continues…

We are anxiously awaiting the arrival of our final foal of the season out of Big Sky Master’s Dixieland Delight, who is carrying a Big Sky One Tuff Monty baby.

At this point, we’re sitting about a week overdue, and Dixie seems perfectly content to keep us guessing. 😅

This is a foal we’ve been especially excited about because it combines some of the deepest foundation bloodlines in our breeding program. These are the horses and families that helped build Big Sky Shires into what it is today, making this baby particularly meaningful to us.

As always, the mares don’t seem to care about our schedules, our sleep, or our excitement. They’ll foal when they’re good and ready. Until then, we’ll keep checking cameras, making barn trips, and watching for every little sign.

As one foaling season begins to wind down, we’re already looking ahead. We’re excited to see what our first ultrasounds reveal and are hopeful for confirmed pregnancies that will carry our program forward into next year.

For now, all eyes are on Dixie and the little one she’s carrying. Stay tuned—we hope to have baby pictures to share soon! 💙

06/01/2026

There is no question that what happened was wrong. Horses were hurt, and that should upset all of us who love and care about animals.

But just because a young person made a terrible decision doesn’t mean it’s time for the rest of us to become judge, jury, and executioner.

The 17-year-old involved has been detained and is facing consequences through the justice system. That process should be allowed to do its job.

What concerns me now is the number of people making threats, wishing harm, and piling onto a teenager on social media. Since when did death threats become an acceptable response to wrongdoing? How does responding with hatred, cruelty, and threats make anything better?

You can condemn the action without dehumanizing the person.

Most of us would hope that if we, our children, or someone we loved made a serious mistake, they would be held accountable—but not subjected to endless harassment and threats from strangers.

Accountability matters. Justice matters. The welfare of the horse matters.

But so do decency, ethics, and humanity.

We can be angry about what happened while still remembering that there is a difference between seeking justice and seeking vengeance.

I want to encourage everyone to STOP and think before leaving unnecessary hateful messages. You are grown a** adults going to random strangers and harassing them because you misidentified them.

Do you not consider the harm you can cause innocent people because you’ve gotten so lazy and comfortable hiding behind your screens? Does this behavior not bother you in the slightest?

While I love seeing the horse community collectively come together, I also hate how this brings the bully out of a person. You will NEVER catch me going to a random stranger’s profile to harass or bully them because no matter the circumstance it’s never okay.

The real Emily Grace is locked away. She can’t see your messages and being angry doesn’t mean you should harass her. But the innocent people can see the hatred you’re sending them and by acting like children you’re putting the equine community to shame.

05/31/2026

🌧️💙 Glorious Rain! 💙🌧️

After watching the skies and hoping for moisture, we’re thankful to report that we’ve received 0.57 inches of rain so far!

Is it enough? No.

Is it a start? Absolutely.

When you’re living through drought conditions, every drop matters. The pastures are still short, the hay is still being fed, and we still need a lot more moisture to catch up. But today, we’re choosing gratitude.

The grass got a drink.
The dust settled.
The stock tanks got a little help.
And for a few hours, the sound of rain was the sweetest sound on the ranch.

We’ll gladly take every drop Mother Nature is willing to send our way. 🌱🐴🐑

The prayers and rain dances aren’t over yet, but today we’re celebrating this small victory and hoping it’s the beginning of a wetter pattern.

Keep it coming! 🌧️🙏
















🌱🐑

05/31/2026

🎥🐴 More Video Content Is Coming! 🐴🎥

One of my goals this year is to do a better job of sharing the day-to-day training and development of our horses.

I now have my Pivo and a tripod for my phone, which means I should finally be able to capture more of our training sessions and bring all of you along for the journey.

Be on the lookout for videos featuring:
🐴 Shilo
🐴 Hawk
🐴 Melody
🐴 Liz
🐴 Luna
🐴 Zulu

We’ll share the good days, the challenging days, the small victories, and the progress that comes from consistency and patience. Whether it’s groundwork, driving, c**t starting, handling young horses, or just building confidence, we hope you’ll enjoy watching these horses learn and grow.

One of the things I love most about horses is that every one of them teaches us something different. No matter how many years you’ve worked with horses, there is always something new to learn.

We’re excited to bring you more behind-the-scenes content and show what goes into developing the horses here at Big Sky Shires.

What would you like to see more of? Groundwork? Driving? Young horse training? Daily ranch life? Let us know in the comments! 💙

05/31/2026

🐴💙 A Little Barnyard Update 💙🐴

For the past week or so, Jenny and Tillie have been enjoying life up in the outdoor arena pasture, soaking up the sunshine and stretching their legs.

With thunderstorms in the forecast last night, we decided it was time to bring everyone a little closer to home. So Cowgirl and Cotton joined Jenny and Tillie in the corral next to the barn with our favorite donkey girls.

The social dynamics have been pretty entertaining. 😄

Matcha and Cotton have quickly become friends and seem quite happy with the new arrangement.

Peanut, however, is slightly offended by these unexpected roommates and would like everyone to know that nobody asked her opinion on the matter. 😂

Thankfully, despite the weather threats and a few opinions from the donkey committee, everyone is doing well, staying safe, and settling in just fine.

Sometimes ranch life is all about adapting to the weather and keeping everyone where they need to be. The animals may not always agree with our decisions, but their safety comes first.

Here’s a photo spam of the events lol. 😆

05/30/2026

🐴🔥 This Little Dude Is Something Else 🔥🐴

To say this guy is bold and athletic might actually be an understatement. 😍 Big Sky Cotton

This little man is full of confidence, curiosity, and personality. Nothing seems to phase him, and he’s already showing us that go-getter attitude we love to see in a young horse.

With his athletic ability, brave nature, and willing personality, we truly think he is going to make an amazing saddle horse for someone down the road.

And the best part?
✨ He’s looking for his forever family. ✨

If you’ve been dreaming of a special young prospect with personality, athleticism, and a whole lot of heart, this guy might just be your match.

📩 Contact us for details and more information.

05/30/2026

🌧️🐴🐑 We Could Use the Prayers, Rain Dances & Support 🐑🐴🌧️

We’re going to be honest — this year is feeling heavy.

The drought outlook is significant, and here at the ranch we are still feeding hay because pasture is nearly nonexistent. Usually this time of year we’re watching grass take off and livestock settle into grazing. Instead, we’re watching the skies and hoping for rain.

Agriculture has always been an act of faith. You do the work, care for the animals, make the best decisions you can… and sometimes so much is simply out of your hands.

Right now, we’re incredibly grateful for the people who help make it possible to keep going. A special thank you to our hay suppliers, Jared and Blayne, who have taken such great care of us the last couple of years. Good people in agriculture matter, and we don’t take that support for granted. 💙

For now, we keep feeding, keep caring, keep hoping, and keep praying for moisture. We have already taken a deep cull on our brood ewe flock. Sadly more cuts might be needed in both the sheep and horses.

If you’re the praying kind, we’ll gladly take them. If you know a good rain dance… we’re open to that too. 🌧️🙏

To everyone else in agriculture fighting drought, feeding longer than expected, and carrying the stress that comes with it — we see you.

05/23/2026

🐴💙 Our Shire Family Is Growing 💙🐴

One of the best parts of raising Shires is the people this breed brings into your life.

We’re excited to share that we currently have two beautiful Shire mares visiting from North Dakota for breeding to Monty! ✨

There’s always something special about welcoming new horses to the farm, but even more special is getting to meet the wonderful people behind them. The horse world has a way of turning strangers into friends, and we feel incredibly lucky to connect with fellow Shire lovers who share the same passion for these gentle giants.

We’re looking forward to getting to know these mares, seeing what future babies may come, and building new friendships along the way.

Here’s to good horses, shared dreams, and the wonderful community that comes with loving this breed. 💙

05/23/2026

🎨🐴 A Little Update on My Model Horse Painting Journey 🐴🎨

This little adventure in model horse painting has turned into something pretty special for me.

What started as one class on painting bays somehow turned into a second class on dilutes… and now a third on painting blacks. 😄

I’m still very much learning — especially when it comes to oils, layering, and all the little details that bring these horses to life — but I’m loving the process.

More than anything, though, the quality time and self-care this has brought into my life has been phenomenal.

Life gets busy. Between the ranch, animals, teaching, Lead Changes, FFA, and all the other hats I wear, it’s easy to forget to make time for things that simply bring joy. This has been one of those reminders that it’s okay to do something just for you.

Of course, like any hobby, it escalated a bit… 😂
The supplies have grown. I now have two palettes and a growing collection of paints and tools.

None of these horses are finished yet — I’m a slow artist because life is full — but I’m enjoying every bit of getting back into art, learning something new, and creating again.

You’re never too old to learn, dream, play, or rediscover parts of yourself you thought you’d outgrown. ❤️

Here’s a little update on the work in progress — more to come as they slowly take shape.

Let me know if you want to keep seeing more progress updates.