03/31/2024
The month of April marks 7 years as an official business for us, and we are currently working through our 5th year on our own farm… wow. Just wow. Running This farm and program is literally a dream come true most days!
I have found myself reflecting a lot lately, so saddle up for a sappy post…
I have been blessed to learn from so many people along the way and I am still always learning as I continue on this journey. It has definitely not been an easy one but each struggle has made me stronger. I am thankful for everyone who has helped me along the way. Specifically, my husband who has been a trooper about my long days and nights in the barn, makes sure I’m set up for safety and success on my travel weekends for shows, who knows just the right time to whisk me away before I lose my mind, and who knows this life is who I am as a person. My mom, who is my best farm hand, my best friend, and shares so many great memories and experiences with me through the years. My weekends run smoothly because she is always here with a smile and is happy to lend a Helping hand.
But truth be told I would not be where I am today without 2 certain ladies who have and always will be my favorite influencers of this journey…
My grama Lois, who is the person who started my love for animals, and who started my life with horses when I was 8. She lived vicariously through my lessons and shows and I will forever be grateful for her love and support.
And Juli Jayne. The woman who taught me everything I know about running a farm and teaching lessons. I was a tough fiercely independent teenager and she met me with understanding more times than she should have. When I started as the barn manager it was easy, smooth sailing because I had followed her around so often when I was a kid, and then When I started to branch out and run my own lessons, that was fairly smooth because I had helped with a lot of the lesson horse’s trainings through the years, summer camps etc, so we had a great working relationship. When I started my business out of her farm, things got a little more tense at times, but I knew we just had to find a way of working through the process… when I moved, things fell apart, but I know now that we both just needed space, and when we saw each other for the last time last year, all of the space was filled with so much love and pride, two things which I never thought I deserved from her again. I know now that I do deserve to be proud. Not just of the greatest parts but also of the bad and the ugly too. Proud of who I am and proud of what I’ve built.
Both women were the saints that guided my moral compass and as sad as I am that they are both no longer here on this earth, I know that they live on through me. They are always on my mind and with me in everything that I do everytime I swing a leg over, clean a stall, feed the horses, set up the arena for my lesson exercises, and teach my lessons. They’re always here.
If you’ve read this far, thank you. I wouldn’t be who I am today without this farm and business. If you’re part of my business, or have been in the past, please know that I am so grateful for you. I can’t wait to see where the next chapter takes KMB Equine!!
💗🦄
