ABOUT ME
More About Who I Am and Double Decker
At Chaparral, I grew up learning more of an old-fashioned cowboy way of working and training horses. I started out with camps, then volunteering, then worked for them and averaged several students a week. It has been a long journey to get where I am now, but it has been well worth it because I have learned so much and it has sparked my love and passion for horses, along with my passion to share this love with other people. I have also had the opportunity to work for and partner with Free Heart Stables to further my knowledge in horsemanship, learning more of a classical dressage approach to putting a good foundation on a horse. Another trainer I have had the chance to bounce ideas off of and learn fantastic horsemanship from is Andrea with ALK Equine, along with continuing my training with Kathy Torres of KT Training. With Kathy, I'm looking to work towards the reined cow horse world with my 4 year old filly, Macie. My mare Sedona is living quite the life with all the kids she can love on being a lesson horse with ALK Equine, who I also have the joy of working with. Through my experience, I do stick to a lot of the cowboy way of working with horses, though I have added some of my own views/philosophies and methods. There is still so many ways to grow, however, I hope others will give me the opportunity to gain experience and learn new methods around horses.
What do I want to do with Double Decker?
My dream is to open a public ranch which focuses mainly on wild mustangs. I want it to be a place to take in the mustangs and give them a second chance and a job. I do plan to have a place to leave a small herd to themselves to enjoy being as wild as possible, and I also plan to have a small herd of Quarter Horses and possibly Thoroughbreds as ranch horses to use for the public and also to help calm and gentle the wild mustangs. Horses tend to learn better watching other horses they know doing their job, allowing time for the horse to learn in their own way. I would like to give people a chance to experience the connection they can have with horses to the fullest, along with opening a ministry retreat center to allow for Christian groups to use the wild mustangs as a way to experience and grow closer to God.
Why the name Double Decker?
There is a deeper meaning behind this dream business I want to run. Yes I love horses and I want to share that love with others, but there is also something else, something more in depth. The first "deck" is, the wild mustangs, once rounded up, sometimes end up in situations that are difficult for them, or they might end up in a life or death situation in a kill pen if there is nobody willing to adopt them. I want to give these mustangs a second chance at a good life. I want to give some of them a job and leave others to live in a more natural, wild habitat. The second "deck" to the name is that I want to give people a second chance. There are a lot of people out there that are hurting and broken, and I understand that. Everybody goes through difficult times in life, and sometimes it's easier for some to move on than it is for others. I want to take this chance to use the mustangs to help the people, and let the people help the horses because horses create amazing bonds that can help someone that is going through a lot.