FOUNDER AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Lori has 23 years of experience in Intuitive Horsemanship and has been a certified Equine Experiential Learning trainer for over 18 years. Her training in these techniques is informed by formal education in the behavioral sciences —psychology, sociology, criminology, cultural anthropology and art. Lori has enjoyed studying with and is influenced by these exceptional, generous, compassionate and skillful teachers of our age: John & Christina Amaral, Frey Faust, Julio Horvath, Lockie Phillips, Celeste Lazaris, Cathryn Clerc, Linda Kohanov, Carolyn Resnick, Jonathan Field, Pat, and Linda Parelli, and Buck Branaman.

Drawing on this rich background, Lori has created Wisehorsewoman and Horse & Heart. The Ranch is nestled in the beautiful, tranquil Santa Cruz Mountains, a safe place for others to study, learn and grow under her guidance, held in nature, with a horse partner. Lori works with adults, children, and at-risk youth. She has also worked extensively in the mental health field with adults and youth in institutional, transitional living, group home and independent living environments.

Lori is an EXCEPTIONAL leader who is a Master at creating safe, congruent relational spaces for humans and horses to fulfill their hearts’ desires and embodies their most aligned leadership!

LEAD TRAINER

At this point in my career, my approach is slow, consensual, and loving. Emotional and physical integrity are deeply considered for all. I continue to do my own personal work internally and in the field so that I can consciously meet you, and your horse partners in a biomechanically, spiritually, relationally congruent, and informed way. I hope you will come to play with us, the rich and fruitful messages of this work wait for you.

My Story - I have been insurmountably blessed nearly my whole life to have access to horses. I never grew out of that “weird horse girl” phase and I'm sure happy I didn't! As a toddler, I was infatuated with the prehistoric wonders of dinosaurs! I would watch “The Land Before Time” as often as I was allowed. Upon moving to Santa Cruz as a wee two-year-old, on a long drive up a steep hill to what would turn into my forever home, I took in my first sight on a neighboring hilltop of the majesty that is equine and nothing has ever been the same! In the months following this preliminary exposure, I would pester my mother endlessly to allow me to take lessons. She would soon give in, and we would both dive head first into a life of endless commitment to caring for, loving, learning from, teaching with, and eternally playing, in partnership with horses.

As many children do, in my tween years I broke away from my mom and what had become a familial study of natural horsemanship and began to follow my own path. Along this journey have been lucky enough to study under and be influenced by some of the greatest riders and horsemen of our time, travel to Europe, compete at venues and in divisions I have only dreamed of, ride in the same rings, and even show against my own equestrian heroes, own, sell and love horses of a lifetime, and most importantly, rediscover my passion for the tenderness and relationship in natural horsemanship that I had lost over those years on my road to achievements in the sports world of showjumping.