About Us

She wasn’t my primary riding horse, and she wasn’t a specimen in conformation, but she had our hearts, and this is her legacy…I desperately wanted a horse when I was young, but my family couldn’t afford one at the time.

32 years later, my husband and our family moved to the country outside of Lincoln, Nebraska, and very shortly thereafter he encouraged me to start the search for my very first horse. I saw her on Facebook and couldn’t stop going back to the post of this beautiful paint mare; within a week, Shade was grazing in the pasture on our acreage. 

Two years later, we moved to Texas, and Shade rode the Equine Express 13 hours south to a boarding facility owned by my first Texas friend, just outside of Spicewood. It was at this time we realized the extent of the trauma she had experienced through one of her prior training experiences which led to insecurity and sometimes erratic behavior. Regardless of her past, she possessed a spirit of kindness and love that everyone who met her fell in love with. 

One afternoon, my husband asked me how much we paid to board the horse. “Mmm…where was this conversation headed?” I asked myself. Upon my reply, he said, “We should find five acres to invest in and save on board,” and the search began. A few weeks later, I casually…jokingly…mentioned that 100 acres near our boarding facility was for sale, and it was really pretty, but obviously WAY more than five acres, so clearly not what we were looking for nor something we could afford. My husband, always up for a challenge, scheduled a tour. Four months later, we purchased the 100-acre ranch all because of the paint mare, Shade.

For three years, we rode the multitude of trails winding through the expansive live oaks scattered throughout the property. And every time we had friends and family visit, we placed awkward newbies and children alike atop the sweet paint mare. Throughout it all, Shade was our “go-to” horse. No matter what issues she may have had when she didn’t understand what a more experienced rider may ask of her, they all faded away when she was tasked with taking care of those who had never ridden or the “littles” who could barely reach the stirrups. 

The Spicewood ranch was supposed to be our forever home, but after my husband had a life-altering health scare, we began looking for a “turnkey ranch” -- a place where we didn’t have to build a house, an arena, and a barn; this was no small order for sure. However, within a week, we stumbled upon what is now our home in Moody, Texas. This was only possible because we were able to sell our Spicewood ranch for far more than what we paid for it just three years prior, when we needed five acres for the paint mare, Shade.

After a year and a half and a multitude of “not by chance” encounters with dedicated individuals who share our passion for serving veterans, first responders, and youth, our equine-assisted therapy nonprofit, Unbridled Equine Programs, was born in the heart of Texas. The turnkey ranch, overlooking the expansive countryside between three large communities overflowing with veterans, first responders, and youth, became the ideal location for our mission.

While my dream of Shade as the perfect therapy horse would never be fulfilled, she did fulfill a purpose that only now we can fully understand…it is because of her that we were able to purchase this amazing property, perfectly suited to fulfill OUR purpose of serving individuals who have experienced life conflicts or trauma, providing hope and healing, so they too can live impactful lives of purpose. This is the legacy of Shade, the paint mare, who will forever live in our hearts and most importantly, as part of a purpose much larger than her own.