Horses & Trainers
Our trainers and lesson horses work together to provide a supportive and educational experience for riders of all levels. We are proud to partner with outside trainers who bring a variety of skills and perspectives to our program, creating opportunities for both horses and riders to learn, grow, and thrive in a positive environment. Introductions and photos are coming soon.
Our trainers
Emma
Emma has been working with horses for 20+ years and has had the opportunity to train with JDK Equine, Regina Argen, and Billy Richey, amongst others. She values a style of training that cultivates a positive and supportive learning experience, while maintaining a proper biomechanics education for students and horses alike. She started Licks & Chews to provide students, trainers, and horses a safe environment to practice these beliefs in a program that values the horses as what we can learn from them.
Our horses
Libby
Libby is a 15 yr old bay Dutch warmblood and the biggest horse at L&C. She had an extensive showing life in her earlier days and from that has a well full of knowledge that she wants to help students learn. She can definitely be a bit more than an advanced horse given all of the buttons that she has, however she tries to make sure she takes care of each of her riders individually.
Mira
Mira is an 11 yr old seal point bay thoroughbred mare who has an extremely grounding personality and a kind eye. With beginners, she is slow, gentle, and takes care of her riders, while with more advanced riders she's excellent at teaching new and more advanced concepts.
Ryker
Ryker is a 9 yr old buttermilk buckskin Criollo/Andalusian cross gelding and our other resident pretty boy. He is extremely intelligent, sensitive, and sincere, with amazing ground manners that let students learn how to work with a horse lunging or doing liberty work. However, due to his age and quite a bit of spiciness under saddle, he is Emma's personal riding horse.
Sherman
Sherman is a 27 yr old bay quarter horse gelding and our resident teddy bear at L&C. He was Emma's first horse and has taught hundreds of kids to ride and helped them flourish into more confident riders. He might be a bit of a snail and will always try to stop by the parents for scratches and pets, but his gentle, silly personality makes him a favorite amongst students and especially parents alike.
Fiona
Fiona is a 13 yr old chestnut quarter horse mare and one of the more spicy members of our team. She's a bit like a hot tamale and we adore her for it. She came to us as a rehab case and since having her and unlocking more of her personality and trust she's grown into a fantastic horse who prefers to have a couple people to bond with rather than a bunch.
Sophia
Sophia is a 27 yr old tri-colored paint APHA mare who has been around the block. Though mostly retired, she has a forward personality and has been a faithful companion in teaching students of all ages the importance of setting boundaries with a calm and forgiving demeanor.
Belle
Belle is a 19 yr old grey Arab mare who, like her Disney counterpart, balances kindness with elegance and of course a healthy bit of sass. She's fantastic for beginner riders who seek a horse who will make sure that they are comfortable and feel safe at all times.
Nelson
Nelson is a 7 yr old chestnut Haflinger/quarter horse cross gelding who loves to flaunt his stuff. He loves an audience and being fawned over by his adoring fans. He's one of our more advanced lesson horses due to his big size and matching personality, but behind the tough guy exterior he will stand and snuggle you all day.