Meet Nicolette...
A love for horses has fueled Nicolette’s desire to learn and grow as a horsewoman her entire life. With nearly four decades of professional experience honing her horsemanship skills, and helping others do the same, Nicolette puts her heart and soul into working with any horse. Her experience includes firsthand knowledge of hundreds of horses and a variety of breeds ranging from America’s Wild Mustangs to the finest imported Warmbloods, from ranch horses to racing legends. She has worked, ridden/started colts on over 25 ranches, from Wyoming to California, including designing and managing the premier equestrian facility, Painted Springs Farm, in Franklin, Tennessee-owned by country superstar, Kix Brooks (of Brooks & Dunn) and his wife, Barbara.
While Nicolette feels she is a product of studying many great horsemen before her, she also considers herself extremely fortunate to have been immersed for years in the world of wild horses; literally building makeshift corrals and sorting wild horses daily, gentling them, trimming their feet (often for the first time without halters or leads) and starting them under saddle. Nicolette credits Mustangs for teaching her how to observe the intricacies and subtleties of equine communication and for cultivating her sensitivity and responsiveness to all horses.
Nicolette especially enjoys colt starting and foundation work for any discipline, from Dressage to Reining and Cow Horses. She is able to effectively help frightened or misguided horses, resolve problems such as bucking, rearing, biting, shying or other undesirable behaviors, with a gentle and confident manner.
Nicolette’s gentle approach to leadership is not limited to helping her equine friends- she is every bit as dedicated to communicating and sharing her knowledge with her piers and clients as well. Her uncomplicated style of demonstrating horsemanship has captivated audiences at clinics and events spread over California’s Central Coast region. From “True Horsemanship with America’s Mustangs” 2011 in Santa Ynez, to demonstrating ground work with young Arabian stallions at Varian Arabians 2012, in Arroyo Grande, Nicolette has garnered reviews comparing her to masters like Buck Brannaman and Pat Parrelli. Articles about her work have been published in The Los Angeles Times, The Santa Ynez Valley Journal and The Santa Barbara News-Press.
Nicolette’s other interests include music and songwriting.
In 2006 she released a self-penned album titled “Stonehorse.” In 2007 she was invited to perform at the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City -formerly known as The Cowboy Hall of Fame. Nicolette resides in Santa Ynez, California where she trains and helps other's with their horses.
