Megan is an endurance rider from California who is studying genetics and psychology at UC Davis. She will graduate summer 2026 and can't wait to get back into more endurance riding - until then, Megan spends her weekends riding in the foothills with her horses, riding on rocky trails in varying ecosystems, and loves going on camping trips over the summer.
A love of rescue horses and barefoot
She met “Addie or Not, Here We Come!” (Addie) in February of 2017. Addie is an unregistered pintabian, most likely born around 2004. Addie came from a man who fled to Belize, and landed in the hands of Megan’s dear friend. Addie arrived in poor conditions: underweight, tangled mane, and overgrown hooves. She had many “behavioral issues,” such as separation anxiety and prancing under saddle. Standing still felt impossible, as you would be met with bucking and bolting. Megan adopted Addie in December 2019 after Addie dealt with a severe laminitis attack that her owner was unable to afford. Addie had soundness issues, so Megan pulled off her metal shoes after 7 years shod, and has never considered metal shoes again.
With the help of Becky Hart, Megan incorporated clicker training, positive reinforcement, and TTouch into her daily routine. Addie and Megan began to condition for endurance and completed a few limited distance rides. However, when Megan arrived to feed Addie one afternoon in May 2024, she found Addie had suffered a SDFT injury. Despite retiring from endurance due to the injury, Addie still joins Megan on trail rides and camping trips.
In June 2024, Addie was still recovering from her injury, so Megan’s friend offered her horses so she could still spend time in the saddle. Megan was drawn to “Flame N’ Go” (Flame), and decided to begin a care lease. Flame came from a rescue situation, where she was roughly handled. This led to habits such as pulling back, whether tied or led, and shutting down emotionally when things became stressful.
Flame’s owner asked the farrier to put on metal shoes, but Flame refused to stand still. Megan decided it would be safer for everyone and less stressful for the horse if Flame was barefoot, and began to use Renegade Hoof Boots for Flame after 8 weeks.
After a slow mental rehabilitation, and lots of fun adventures, Flame is significantly happier and expresses herself much more frequently.
Megan's favourite Renegade features
Megan says "One of the greatest things about Renegade Hoof Boots is the amount of tread that make it safe to handle a variety of sections. I frequently ride on rocky trails, with extreme hills that almost all horses slip on. Renegade Hoof Boots keep the horses safe and sound, while also remaining comfortable and colorful. Another great aspect about Renegade Hoof Boots is how much they care about customer satisfaction and fit."
Using the fitting guide and talking to support, means Megan does not worry about twisting, rubbing, or losing hoof boots due to an ill-fit.
Megan points out that some hooves may also do better with different heel captivators. For example, Addie does not use the Viper captivator on her front hoof boots because her hooves are small and underdeveloped after years of being in metal shoes. The Classic captivator keeps her comfortable with no rubs or twisting. She says that it is a good idea to have your hoof boots fitted by the Renegade team through their Free Sizing Service, and recommends that horse owners contact Renegade if they are having issues with hoof boot fit.
A convert to R+ training
Megan initially learned about Parelli Natural Horsemanship and believed being the boss was the only way to be safe. However, using pressure with Addie led to kicking, biting, and bolting. “Winning” was not possible with Addie, no matter how much pressure was applied. Megan looked into clicker training and positive reinforcement, and the combination of pressure and release with a high reward was incredibly efficient.
After working with multiple rescue horses where she boards Addie and Flame, Megan has learned how important it is to not rush your horse training. Many of the horses are nervous, shut down, and associate human interaction with negative consequences. Making sure both parties are enjoying the activities and taking it slow keeps everyone safe.
Megan does a lot of clicker training, positive reinforcement, and liberty to keep things fun for the horses. She says her favourite horse training quote is “Ride your own ride,” because it reminds her to take her time and enjoy the journey without feeling the pressure of others.
Transitioning to barefoot and hoof boots
To avoid bruising on the rocks, Megan always uses hoof boots as a preventative unless the trail is flat without painful obstacles. She's had Flame barefoot since right after she started leasing her, and because Flame was barefoot for the majority of her life, and she is able to handle the majority of surfaces barefoot.
On the other hand, Addie transitioned barefoot after 7 years in metal shoes in November 2024. Addie’s hooves were atrophied, sunken, and bruised. It took a long time of careful trimming, rehabilitation, and constant booting-up/hoof protection to keep her comfortable. After almost a year and a half, Addie is able to march around her rocky paddock barefoot with no signs of discomfort.
Megan says "Transitioning barefoot is not always easy, which is why many people stop transitioning too early. With time and care, it barefoot is possible for the vast majority of horses."
Even tricky trimming scenarios deliver results with time
Megan began to trim Flame herself after learning Flame was not safe around the farrier. With the help of friends, who also trimmed their own horses, Megan got the confidence to take over Flame’s hoof care. After issues with a barefoot trimmer for Addie, Megan also began to trim Addie.
One of Megan’s favorite things about trimming herself is being able to make small adjustments without needing to wait possibly days or weeks. She trims about every 1 to 2 weeks, sometimes focusing on bringing the toe back or doing a “full trim.” Addie has been battling long toes and underrun heels, but her hoof health is finally making progress thanks to frequent and careful trimming. Megan believes that it is important for everyone to learn how to do maintenance trims, as it can speed up rehabilitation and recovery.
Riding with two horses - double the fun
Since Megan has two horses to ride, and usually doesn’t have another rider to join her, she frequently rides one and ponies the other. She initially began to do this as she was rehabbing Addie’s tendon, but now both horses are just happy to be out together.
It can be tricky passing cyclists or hikers, but both horses are sound of mind and understand the situation in front of them. Megan is even able to safely tackle difficult terrain while ponying, such as single tracks next to drops/cliffs. Other riders are often surprised that she does it so frequently, but it has been normal for this trio for a long time.
Focused on horse-first goals
Megan’s goal has always been the horse's longevity and putting the horse first. She is focusing on fun adventures, trail riding, horse camping, and endurance rides. She says she may go to a few local horse shows such as schooling shows or obstacle courses to keep things mixed up.
Follow the adventures or Megan, Addie and Flame here:
California Endurance on Facebook, california.endurance on Instagram and TikTok, and CaliforniaEndurance on YouTube.
