Holley lives in Denver, Colorado, with her husband, 3 cats, and 2 horses.
Forest is her 4-year-old Belesemo Arabian gelding who is an up-and-coming endurance horse. Forest broke his shoulder when he was 9-months-old and everyone thought he would likely never be rideable. Holley fought for him tooth and nail, doing every form of rehabilitation possible. Now, as a 4-year-old, Forest has beaten the odds and she is starting him herself - she says "I can’t wait to ride him on the trails for the first time!"
Sultan is Holley's 9-year-old Arabian gelding that she adopted from Colorado Horse Rescue in 2023. Sultan had a rough past, being passed around from home to home before finally landing with her. Holley was told he might be too spooky and anxious to ever be a successful endurance horse, but all Sultan needed was a person to truly love him. He has become Holley's heart horse and she trusts him with her life on the sketchiest of trails.
She hopes aims to continue moving up to higher mileage endurance races, with the ultimate goal of completing the Tevis Cup with Sultan. But for Holley, it’s really about the journey with horses, not the destination.
"I want to spend years with happy, healthy horses, doing what we love - whether that’s a 100-mile endurance race, or just hanging out in the pasture together."
Holley has been using Renegade hoof boots since 2024
"I switched to Renegades after years of trial and error with steel shoes and other hoof boot brands." says Holley, "I was encouraged by other endurance riders to give Renegade hoof boots a try, and I haven’t looked back!"
Holley's passion is extreme mountain riding, whether on her own or during an AERC endurance race. She says "I love traversing sheer, rocky, heart-pounding trails that are not for the faint of heart. The steeper the cliff, the bigger the adrenaline rush! Renegade hoof boots allow Sultan and me to confidently climb to new heights."
Holley explains that the patented pivoting heel captivator on Renegade Hoof Boots has been a game-changer for her distance riding. "It allows for natural movement of the horses hoof, which is extremely important when navigating tough, dangerous terrain in the Rocky Mountains. I never worry about hoof boots rubbing or twisting, which lets me keep my focus on the trail ahead."
Holley says that horses have taught her how to have patience, humor, determination, and grit
"I have loved and lost; I have experienced the highest highs and the lowest lows. All the blood, sweat, and tears are worth it when I reach the summit of a mountain and take in the view between the ears of my best horse."
Holley says that she used to shoe her horses, but the more she learned about hoof anatomy, the more she realized steel shoes were doing a disservice to her horses’ feet: "Steel shoes didn’t allow my horses’ hooves to flex naturally, taking away some of their finesse on tough trails. After going barefoot, my horses’ heels expanded, the frogs became large and robust, and my horses felt more confident and agile on the trail."
Holley trims her own horses every 1-3 weeks. For Holley, watching the transformation of her horses’ hooves after going barefoot really sparked her passion for trimming.
"Trimming my horses’ feet makes me feel more connected to them, and gives me a better understanding of their biomechanics and overall health. It’s also extremely rewarding to be self-sufficient and know that I can do 100% of my horses’ care."
Holley loves Liberty and trick-training!
She told us "Arabians are so incredibly smart, and I have so much fun teaching Forest and Sultan tricks. Both boys will smile on command, Forest can perform a whole list of maneuvers at liberty, and Sultan can be ridden tackless on the trail. I like to tell my friends, “Look what I can do!”, and then take off Sultan’s bridle mid-ride."
Holley attended a colt-starting clinic with Bucking K Horsemanship years ago. Michael Klaasen said something profound that stuck with her.
When training a horse, you should make sure the horse doesn’t feel afraid to make a mistake, and isn’t scared to try again.
This is why Holley never punishes her horses and always encourages them to try again.
Holley says that Renegade hoof boots are so fast and easy to put on and take off
"I think people are apprehensive about how much time it might take to put on hoof boots before a ride, but it takes me less than a minute to put all four hoof boots on. I’m always the first person who is tacked up and ready to ride!"
Follow Holley's mountain adventures with her Arabians here:
Instagram: @highdesert.runner
Facebook: High Desert Runner
