Denise Wilkins

I did not grow up around horses, but they have always been my passion.  My “first” horse was a bright blue pastel rocking horse that sat on box springs.  I used to ride him all day, falling asleep while still rocking, but never falling off.  Even though my family could not afford a horse, I did find out that my love for them was fueled by my mother’s family, who were ranchers that emigrated to Hawai’I from Portugal.  I kept this passion alive through books with my childhood favorite being the Misty of Chincoteague series. 

Fast forward a few decades.  My real first horse, a two year old Morgan, came into my life in my early 30’s when she chose me to be her Human.  I broke “The Golden Rule” because it was a tossup on who was greener, my horse or me.  I worked off her purchase by taking care of five of her breeders’ horses, and she came with me when I got married and moved to Colorado.  It was an incredible journey of Love, Communication, and Education.  I lost my “Heart Horse” in 2018 at the age of 25, and her son now carries on her legacy.

I now have two Morgan geldings that I have bred, that beloved son from my “Heart Horse” and another diamond in the rough that I bred with a longtime friend who, at the time, had one of Ted Wilrich’s last mares on lease.  Tragically, we lost the mare shortly after delivering her foal.  In May of 2020, I took that horse to longtime friend, Cliff Swanson, introducing us to Western Dressage.  Not only is he thriving in his new job, but in a Full Circle moment I found out a long time ago Cliff had a missed opportunity to purchase his dam and is now training her last son.  I am hoping to build that same Western Dressage Partnership with my other horse who is also smart and loves to work but has confidence issues, which translated into me losing my confidence as a rider with him.  

My horses keep balanced and calm in this hectic world and I couldn’t imagine my life without them.  I still think about that bright blue spring “pony” I had as a toddler and am thankful for the amazing horses I have and have had in my life.