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Tracy & Socks the Mustang mare.

Hello! I’m Tracy Porter and working with horses and equestrians is my dream come true! Let me share a little about myself as I feel it’s important you know about the person you choose to work with you and your horse!

It all began as a child… I was a Montessori kid. This unique learning experience shaped me to become an effective teacher as well as an equine leader and led me to want to do more than *just* ride my horses down the trail.

My first horse was an Appaloosa named Topper. Every picture I drew was an Appaloosa (naturally!). Topper however was solid black and would bleach into wonderful colors throughout the year. He and I spent lots of time together riding with my friends and their horses. We played tag, hide and seek, raced our horses riding forward, backwards and double. We set up a jump course of tree limbs using cement blocks and 55 gallon drums as jump standards. Since we were lazy we never used saddle when we rode. I spent many hours swimming on my horse, so not only was he in great shape but sleek and fit as well. Occasionally he would crawl under his fence and go swimming by himself! I would run from pier to pier, trying to catch up to him. Tracy Porter & her first horse Topper, an Appaloosa gelding.

The love of horses pushed me to experiences spanning many disciplines and competitive levels. I’ve gone down trails for relaxing rides and also cleaned up to show in traditional and gaited horse competitions. Let’s not forget about endurance riding and team penning too! I use dressage principles in my training, but with a twist, and I’m quite capable of training both gaited and non-gaited breeds and very interested in Western and Cowboy Dressage training.

Of course my love of horses, although it has been with me since I was young, was not my only interest. I discovered water skiing when I was 4 and it has played a major role in my life. From 1972 until 1992 I competed at Regional and National competitions and skied professionally. I skied on many different teams from Wisconsin and other states. During the last two years in college I was part of a world record for 32 skiers behind a ski boat and also wrote and published a book on swivel skiing. I was also awarded the first Willia McGuire Cook Award at the National Tournament given to the outstanding female skier. Whatever that is supposed to mean, I just loved to ski. Even today I smile when I see little girls looking through their new book and dreaming of skiing while a tournament is going on.

Marny pulling a sled in the ski hill pasture.

Since 1977 my mother, Shirley May, and I have raised Paso Fino horses on the Wisconsin farm I grew up on. We got our first Paso Fino mare that year, who came with a breeding when she was old enough. Marny (pictured pulling us through the ski hill) was a result of that breeding and she was with me until April 24, 2001. Many years ago in 1995, I bought a yearling colt named Caz (aka Casadero Sin Par)  who blossomed into a flashy, versatile stallion. He’s the horse of my dreams and for the past decade he and I have educated, enlightened and encouraged horse lovers at many horse fairs in the States and Canada. This past summer Caz joined The Rock Aqua Jays Water Ski Show Team and was the first horse to compete in the National Show Competition!

Our farm is home to 50+ horses, many who we board for their owners. In my spare time I travel giving clinics & lessons. My writing is seen in many regional and national publications and on my equine websites. My years of training experience has been fueled by my own desire to learn and always striving to improve. By keeping an open mind to new and different ideas I’ve been unafraid to change if there is a better way. I feel it is important for you to understand how your horse thinks as well as how to safely work your horse and problem solve.

I have had the honor of owning many horses over the years and at this time I have a few wonderful horses in my life. My main horse is my former stallion Caz who is joined by Mouse and Holy Socks! my Mustang Makeover mares. We recently welcomed Caz’s cousin & understudy Jinx to the little herd! He is a black & white pinto paso fino. I still have Sir Thomas, and Mr. Chumley a rescue from HARPS.  I would by happy to help you find the horse of your dreams too, I might know of a few that are looking for new homes.