About Tia

Born and raised around horses, Tia inherited the love of the horse from the start. Growing up in Snohomish County Washington, she started training horses around the age of 16 years old. She started her foundation in western pleasure and trail riding. She grew up next to the Pilchuck Tree Farm, a large active tree farm with an extensive trail system. From trail riding to colt starting, western pleasure to ranch riding, obtacles to liberty work, english and even driving, she has done a bit of it all. 

Having attended various clinics, shows and events she has learned alot of different training methods throughout the years. After officially starting her business in 2021, her training took more of a focus on developing an eye for and understanding sound movement. This was because each horse that was brought into her training program, had some sort of physical issue that was causing unwanted behaviors. Instead of just pushing them through it, she started looking further into what was causing the behaviors in the first place. She started partnering up with local equine body workers, veterinarians and farriers for each horse to get to the bottom of their discomfort.

In an effort to learn more on the subject of sound movement, Tia started following the work of Amy Skinner. Amy embraces a training philosphy based in classical dressage and sound horsemanship practices. Tia got her first opportunity to ride in Amy's clinic in Snohomish, WA, March, 2022. With the inspiring teaching Amy offered and the profound changes in each horse in just 2 days, Tia finally saw clearly the path she wanted to go in her horsemenship journey. A focus on posural health and training for soundness. After about a year and a half of following Amy, reaching out to her for her guidance on some of her more challenging cases, Amy invited her to join her Professionals Mentorship program. In October of 2022, Tia joined the mentorship group giving her the opportunity to continue her studies more directly with Amy which made a profound difference personally and professionally. 

A part of postural health and rehabilitation is being a balanced rider, who can follow the horses movement and not restrict or block it causing tension in both horse and rider. Tia also studies Centered Riding, founded by Sally Swift, and has found a local Centered Riding Instructor who had the chance to ride with Sally Swift herself. From there an understanding of how our balance and posture patterns affect the development of sound movement, blossomed. 

Happy Hearts Horsemanship was invited to become a member of Progressive Equine Partnerships in 2023. Founded in 2021, Progressive EquinePartnerships (PEP) is dedicated to recognizing and building a network of Equine Professionals and Establishments who are moving away from tradition and putting the welfare of the equine at the forefront of their practices. 

Tia considers herself a forever student of the horse and continues to expand her education by attending clinics that align with her philosophy and through continued online study and research. Her areas of study are equine nutrition, anatomy, saddle fit, bodywork, biomechanics, land management for horses, equine track systems, barefoot trimming and more. She has her own equine track system or “Paddock Paradise” at home and has been trimming her own personal horses under the guidance of hoofcare friend and mentor Corrie Mannion of Sole Purpose Hoof Care.