Come by and say Hi!

Welcome to Blue Star.

Horses have been my life since I was a third grader, sneaking off to ride my best friend's racehorses at her grandparent's farm in Marengo, IL. Being a child of suburban Chicago, I yearned to have stories like my mom or cowboy uncle did, of growing up around Birmingham trail riding and barrel racing with heroes known only as Pop, or Doc.

I got my big break when I found out about a horsemanship post offered via the Boy Scout Explorer program at a local barn. Several years into that, I gave up high school sports so I could work to ride, and ultimately earn, my first horse: a 15 y/o arabian gelding named Image (renamed Killian), who was destined for the slaughter auction.

Killian came with me to college in Montevallo, and was boarded within a mile away from where my mom had boarded her horse when she attended college there. After college, I apprenticed consecutively with two Illinois-certified farriers (when IL still had a licensure program) for several years, until branching out (as is customary) to take some of my own clients. I was heavily influenced by my first teacher, a master in his own right, who chose to keep his prices modest and donated time to the rescue agencies in the area. A champion reiner, he was known to frequent the kill auctions, saving what he could carry home, and up-bidding other horses to get them out of the slaughter price range. Every horse got as much time, feed, and attention as they needed; and perfect homes always seemed to follow.

Blue Star Equine follows those traditions, and seeks further to enable rescue horses to be ambassadors for their plight. Our mission is education by example; empathy by experience.