A horse that chooses you over the herd.
“Your horse will start choosing you over their own herd. There is no better feeling than that.”
Horsemanship built on mutual trust and respect: groundwork, riding, colt starting, problem solving and barefoot trims, at your barn, on your horse’s timeline.
Training starts with the horse’s wellbeing first, and technique second.
You can make a horse look collected with enough equipment. Appearance isn’t understanding. Lazy K builds horses that understand the question and choose to answer it, which is the only kind of training that holds up when something goes wrong.
Horse first, technique second
There is always another day to teach a lead change. There isn’t a good reason to spend a horse’s confidence to get it today.
Nothing is personal
Horses don’t hold grudges or ruin a ride out of spite. Every behavior has a reason. Boundaries can be firm without anybody getting angry.
Clear boundaries create freedom
A horse that knows the rules doesn’t have to guess what happens next. Clarity creates confidence, and confidence is where curiosity comes from.
Nine years of this work before Lazy K.
Kat helped found Two Bear Therapeutic Riding Center and ran it for nearly nine years, putting riders with disabilities on horses safely. She is a recipient of the A Legacy of Legends horsemanship scholarship, founded by Ray Hunt’s widow and Buck Brannaman to pass the Dorrance and Hunt tradition to the next generation. She was named to the Flathead Beacon’s 20 Under 40 in 2024.
Most of what looks like a horse problem is a communication problem.
Heavy in the bridle. Won’t stand for the farrier. Spooks at the same door it has walked past a thousand times. Hard to catch. Distracted the whole ride.
None of those are personality traits. They are answers to questions somebody asked badly, and they are fixable, in an order, starting on the ground.
“We get out what we put in.”
Four ways to work together
Everything happens at your barn or boarding facility. Traveling services throughout the Flathead Valley.
Individual Lessons
With owners and their horses
One on one riding or groundwork instruction, at your barn.
Ask about thisHorse Training
30, 60 or 90 day program
A structured program built around the individual horse, with a mandatory weekly lesson so the progress comes home with you.
Ask about thisEquine Training
Without owner present
Weekly work for horses needing foundation, problem solving or ongoing development.
Ask about thisNew Owner Consultation
Before and around buying a horse
Property layout, realistic goals, choosing the right horse, and pre purchase support.
Ask about thisFarrier Service
Gentle barefoot trims
Patient barefoot trims, specializing in horses who are difficult about their feet.
Ask about thisIn their words
“We have been working with Kat for over three years, and in that time, she has transformed both our horse and our lives. What sets Kat apart is her ability to help us see the world through the horse’s perspective.”
Erica, Todd & Mia Lengacher
“Kat has been the pivotal trainer who finally helped me and my horse make real progress. I only wish I had found her three years earlier. It would have saved us so much trauma, fear, and frustration.”Mandy Mohler
Written for horse owners, not for search engines
Nine guides, built to the same standard as the training: say the true thing plainly, show the reasoning, and be honest about what nobody actually knows.
Buying your first horse
What it really costs, what to ask a seller, and what a pre purchase exam will not tell you.
Supplements & conditions
Sorted by the problem you are solving. What has evidence, and what is marketing.
Hoof care
Why a late trim changes how the whole limb loads, and what to do about it.
Hauling horses
Trailer checks, loading, driving with a live load, and Montana paperwork.
Saddle & tack fit
A ten minute check you can run yourself, and how to read a sweat pattern.
Winter in the Flathead
Water and colic, feeding for cold, and the blanketing argument settled.
Horsemanship in plain English
What trainers actually mean by feel, timing, release and the try.
When to call the vet
Emergency red flags and normal vitals. Made to print and keep in the tack room.
The horsemen behind the method
Where this horsemanship comes from, with links so you can study it yourself.
Start with a conversation
There’s no online calendar here on purpose. Kat would rather hear about your horse first: what’s going on, and what you’re hoping for. Then she finds the right time and the right starting point with you.