About

Lisa’s passion for horses began at a young age. At six, her parents took her on occasional trail rides, and by twelve, she had joined an Equestrian Vaulting team. She loved expressing herself through dance, music, and movement, and her talent was soon recognized when she earned the Region III National Women at the Trot title.

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In high school, Lisa developed an interest in dressage and jumping. She participated in several lesson programs, enjoying the challenge of riding different horses and learning to understand their unique personalities.

Lisa continued pursuing her passion for horses at Colorado State University, where she studied Equine Science and Psychology with a minor in Business Administration.

 

During college, she became involved in several equestrian teams, including the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association (IHSA) and the university Polo team. She also began training and showing in Eventing at a local barn, developing a passion for competing across multiple disciplines. Lisa then adopted her first horse, Confetti, through the Right Horse Initiative while taking an equine rehabilitation and behavior class. Successfully restarting Confetti sparked a new passion for training and starting horses.

 

During her time in Colorado, Lisa’s interest in mustangs began when a local organization, Wild Rose Mustang Advocacy, introduced her to the world of wild horses. Not long after, she met Pandora, a young mustang who became an important part of Lisa’s journey as a trainer. Pandora proved to be an incredible eventing partner, and their journey together deepened Lisa’s appreciation for the intelligence, resilience, and unique personalities of mustangs. Since then, Lisa has started and trained several more mustangs. Funfetti Farms is now home to four mustangs, all of whom participate in the farm’s lesson program. Lisa and Pandora currently compete in Novice Eventing and also enjoy other disciplines, including Working Equitation and working cows.

 

Lisa’s passion for teaching also grew during her college years. In 2021, she became a PATH International Therapeutic Riding Instructor. After graduating from Colorado State University in 2022, Lisa continued working in the therapeutic riding field at the Temple Grandin Equine Center and Hearts and Horses Therapeutic Riding Center. There, she taught horseback riding to individuals with disabilities, at-risk youth, and veterans. She later completed a second certification as an Equine Specialist in Mental Health and Learning through PATH International.

 

In 2025, Lisa graduated with a Master’s in Social Work from the University of Denver’s online program and began working as a mental health therapist in Oregon. With her background in psychology, social work, therapeutic riding, and horsemanship, Lisa enjoys creating lessons that go beyond riding skills. She loves incorporating social-emotional learning, confidence building, problem-solving, and life skills into her lessons. Her goal is to help each student develop a deeper understanding of horses while building confidence, independence, and meaningful connections through horsemanship.

 

Outside of social work and horses, Lisa enjoys hiking, dancing, gardening, and reading. She lives in Junction City, Oregon, with her husband, Conner, a veterinarian at Del Oeste Equine Hospital. Together, they live on a 10-acre farm with their chickens, horses, cats, dogs, and one rabbit. Lisa and Conner look forward to welcoming you to Funfetti Farms and supporting you on your own journey with horses!