Staff Members
Michele Bruhn, CFRE, the Executive Director of the Colorado Therapeutic Riding Center since August 2017, brings with her a wealth of experience and a deep passion for the equine-assisted services industry. Originally from Woodstock, Illinois, Michele’s career has been dedicated to serving nonprofits and the equine management sectors. She spent over eight years in the recreational therapy department at a behavioral residential treatment center for at-risk youth outside Chicago, Illinois. During her tenure, Michele initiated a partnership with a local therapeutic riding center and directed a campus-wide therapeutic riding program, benefiting 150 residential treatment clients. Prior to her work with youth at risk, Michele served as a barn manager and trail boss on a 2,000-acre ranch in the Ozarks of Missouri. With over 30 years of experience in riding, training, and showing horses, Michele has also worked extensively with individuals with varying disabilities for over 20 years. She holds a degree in psychology from Northern Illinois University and is a Certified Therapeutic Riding Instructor through PATH International, maintaining her certification and teaching 1 class a few sessions each year. Recently, Michele earned the distinction of being a Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE), underscoring her commitment to philanthropy, transparency, integrity, and ethical practices in her leadership role at the Colorado Therapeutic Riding Center. Throughout the challenges of the pandemic, Michele demonstrated exemplary leadership, guiding the organization with resilience and adaptability. She remains dedicated to fostering growth and flourishing within the center, leveraging her lifelong passion for horses and her innate desire to make a positive impact on the lives of others.
Loraine’s passion for horses started at an early age, eventually leading to years of training and competing in Jumpers, Dressage and Combined Training. After years of teaching riding lessons while pursuing her education and completing her undergraduate degree in Biology, she took some time to seek out new experiences and places. In 1999 she thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail and followed that adventure with work as a guide, leading trips throughout the southwest, Thailand and New Zealand. Eventually she returned to her love of horses through volunteering at a therapeutic riding center. In 2004 she became a PATH certified Therapeutic Riding Instructor and taught and led programming at several therapeutic riding centers. She also worked at UNC’s TEACCH Carolina Living and Learning Center, a residential and vocational center for individuals with autism. She has an extensive history with CTRC, having served in several roles, including Instructor, Equine Specialist, and Program Director. In her spare time, Loraine enjoys exploring the world with her family and training her young Morgan Horse Winston.
Natalee is a lifelong horse lover who comes to CTRC with a variety of professional experience. She started out in corporate finance working for Fortune 500 companies. From there, she went into corporate recruiting and then direct sales. Most recently, she served as Development Director for a nonprofit equine therapy organization. Natalee has also been an active volunteer in a breadth of roles in several nonprofit organizations throughout her adult life and has had a longtime dream of a career in nonprofit. Natalee’s horse experience started when she was four years old. She rode western, competing in the barrels and poles events growing up, and managed a small boarding facility in high school. As an adult, she transitioned to English riding and the hunter-jumper disciplines. She also enjoys trail riding with her horse. Natalee is married, has a daughter who is also an equestrian and has recently graduated college, two (energetic) huskies and a (one in a million) horse, and is an avid runner and outdoor enthusiast. Outside of CTRC, you will find her spending time with her family, horse, and barn friends, running and cross-country skiing with her huskies, hiking, downhill skiing, camping, and traveling. Natalee is passionate about the healing horses can offer humans both inside and out and CTRC’s mission. She is thrilled to be on the CTRC team and for the opportunity to do work that intersects her passions, skills, and strengths.
In 2021 China moved to Colorado with her partner (and three dogs). She is elated to be back in the West, looking at the mountains and spending her days with horses and a wonderful group at CTRC.
Amy began her involvement with therapeutic riding in 2000 when she began looking for volunteer opportunities to participate in with her daughter. Soon after, her daughter began taking hunter/jumper lessons and Amy wondered why she was sitting outside the arena, watching. Although Amy had ridden in western lessons as a child, she began taking hunter lessons at the age of 42. She began volunteering with CTRC soon after moving to Colorado in 2014 and is thrilled to now be a part of the staff. Amy and her husband Tim live in Boulder with their Irish Terrier, Rufus.
Ja’el is a Colorado native, born in Longmont and finally returning after over 20 years. She got into horses at 8 years old after loving them her whole life. She has worked at every barn her horses have boarded at along the way. She is well versed in equine nutrition and loves being able to be hands on in her horses care.
Ja’el and her boyfriend, Derrick, own three horses together. Their elderly Arabian is retired, they own Ja’el’s jumping mare from her childhood, and recently Ja’el fulfilled her lifelong dream of starting her own horse. Their young haflinger was feral when they got him and Ja’el has brought him along completely by herself.
Ja’el has always had a passion for children as well. She has babysat ever since she was able and started teaching in her church in high school. She has a bachelors in Elementary Education and currently teaches an amazing group of preschoolers.
She looks forward to her time here at CTRC.
Chelsea was born and raised on the West Coast, where she grew up riding western and then found her passion in the eventing world. At a very young age, Chelsea knew she would grow up and have a career in the veterinary world. From this and her many years of competitive riding that also followed with rehabbing her horse, her special interest in sports medicine with equine athletes grew. In 2017 Chelsea moved out to Colorado to start her journey in eventually becoming a certified veterinary technician at Bel-Rea Institute of Animal Technology. Before graduating in 2021 with an associate’s degree, she did an internship with Jergens Equine, a clinic whose main focus was sports medicine and orthopedic surgery. After graduation, Chelsea continued with Jergens Equine as head vet tech working directly with Amy Barnes who is a board-certified surgeon. Over the last three years, Chelsea has been a dedicated vet tech for all equine athletes!
Jess went through an abundance of activities and sports growing up in Southern California, with western riding being one of the longest. She owes her introduction to and love for horses at a young age to her mother who competed and owned horses all the way up until Jess was born. Through high school, family festivities typically consisted of trips to county fairs for the rodeo, or guided trail rides through the woods. In later years, Jess fell into the restaurant and hospitality realm, managing and opening restaurants in the western states and Texas for Fox Restaurant Concepts following her college graduation. Her final restaurant opening in Boulder was her last, as Jess and her husband decided to call Colorado their home. Her caring nature and the opportunity to be around horses again is what drew Jess to us at CTRC. She is a lover of all animals, big and small, including her tuxedo cat that acts more like a dog. When not working, Jess is either biking in the mountains with her husband or traveling all over the states to visit family.
Ann is a lifelong horse lover who had a Paint horse as a child in Southern Illinois. She is also a dedicated volunteer, recognizing the value of giving back and sharing her passions with others. Ann fell in love with backpacking and rock climbing while working for the Youth Conservation Corps (YCC), the Student Conservation Association (SCA), and the State Park Service. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Conservation and Geography from CU, along with Certificates in Green Building from CSU and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) from the CU Leeds School of Business.
With over 15 years of volunteer management experience, Ann has worked with Habitat for Humanity (HFH), the American Solar Energy Society (ASES), and the SCCC Family Resource Center in Lafayette. Currently, she volunteers on a wildlife action committee for the City of Lafayette. Ann raised her daughter, who now lives in New Mexico, to ride and love horses. In her free time, you can often find Ann attending concerts, paddling at a nearby lake, traveling, or happily spending time in her yard with her cats, Mocha and Evie.
Tyler is a graduate of the University of Northern Colorado with a bachelor’s degree in Meteorology. He enjoys studying the weather and climate change impacts on society.
Originally from Chicago, Illinois, Isabella began riding at the age of 4 and has been passionate about horses ever since. She started by attending horse camp in Wisconsin as a child and transitioned to hunter/jumpers at age 12. Due to financial constraints, her family couldn’t afford to lease or buy a horse, so she dedicated her riding lessons to helping train her trainers’ off-the-track thoroughbreds and volunteering at a local horse rescue. To fund her lessons and competitions, she worked as a lifeguard and swim instructor from the age of 14 and participated in USEF Hunter/Jumper and Western Dressage events throughout high school.
Determined to further her education, Isabella attended Colorado State University, earning a Bachelor’s degree in Equine Science. At CSU, she played for the Women’s Polo team, assisted in training horses at the Temple Grandin Equine Center, and developed a deep passion for equine behavior. During her junior year, she started her first mustang and a colt from the Four Sixes Ranch, which ignited her interest in training horses using a combination of natural horsemanship and positive reinforcement.
Following her internship at Wild Rose Mustang Advocacy Group Inc., Isabella was appointed as an assistant trainer. She has since trained and adopted out over 65 mustangs and 50 domesticated horse breeds. After college, she discovered a love for eventing and has been competing mustangs in rated USEA shows for the past three years, while also developing her personal horses. Isabella’s passion for helping horses and people naturally led her to a role where she could contribute to the well-being and happiness of program horses at CTRC.
Instructors
Jessica was born and raised in Longmont, CO and volunteered at CTRC during high school. She has an extensive and wide variety of horse experience including packing and outfitting in the mountains, hunter jumpers, training young horses, and even jousting. She graduated CSU in 2015 with degrees in Equine Science and Sociology and a minor in business administration. She got her certification with PATH later that same year. She’s also a certified wellness coach. She loves being active outdoors doing paddleboarding, camping, hiking, running and playing with her dog Mia.
Amanda’s lifelong love of horses, passion for education, and heart for individuals with disabilities led her to the Colorado Therapeutic Riding Center in 2023. She completed her requirements for becoming a Certified Therapeutic Riding Instructor through the Instructor In Training program at CTRC and was thrilled to be invited into the CTRC family as a part-time instructor the fall of 2024.
Amanda grew up in Texarkana, Texas exploring trails and participating in local “Play Day” gymkhana events with her sister. When a family move forced a break from horses, Amanda focused on her dancing with the middle and high school drill teams. While attending Texas A&M University, Amanda enjoyed some time riding with the Polo Club, worked as a summer horse camp counselor and riding instructor in West Texas, and exercised horses for a local ranch.
After graduation, she worked as a teacher’s assistant in a middle school special education classroom before moving to Colorado in 2002. Amanda worked in a variety of settings, then took some time off to be a stay at home mom with her children and homeschooling them for a period of time. Also during that time, Amanda joined her daughter in the pursuit of English riding, jumping, and showing.
Amanda’s dream of having horses in her own backyard became a reality in 2019 with the purchase of her beloved Shire/Quarter Horse cross Dutchess. Amanda lives in Broomfield with her husband, two children, three mares, three dogs, lizards, and her daughter’s snake. When she isn’t doing barn and property chores, riding, or teaching, Amanda enjoys traveling, hiking, working out in the gym, and dancing whenever the opportunity arises.
Therapists
Angelique is originally from New York and moved to Colorado in May 2017. She has over 20 years of experience with horses including competition riding, breeding, barn management, sales, and training. Angelique has a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology and Criminal Justice as well as a Master’s Degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. Angelique is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) and is also a Registered Psychotherapist (NLC) in the state of Colorado. She has owned and operated her private practice – All in Stride, LLC. since 2018. Angelique started as an intern at the Colorado Therapeutic Riding Center in August 2019, moved into the Development Coordinator position in 2020, and is now offering mental health services for our clients. Angelique has a Quarter Horse named Chaos, a Friesian named Apollo & an American Warmblood named Zeus. Angelique also rode thoroughbred horses at the Saratoga Racetrack in New York as an exercise rider and has rehabilitated many thoroughbred horses after their careers on the track ended. Angel competes as a hunter jumper but also likes to do dressage and trail ride.
From Cape Cod, MA, Heather discovered the wonder of horses at a young age. She has limited formal training, primarily riding and showing at small local barns as a kid and wherever a horse needed exercising as an adult. Heather received an undergraduate degree in Psychology from Amherst College in 1991, followed by 4 years working as a mental health counselor on a locked pediatric ward. In the year prior to starting a master’s program in Occupational Therapy at Tufts University, Heather discovered the power of the equine as a therapeutic entity while volunteering at a therapeutic riding center in Westwood, MA. Since receiving her MS, OTR in 1998, she has taken advantage of that therapeutic magic throughout her OT career. Heather specializes in working with children, especially young children, and believes that parents/caregivers are an integral part of every client’s therapy team. When not providing services in a barn environment, she has provided home-based and school-based OT. Outside work and horses, Heather enjoys mountain biking, reading, taking canoe trips with her family and partaking in her 2 teenagers’ sport and music experiences.
Staci grew up in Colorado Springs, and started western horseback riding lessons at around 10 years old, beginning her continuing love for horses. She attended Colorado State University with the intention of majoring in Equine Science, but switched to Psychology, then never quite figured out what she wanted to do when she grew up. A few years after graduation, in 2009, she started volunteering at CTRC, sparking an interest in EAAT and Occupational Therapy. She returned to school for a second bachelor’s in Human Development and Family studies, hoping to then enter the Master’s program in OT at CSU; when that didn’t work out, she studied at Pima Medical Institute to become an Occupational Therapy Assistant, instead, and has been loving it ever since.
Staci has worked in a variety of settings from adult home health to outpatient pediatrics, to a hybrid outpatient/school facility, to now incorporating equine assisted therapy, and enjoys working with clients of all ages and abilities. She is excited to join the therapy team at CTRC, after many years as a volunteer! Outside of work, she mostly hangs out with her husband, young daughter, and doggos; continues to take horseback riding lessons; and enjoys reading and binge watching random tv shows.
Dani has been an OT since 2007, with most of her experience in pediatrics. She loves being outside around nature and animals, and also loves to read. Working with children and animals is a passion of hers and she is thrilled to be able to follow through on her dreams and helping others achieve theirs. She married her middle school sweetheart in 2004 and has two daughters.
Mackenzie first came to CTRC in January of 2023 to complete a Doctoral Capstone Experience with Creighton University. She was looking to understand how Occupational Therapy utilizing the equine movement can be used as an intervention strategy; and how it improves daily life skill, movement skills, and motivation to participate in therapy. Her internship was a huge success! She knew she wanted to continue in the field, and we knew that we wanted her to stay. She left the internship with plans of wrapping up her school program, getting married, passing her Board Exam, and taking the necessary steps to become a therapist with CTRC! We were thrilled to welcome her back in December 0f 2023!
Jill grew up in Miami, FL, where she began riding horses at 12. She competed in a few hunter/jumper shows in her teens but competed in more horse shows as an adult. Jill graduated from Bucknell University with a bachelor’s degree in Business Management and Spanish in 1999. She made a career change when her son was four and received a Master’s in Communication Disorders from the University of South Carolina, Columbia online program in 2019. Jill worked in the school setting for two years before switching to pediatric home health care. Jill always wanted to combine her love of horses and her passion for speech and language delays. She has seen firsthand how amazing the equine movement has helped her clients progress. Jill enjoys spending time with her 15-year-old son and her two dogs and staying active either by being outside or taking a class at the gym.