About

A life-long horsewoman, Holly’s passion began early with pony rides on her aunt’s jumper horses. Not long after she received her first horse, a Standardbred x Arab, who introduced her to just about every discipline she could have imagined. From western classes to bombing around the jumper rings, she credits her first gelding for starting her on the path to being a professional in the horse industry.

Growing up she had many opportunities to explore various corners of the equine industry. She has rehabbed racing Thoroughbreds and Quarter Horses, exercised Standardbred trotters, started western pleasure mounts, ridden cutting horses, tried cattle penning, all the while finding her niche in the hunter/jumper world. As a teenager, she started bringing along young horses in the hunter/jumper circuit and getting show miles anywhere she could. Travelling around the Ontario circuits, she gained a reputation as an excellent horsewoman who has always put the horses’ wellbeing first and produced top-quality equine athletes.

In 1998, Holly and her husband, Mark, built Mistral Wind Meadows to fulfill her dream of having a leading role in the care of her horses. She has since bred, trained, and sold her own horses and took the leap into coaching after her eldest daughter showed a serious interest in riding over 15 years ago. Holly holds a Bachelors of Education from the University of Alberta and found the transition a natural move by blending two of her passions, teaching and horses.

Holly’s focus is on providing top-quality, specialized care to her and her boarders’ horses. She runs a tight-knit operation allowing her to tailor her program to each horse and rider team and give them the best chance of success. Holly is an Equestrian Canada Licensed Coach and offers private lessons, group lessons, and competition coaching to riders in her program.