Maddie Garman has loved horses all of her life. From learning “neigh” as one of her first words, to horse books, movies and Breyer collections, to actually being in the saddle at age 9, her interest and passion has never waned.
All through high school and college, she successfully competed in multiple Western disciplines, represented her 4-H club and the Iowa Buckskin Horse Association as Queen, and logged in a lot of hours both in the saddle and providing horse riding instruction. After graduating from Iowa State University, she returned to her native Texas, where she has become well-connected to the local Fort Worth area horse community, and placed Top 5 in the 2010 American Paint Horse Association World Show in Fort Worth, with her mare, April.
Upon her return to Texas, she started offering lessons locally, and had the opportunity to 
work with several children with special needs. She loved the way they responded to the horse, and, knowing that her parents were seriously planning to start a non-profit that would provide just such opportunities for this special population of the community, she began the year-long process of becoming a certified therapeutic instructor, through PATH, International, the equine therapy industry standard. At the final exam for this designation, she was one of only two who received it out of an entire class of applicants.
Hope for the Trail is thrilled to have her on board as our Program Director, knowing the value her experience, and most especially her heart, will bring to the organization.