Gray Kyle-Graves has been training, teaching and learning at Happy Dog Ranch since 2009. She has been blessed to love and live with horses for as long as she can remember and strives to be a lifelong student of the horse. Starting as a smiling toddler sharing a saddle with her mom, and growing into a horse-crazy kid coming up in the hunter/jumper world, she always felt a calling to work with horses. Gray has had the privilege to work with internationally renowned horseman Mark Rashid for more than a decade and is honored to teach with Mark as his senior assistant instructor. Gray also holds a black belt in Aibado, a practice developed by Mark to connect to internal softness and power, and inspired by the Japanese martial art of Aikido. 

At Happy Dog Ranch and at clinics around the country, Gray hopes to offer people a softer approach to horsemanship, helping them to better understand the questions horses are asking and to communicate with them more clearly. Her work as a trainer, clinician and equine bodyworker has been influenced by collaborations with Crissi McDonald, Linda Tellington-Jones and Jim Masterson, among others. Gray believes that in order to build a harmonious partnership with horses, it’s our responsibility to help them feel safe and comfortable in body, mind and spirit. Learn more at www.wholehearthorsemanship.com.