Spreading the joy is what Judy and Ghilotti Equine Endeavors is all about. The joy of being a horse-person was a long standing dream for Judy. Growing up in California as a horse-crazy kid Judy constantly pleaded with her mother to take her horseback riding at the local rental stables, ceaselessly begged her father to buy her a horse. Though her father never was able to buy her a horse, the true dude she was, that didn't stop Judy. She claims she rode from coast to coast on her first "horse": a backyard fence with a foam pad for a saddle and an old bridle her father bought her to play with.

By the time she was in high school, living in southern Illinois, the dream of having a horse fell to the back seat (of her '69 Ford Mustang ... her mother said, "You can't say I never bought  you a horse!"). Judy was college bound to become a computer programmer/analyst. Yet she still sought out places that offered rental rides.

Through the years as a young adult, a career woman, she continued to find rental stables where ever she lived. But the idea of being more than a weekend-warrior over-whelmed her. How can one without horse-knowledge even think about breaking into the horse-world to become a horse owner?  It all seemed so intimidating to her. She felt that you had to know somebody who knew about horses to hold your hand when undertaking such an endeavor.

In 1991, at the age of 30, while she was a programming manager for Nestle in San Francisco, her niece, Ginger  -- as horse crazy a kid as Judy had ever been, was about to have her 9th birthday. Judy took the opportunity to call around to local stables, to see if she could get Ginger a riding lesson for her birthday. Little did Judy know she had touched the tip of the iceberg.

"I didn't even have to ride that day. Just to see my niece smile and beam, so full of light and joy to be on that horse ... it filled my heart." It was just a matter of time before Ginger was taking lessons, had gone to horse-camp and had begun working at the stables taking out rental rides in trade for riding time.

Judy would make up any excuse to be the one to go pick Ginger up from "work" just to be out at the stables. Still, Judy felt that at her age, and being a large person, that her dream was behind her. She couldn't possibly get in to horses -- could she? Then one day, not unlike many others, Ginger pointed out yet another horse for sale at the stables. Many a time they had had the discussion. "It's not the price of the horse that matters, it’s the ongoing up-keep that counts", Judy had tried to explain. There was no way, even though as a successful programmer/analyst, that Judy could justify buying Ginger a horse. Besides, by then, Ginger's sister, Julie, was in on the scene, too. "But he only costs $1500, Auntie Judy!" And Judy had a check from Uncle Sam for about $1800 in her purse.

"It was the most defining moment in my life. I still rock with the realization when I think back to that day. It was so surreal," Judy recalls. It had dawned on Judy, as Ginger pointed out that beautiful bay gelding, that she couldn't justify buying a horse for her nieces -- but she could for her nieces AND herself!

With in a month, through the guidance of the owner of the stables, Judy and her nieces owned their first horse and Judy was taking regular riding lessons. By the end of that first year they each had their own horse. Judy had a new vehicle to pull her new horse trailer. To say it snowballed is to make an understatement. When Judy was 35 she began to say "When I grow up, I want to be a breeder. I'd like to have 8 to 10 broodmares and give riding lessons."

Unfortunately, or fortunately, depending on how you look at it, at about the same time, Judy burned out in her 15 year career as a programmer. She loved her work, it had given her  much satisfaction in life and had afforded her the opportunity to become "horse poor" (meaning, she then had 2 horses of her own and her mare was in-foal). But, the joy of her chosen programming career was gone.

So in 1997, Judy pulled up stakes, moved to Colorado to be closer to her sister and recoup from the burn-out. Her mare then had her second foal and, though Judy didn't know it at the time, she had begun the path to making horses her career. After taking some much needed time off, she found a job as a wrangler, guiding horseback rides for a rustic mountain resort ranch. "I figured I'd work one summer there and then re-evaluate my life. At the time I thought I really would go back into programming," Judy recalled. But that wasn't to be the case. She spent 4 years taking out dude rides in the beautiful Rocky Mountains. There she found the delight of spreading the joy of horses so very fulfilling. How could she possibly go back to an office job after having Roosevelt National Forest as her office?!?

As Judy approached her 40th birthday, she figured 40 would be a good time to start growing up. She took the next step toward her dream by becoming a certified riding instructor through the Certified Horsemanship Association. "Horses have brought me so much joy that I just have to pass it on." At 40 Judy set out to spread the joy full time.

To complete the circle, Judy returned to her native San Francisco Bay Area in 2003 (with 3 horses in tow and of course, her mare was pregnant again for her 4th foal!). Joining up with Ginger, they now operate GEE out of Windsor, California serving Sonoma County.

To enjoy horses, you must be safe. Therefore safety for both person and horse is paramount. Judy knows about the fear and intimidation that the horse world can project to those that are not horse-folk. But she also believes that no matter your age, you can come to know the joy of horses as she and Ginger have. Yes, spreading the joy is what Ghilotti Equine is all about.