Nikki grew up in the competitive world and was immersed in horse education through heavy involvement in pony club from the age of 9-18, achieving her ‘B’ level at the early age of 16 and competing in the International Pony Club Quiz that same year.
Her competitive world brought her to the Royal at 14 where she competed on her large hunter pony, Valhalla. Nikki continued to show hunters until she graduated high school and went off to university where she studied English and Sociology, eventually graduating from the University of Maine with her Bachelor of Secondary Education.
After teaching in the classroom for nine years Nikki resigned and is now an author, podcast host, and Equestrian Mindset Coach. You can learn more about her work at www.nikkiporter.ca
Growing up, Nikki always had someone she could turn to if she lacked understanding in any area from riding, horse care, and everything in between due to pony club, which allowed for various forms of education through camps, classroom lectures, competitive quiz trips, the achievement of levels, clinics and more, her close relationship with her grandfather and riding coach. Now as an adult, in her effort to up her horsemanship and reining skills to a higher level, she realized there was much more to be learned, and finding accessible, like-minded trainers with similar values wasn’t as easy as she once thought.
Nikki now sees that her experience of feeling supported and guided as a new rider is not shared by all horse owners. Through her friendship with Nadine and others, clinics, and clients she teaches, she sees that horse ownership happens on various levels and the degrees to which people are supported through quality education are vast.