TROT Staff

Growing up in Alabama, horses were the focal point of Carolyn life, including pony club and eventing. She migrated to Arizona for college and later worked as a sign language interpreter, paralegal, and fitness coach before finally finding her dream job at TROT where her passion truly lies.

Kristen has been a pediatric-based therapist for nearly 15 years. She has extensive experience with evaluating and treating children and adolescents with a variety of diagnoses and needs. She has been working with Trot for 3 years and is now a Hippotherapy Certified Specialist. Both Kristen and TROT are certified by the American Hippotherapy Association. Kristen enjoys working with the clients in the natural environment at Trot and using the outdoor facility to challenge them. She focuses on providing comprehensive, patient and family-centered therapy that the patients enjoy participating in.

Sierra has been in the presence of horses all of her life and has witnessed their healing powers. She holds an advanced therapeutic riding certification from PATH and views horses as barometers that provide feedback to allow humans to explore the mind, body, spirit and emotion. Sierra is also an iRest Yoga Nidra and LifeForce Yoga Practitioner and trained in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR). Her office is the beauty that is all around and the horses are her co-therapists. Horses live in the present moment and teach non-verbal communication, life skills, new behaviors, teamwork, empathy, and so much more. It is through their partnership that she is able to guide people on their journey.

Denise became involved with Trot by volunteering as a horse handle and side walker in 1983. She is a NARHA certified therapeutic riding instructor and a special education teacher in the Sunnyside School District. She is thrilled that she has been able to provide my classroom students with the opportunity to ride at TROT for the past 15 years.

Kaitlin resides on the grounds and oversees TROT’s 18-acre property. She is responsible for the daily care and well-being of the TROT herd, and is an integral part of TROT’s organizational leadership team. Kaitlin continues to pursue her studies in Veterinary Science.