My name is Julia Smith, I am a 25 year old, first-generation horsewoman currently based in Ocala, Florida. I grew up in Connecticut and have been working with horses for 20 years. In 2022, I graduated from the University of Connecticut with Bachelor’s in Animal Science. Upon graduating, I moved to Florida with my heart horse, Karl to follow my dreams and start Esoteric Equestrian. We have since moved from Tampa to Ocala, grown from a one horse herd, to a seven, and back down to three, and welcomed our first baby boy Maverick into the family on December 1st, 2024. 

Returning to my passion of teaching and training as a new mother has been a rewarding experience. I am so grateful to my clients and their horses for making this possible. 

Becoming the human your horse needs you to be is a lifelong pursuit, and I am lucky to learn from so many wonderful horses and be a part of their journey with their humans. 

It seems like only yesterday my heart horse, Karl, started pulling back the curtains on everything I thought I knew about horsemanship and the horse industry as a whole. I remember viscerally what it felt like to accept everything that I had been doing that was working against our relationship and causing harm, from what I was feeding him to the tools I was using in our training. It was my love for him that enabled me to let go of my shame, and dive headfirst into learning all about ethical, species appropriate husbandry and training practices. It has been over 4 years since then, and we’ve never looked back. 

I want to help you create the solid foundation I learned how to create with my horse. The magic lies in the journey, not in the destination. We all have the power unlock our horse’s full potential and become the person our horse needs us to be. I am here to help guide you on that journey.