A woman with curly hair smiling and wearing a headband, a patterned top, and white pants, stands next to a white horse with a dark mane, in front of red curtains.

Veronica’s intro to horses began at age ten in the suburbs of Chicago, Illinois. She went on to compete on intercollegiate teams, serve on her collegiate equestrian executive board, and train across diverse disciplines while earning her bachelor’s degree in biology and psychology.

In 2011, Veronica began a professional career in equestrian theatre and trick riding, touring nationally with circus arts troupes across the United States. She later earned a master’s degree in theatre and circus arts with a focus on performing equine welfare while still appearing in productions like Circus Flora, Circus Sarasota, and Silver Dollar City’s Wild West Show.

Her combined background in science, performance, and welfare advocacy led to the founding of Horsemanship Unlocked. This touring program produced clinics and camps in the realm of specialty equestrian arts and ethical horsemanship practices. Veronica concluded her performing career in 2023 at The Dancing Horses Theatre.

Now based outside River Falls, Wisconsin with her partner and animal family, she offers horse training services, private lessons, and group programs in liberty work, trick training, roman riding, trick/cossack riding, and vaulting. She teaches online, locally, and travels nationally and internationally offering educational clinics in equestrian arts, equine applied learning, and ethical horsemanship.

ABOUT ME

Veronica wouldn’t be the horsewoman she is today without her beloved equine partners.

Scout is a 19 year old Thoroughbred who had a short track career. Veronica found him on OTTB rehoming site where it was love at first site. How quickly the pair took on liberty, tricks, and trick riding is what jump started her equestrian education and entertainment career.

Fez is a 24 year old grade gelding. Though his age and breed are not certain, one thing that is for sure is that he the best Craiglist purchase she ever made! Fez has been her faithful and reliable main trick horse through her professional circus career and the horse most of her student know, love, and trust. He is a master of all trades.

Remi is a 22 year old Nokota. Purchased before he potentially ended up in an auction, Veronica took him in as an unstarted adult horse and together they became performance artists. Remi is a sweet and sensitive soul who played a major role in Veronica’s pursuit of continuing education in positive reinforcement training and ethical horsemanship practices.

Professor Pickles is an 8 year old pony mule, a Facebook purchase. The once feral yearling has been her most unique and quirky equine, a favorite amongst cuteness enthusiasts. Picky, though stubborn as a mule at times, has been Veronica’s biggest challenge and blessing in her growth and education as an “equine whisperer”. As he is not a horse!

Person riding a black and white horse with a person on a brown horse and a white horse, all standing on grass with trees in the background on a sunny day.

TESTIMONIALS

  • "Veronica is an extremely skilled and experienced instructor. I have learned tricks from her that I never thought I would be able to do. It's loads of fun and I've always felt very safe. She also treats her horses very very well (and they are as experienced and kind as she is). Highly recommend."

    — Amy B.

  • "In the process of working with Veronica I saw my horse come out of his shell. I could understand him better and respond accordingly. I learned more in the classroom part of her horsemanship clinic than I had in all my years of riding. I'm so grateful to have joined her program."

    — Jennifer S.

  • "She knows when someone may need a little encouragement if they are nervous to help get them out of their comfort zone and push themselves, or when someone needs constructive feedback to ensure they are being safe and to help them improve. I felt immediately comfortable with her and her horses the very first class I took."

    — Amanda D.

Woman smiling and hugging three horses in a stable, black and white photo.
A woman in a colorful top and beige shorts is riding a white horse, passing under the horse performing trick riding. She is sticking out her tongue and smiling, with her left arm outstretched and her right hand holding the saddle.
A woman performing a death drag on a horse in a circus arena with a red barrier and a dark background.
A woman with curly hair riding a horse in an indoor circus, smiling with audience in the background on a large screen.
A woman dressed as a princess, wearing a white gown and a tiara, rides two horses in a ring during a holiday-themed horse show. The horses are decorated with leg wraps, and the arena is decorated with Christmas lights and snowflake ornaments.
A woman riding a horse during a circus performance inside a ring, with an audience seated behind a white picket fence, in a large tent decorated with lights.
A woman riding a gray horse over an obstacle in a wooded outdoor setting.
A woman standing indoors with wooden walls, wearing a black jacket, baseball cap, sunglasses, and smiling.
A woman in Christmas-themed clothing riding a decorated horse at night. She is smiling and wearing a green beanie, red and green jacket, and striped socks.
A woman riding a horse during a circus performance, with another performer in the background holding a stick in a circular arena.
A person doing a jump in mid-air above a galloping vaulting horse on a sandy outdoor riding arena, with a backdrop of trees and a wire fence.
A medieval-themed reenactment featuring knights on horseback in armor, engaging in a staged combat or duel, with an audience of people in modern casual and historical costumes watching and taking photos outdoors in a field.
A woman with curly hair smiles at children reaching out to pet a black horse, with trees and a cloudy sky in the background.
A woman riding a white horse inside a circus tent. The woman is wearing a top and white pants, and the horse has colorful decorations on its bridle. There are spectators seated in the background.
Performer in blue and gold costume riding a horse during a live event.
A young woman with curly red hair riding a gray horse outdoors during daytime, smiling and leaning forward.
Circus performer riding a horse, performing a trick with one leg raised high in the air, in an indoor arena with an audience watching.
A woman dressed in a white costume with sequins, standing in a barn, holding the bridles of two decorated horses.
A woman in glasses and a hoodie is kneeling close to a horse, their foreheads touching in an outdoor setting with a fence and some trees in the background.
A female performer balancing on a horse during a Christmas-themed circus act. She is dressed in festive red and green clothing with striped stockings, smiling, and extending her arms.
A woman with long red hair, wearing a white T-shirt, jeans, and brown boots, standing next to a gray horse with a darker mane, in a grassy area with a white fence and trees in the background.
Person standing in a dirt field pointing at a brown horse with a saddle and bridle.
A woman dressed in a white blouse and a maroon vest in a joust arena at a renaissance faire riding a horse outdoors on a sunny day, with trees in the background.
Close-up of a horse's face with a person standing in the background holding juggling clubs
A woman with curly hair and wearing a dark sleeveless top performs trick riding, under the belly of a white horse at an outdoor riding area.
A woman dressed in medieval-style clothing riding a dark horse in a joust arena, with a young girl in a flower crown watching in the background.
A woman riding a rearing gray horse in the water at a lake with trees and a blue sky in the background.
A woman trick riding a horse in an outdoor setting with trees and a fence in the background.
A circus performer dressed in a red costume with white decorative designs lying on the floor, appearing to have fallen, with a horse standing nearby on a dark stage.
Circus performer riding a horse inside a ring, smiling and raising arms, with circus tent and audience in the background.
Four women dressed in circus or acrobatic costumes posing with two horses in a circus tent with red curtains and a sign that reads "Zoppë"
A person dressed as an elf riding a horse during a Christmas-themed event, with a handler standing nearby, decorated Christmas trees and holiday decorations in the background.
A female circus performer stands next to a horse that is balancing on a barrel inside a circus ring with a red curtain backdrop and spectators in the background.
A woman in a costume is riding a horse inside a circus tent, smiling and holding a whip, with other performers and audience members nearby.
A woman riding a gray horse in a fenced outdoor area with trees in the background.
Woman dressed in a red and silver sparkly outfit with a matching top hat, riding a brown horse with a matching red and silver headband and saddle in a stable.
A woman riding a white horse decorated with a blue floral headpiece and a unicorn horn, holding a riding crop, against a black background.
A rodeo clown on a horse with a bullfighting outfit in a rodeo arena, surrounded by spectators.
A woman is riding a horse indoors on a dirt floor, smiling and holding the reins, with a mural or painted wall in the background.
A person riding a brown horse jumping over an obstacle during an equestrian event in a grassy outdoor area.
A circus performer is balancing upside down on two horses inside a tent with red curtains.
A woman riding a horse on a dirt track in a sunny outdoor area with green trees in the background.
A woman in a yellow long sleeve shirt, black shorts, and brown boots is grooming a white horse with black spots on its legs and face, standing in a sandy outdoor riding area with a large tree and dense trees in the background.
A woman in a black dress holding a black horse's head in an indoor arena with blue walls and audience in the background.
A person doing a handstand on the back of a black horse in an outdoor riding arena under a blue sky.
A woman with curly hair, wearing a headband and a colorful top, laughing while riding a white horse inside a circus tent with red curtains.
Circus performance with a woman hanging upside down from trapeze and a woman riding a horse on stage with a red curtain in the background.