I want to thank you for your interest in my braiding or horse training services. If you have any questions or interested in any of my services don't hesitate to get in contact with me!

I am a self taught braid artist and have been continuously refining my craft for the last 6 years braiding for friends, family and clients and working at the Minnesota Renaissance Festival. (Please refer to the horse training section of my website for more information on my background with horses). I usually do my braiding at renaissance festivals but am also available for hire for weddings, parties, special occasions, or private lessons.  I have a great passion for braiding and am always happy to answer any questions.

I have been a Certified Veterinary Technician since 2012. I am also a professional artist (drawing and painting), animal trainer/horse trainer/people trainer, I make rope halters and of course I am a braiding artist. My interest in braiding started when I was around four years of age when I watched the 1939 version of the Wizard of Oz starring Judy Garland, Ray Bolger, Jack Haley and Bert Lahr. When I saw Dorothy's braids I thought they were so beautiful and interesting. I can remember staying up at night with a flashlight and my toy horses under my sheets trying to figure out the basic 3 strand braid. After days of trying I finally went to my mom and asked her to show me how it was done. She taught me and I've been hooked ever since. A few years later I taught myself to French braid on myself. Then, when I was a teenager, my dad took me to my very first renaissance festival at the Minnesota Renaissance Festival. There, I saw the most unbelievable braids I had ever seen! I saw 3 strand Dutch braids, French braids, 4 strand Dutch/French braids, 5 strand Dutch braids, etc. But at the time I did not know what kind of braids they were so I could only dream of them because there wasn't really a way for me to look up how to do the braids.

 

In 2008 I began learning how to train horses and have been continuously learning about horses and training ever since. Later, in 2012 both passions would come to merge into one! In 2012 I applied to be a Lady Rider for the New Riders of the Golden Age who is the company that performes the jousting at the MN Renaissance Festival with the magnificent Percherons, Clydesdales and Belgians in armor. Before the Festival opens at 9 a.m. we spend an hour getting the horses settled in their stalls, feeding them, getting them tacked up and grooming them which includes braiding their manes and tails. When the owners of the company were instructing us new girls on the responsibilities of the job they asked if we knew how to braid hair. They stressed the importance of proper presentation of the joust and the horses which includes how well the horses are braided. So, I took it upon myself to stand out and learn how to braid 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 stranded braids and any other braids you can imagine. I practiced and practiced and practiced some more. From there my imagination went wild! The other girls I was working with soon took notice of how I braided my hair and the horse's hair and asked if I would do theirs as well! That year, Fantasy Braiding and Hairstyles was born.