Diaries of a Cowgirl Entrepreneur Blog
- Britain
- May 28
- 7 min read
Welcome to my new blog where I take you behind the scenes of everything I get up to!
Life with Stable Instincts- May 2026
Hello. For all those who are new to my page or new to me, my name is Britain Mills-Dawes and I am a professional horse geek. Yes, you heard that right, I proudly wear the badge. I have been extremely fortunate to base my career around horses, horse sport, western culture and creativity. I like to think of myself as your gal friday to the horse world as I have many different roles and experiences within it. My main contribution to the horse world is through my work as an equine practitioner, where I work with horse from all different backgrounds, disciplines and with varying needs. Through this, my reputation has grown and I have had the opportunity to become an internationally recognized clinician, demoist and speaker at some of the biggest horse events and expos. Another hat that I wear in this industry is as a freelance journalist where I write, cover, video and photograph different aspects of the horse world. From interviewing rodeo champions to writing human interest stories or photographing bull riders, I do a little bit of everything.
On top of this I began a horse focused Podcast called Uncinched: The Unfiltered Horse Podcast with my co-host, dear friend and horse trainer Tea Di Lillo. I an extremely lucky to live the life I do, and have been told by a few that they would love to have a more personal view of my journey and cool experiences. So I am creating a monthly blog that is a more personal side of me and my work.
I haven't fully worked out how the blog is going to look each month but as a wise women once echoed to me " If you wait to figure out everything before starting anything, it'll never happen " . With that, I invite you to come along on this adventure with me of figuring it out.
All righty... here we go, let's get into it!
A Recap of the Month of May
I may sound like a broken record echoing my sentiments above, but I have been so fortunate for my career and to have had a big month this May.
With Spring finally poking its head around the Corner here in Alberta, Canada, I was able to reconnect with some of my clients who I haven’t seen since early fall. With temperatures below freezing and not having access to indoor spaces, I often have a small hiatus from a few of my clients until weather is more favourable. It’s always nice to be able to catch up not only with the horses, but also their owners. I am an extreme extrovert and love to be able to listen and learn about what everyone has been up to since our last appointment.
My Week in Texas
One of the biggest highlights regarding May was my week away in Arrlington Texas. I was down there for the following two reasons: 1. For the Cowgirls 30 Under 30 Leadership Summit and 2. The American Rodeo Championship Weekend. But, before I get into that, I have to say I looooved going to the stockayrds in Fort Worth!! The infustructure, the shops and of course the famous longhorns were so fascinating. Its an abosulte must see if you ever have a chance to go to the area (there is a lot of uneven walking and hot sun so make sure you are wearing comfortable practical shoes).
The Cowgirls 30 Under 30 Summit
What a fantastic experience. So many inspiring and bada** women in one room had my jaw on the floor. The purpose of this summit was for women of the western/ag industry to come together to network and learn while also celebrating their excellence in these spaces. The summit consisted of a varity of panels and speakers sharing their experiences and knowledge. A couple of women who I naturally gravitated to from listening to them speak were Katie Schrock, Caroline Arendt and Linsay Rosser Sumpter. While everyone who spoke gave meaningful moments these women stuck out to me and let me tell you why. I implore you to look into all of these women and their many impressive endeavours.
Katie Schrock
This powerhouse of a women was instrumental in the creation of this event. She was the coordinator along side COWGIRL Magazine's Ken Amorosano to bring in speakers, choose sessions and moderate panels. She was very well articulated and such a pleasure to listen to for the 3 days. I also loved how detail oriented she was and how consciously she made herself available speaking to every single woman in the room. You could tell immediately with her infectious smile and kind demeanour that she truly only wanted to see everyone succeed and grow from this event. Besides this, she is a diverse woman in the industry showing us that yes, we can go into multiple directions and succeed in them all with persistance and dedication. Katie is very clearly a marketing live-wire and advocate for not only women but the western way of life.
Caroline Arendt
As a speaker and alum to the Cowgirls 30 under 30 class herself, she was so encouraging and thoughtful. I had the chance not only to listen to her life experiences that have helped set her up for success but share in the excitement she radiated for others to progress in their own fields. One of the biggest takeways she reiterated was to know your worth . This has been something I am not ashamed to admit I have struggled with in regards to navigating client relationships. I myself wish I could do everything for free and that I had all the time in the world to prioritize everything all at once. But that’s simply not living in reality... I still need to pay bills and feed not only myself but my animals as well. So while I don't enjoy it, I do have to priortize being paid for my time and services and be ok with saying no if the opporuntities don't always align (even if they are super cool). I also had a chance to chat more 1 on 1 with Caroline and appreciated her approach to client relationships and marketing. I cannot wait to put her advice into action to better my own social media presence.
Linsay Rosser Sumpter
Last but certainly not least, the Commissioner of Premeir Womens Rodeo. The many roles she has held and her impact on rodeo sport especially for women is just inspiring. Listening to her speak was definitely a highlight because I found myself really resonating with a lot of her points. One of those points that I think any and all need to remember is the importance of knowing leadership is not about being the boss and telling people what to do but instead showing up and leading my example. If something needs to get done, as a leader you should be showing up and helping where possble regardless of the job. If you are short staffed and stock needs to be loaded, then you go and help your team succeed. Leadership isn't and should never be seen as having power but instead as a duty to guide and support.
All and all, this event allowed me to be in a room filled with like-minded women and gave me a chance to really connect with others in the industry that I have been so grateful to build a career from. My biggest take away that I impart onto you is as following: Relationships matter. Foster them and water them so they can bloom.
The American Rodeo
Something I enjoyed was photographing and videoing the championship weekend. The speed, athletisism and determination that every single one of these comepitiors (including the animals) showed made the whole space electric. One of my favourite aspects of Rodeo is bareback and saddle bronc, shocker I know... so being able to capture the power and strength, was chef's kiss!
Another aspect that really stood out to me from this weekend was regarding the team roping winners honouring Oaklynn Dolmer, the daughter of breakaway roper Kelsie Dolmer, who tragically passed away in February. In an emotional interview after their win, Heeler Jade Corkill took a moment to tell the spectators and rodeo community about the small trinket figurine he held onto during his runs. This figurine was given to him by Kelsie Dolmer after telling her a story about his struggle with pink day that morning. After his stroy, she proceeded to pulled out a figurine that Oaklynn always carried around in her pocket and share it with him. In his speech he went on to tell everyone how we was going to share this kindness from Kelsie when he won. This was such an emotional moment for all, there were many teary eyes across the stadium and it really went to show how the community supports one another especially during times of hardship.
If you have read all the way down till now, thank you. I appreciate your time and interest in my journey. Like I stated above, I’m not fully sure where these blogs are gonna go each month but I hope you enjoy the journey with me. My main hope is that this can inspire you to follow your dreams and push boundaries... help you know you aren’t alone in any of your success or failures and give you a little bit of insight into the multifaceted world I exist within. I am a human made up of many parts, I am flawed BUT I am also exceptional... just like everyone of you.
If you enjoyed reading this and look forward to the next one, check back at the end of each month or subscribe to my website in order to get automatic updates! If you have any thoughts or comments, feel free to voice them below, all I ask is that it's respectful to all.
If you are reading this and want to follow my journey or endevours in other ways, feel free to check out my socials, website and podcast all listed below!
Until our paths cross again,
May you dream big, follow your passions and live your life to the fullest.
Britain
Where you are always Herd
Socials
Instagram: www.instagram.com/stableinstincts
Podcast: https://uncinched.buzzsprout.com
**You can find Uncinched on all podcast streaming platforms including Apple Podcast & Spotify
Website: www.stableinstincts.ca
Looove can’t wait to read these monthly!