WHO WE ARE

Greg was born in Chadron, NE in 1959. This is where his love of animals began. He spent his early summers on his uncle’s ranch learning the value of hard work and respect for the land.

In 1970, Greg and his family moved to Flagstaff, AZ. Graduating from Flagstaff High School in 1978, Greg went on to “cowboy”. He worked for the 77 Bar 10X, D Lazy K, JJ Herefords and other small ranches around Flagstaff.  He also ran pack trips in the high country of Colorado. He participated in rodeos, riding bulls and bucking horses. While attending Northern Arizona University he was a member of the Rodeo Club. During this time, he also continued to help exercise horses for others.

After 36 years of dedication to his career, Greg was dreaming of returning to work with cattle and horses. In July of 2016, he met Colleen at a high school reunion and the dream and mission of an equine assisted therapy program was born. He currently keeps his hand in the ranching business by taking photographs of ranch events as well as local roping events.

Greg holds certification in EAP and EAL through the OK Corral Series under the direction of Greg Kersten, Founder of Equine Assisted Psychotherapy.

Greg is the son of Eugene Hughes, the President Emeritus of NAU, and Caroline Hughes. He has been married to the love of his life Barbara for over 30 years now. He has two sisters named Debbie and Lisa, two children named Stephanie and Clark, and 6 grandchildren.

  Colleen was born and raised in Flagstaff, AZ. Her father was a local doctor as well as an avid outdoorsman and horse enthusiast. Colleen was raised with horses and outdoor experiences as a primary focus in her family. From early mornings spent fox-hunting to days spent backpacking the Grand Canyon, Colleen developed a passionate love for the outdoors and horses.

As an adult these passions continued and she gained an awareness of the therapeutic value associated with horses and outdoor activities. In 1994, Colleen was contacted by a friend about instructing for a therapeutic riding program. She obliged and began what she considers the most rewarding occupation in her life.

Colleen was Program Director and Lead Instructor for Medicine Horse Therapeutic Riding for the next 5 years. She became a certified therapeutic riding instructor and also completed training in “Hippotherapy”, physical therapy based in use of the horse. 

Colleen holds certification in EAP and EAL through the OK Corral Series under the direction of Greg Kersten, Founder of Equine Assisted Psychotherapy.

For many years, Colleen has worked as a wrangler, a trainer and a riding instructor while raising her wonderful family. She has a daughter named Casey and a son named Dylan. In 2015, she married the love of her life and is now blessed with two wonderful stepchildren, Jack and Sarah. 

Moran was born in Tel-Aviv, Israel. She served as a dog trainer in the Air-Force (Israeli Defense Force-IDF) and worked with over 700 dogs and dog handlers. Moran was raised in a big city and didn't have access to daily riding. But she always loved horses and dreamed of one day running a horse facility. She learned to ride when she lived in England and has extensive training in both English and Western styles. Moran has a love of the outdoors and a passion for working with children and youth. In 2001 Moran moved to the US and earned her bachelor's degree in Outdoor Recreation from the University of Idaho and a master's degree in Environmental Science from Northern Arizona University. For over two decades she worked outdoors for different state and federal agencies, as well as non-profit organizations, leading hikes, guided tours, and collecting valuable wildlife data. During the past 10 years Moran worked as a barn assistant and caretaker as well as owned a number of horses, occasionally participating in endurance rides and obstacle events. Both her daughters compete in junior rodeos and barrel racing.  

Moran participated in the Natural Horsemanship training and holds certification through the OK Corral Series under the direction of Greg Kersten, Founder of Equine Assisted Psychotherapy.

Barb White was sitting on a horse before she was a year old, starting a lifelong love affair with these animals who bring her such happiness. She grew up riding untrained horses in Wyoming and was blessed to discover John Winnicki and his amazing horsemanship not long after she moved to Flagstaff. From her mentor, she learned natural horsemanship skills, daily care and management, and keys to true partnership with horses by becoming a better person. Barb runs two small businesses, Happier With Horses and Peaceful Touch Massage Therapy. She has been in private practice as a massage therapist since 2001 and has a master's degree in philosophy with an emphasis in medical ethics. She worked at Flagstaff Medical Center helping to start an inpatient massage therapy program and serving on the hospital ethics committee. She is a dedicated peace activist having worked for many years in community education, violence prevention and crisis advocacy with children and adults and is a certified Compassionate Bereavement Care Provider with the Center for Loss and Trauma. Supporting peace and healing for all trauma survivors is a deep calling for Barb. For years she has offered lessons in horse handling and riding for anyone who finds peace with horses and wants to learn more about these amazing beings. She worked for two seasons with 15 Hands and Hearts as horse handler for their hippotherapy program. She has trained with Natural Lifemanship and their amazing trauma informed therapy program for equine professionals. Horses and healing define Barb's life and she is grateful to bring these together at Horses, Heroes and Hope.

Lindsay is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with over fifteen years of experience in the mental health field as a victim advocate, social worker, and therapist. In 2018, she reached burnout, quit her job, and moved into a sprinter van with her husband and their dog to explore the American west, leading her from Washington, D.C. to Flagstaff, AZ. Lindsay is now a Clinical Mental Health Counselor at Beyond the Pines, A Flagstaff Wellness Collective where she provides therapy for children, adolescents, and adults with a wide variety of presenting challenges to include trauma, anxiety, depression, and relationship issues. Lindsay has been working with her mentor, Barb White, who has been teaching her about equine practices for over a year. She fell in love with the connected experience of horsemanship and began training under the principles of Natural Lifemanship. Lindsay is excited to bring Beyond the Pines' values of connection to self, connection to others, and connection to the natural world into the growing field of Equine Assisted Psychotherapy.