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MAILING : P.O. Box 8, Los Olivos, CA 93441
Fall 2026
When Maryah ’28 began to look at the idea of studying away from home, there was one thing she wasn’t willing to compromise on: her horse, Delilah, was coming with her. Fortunately, she found Midland, where students can bring their own horses and make horsemanship part of their daily lives.
Maryah arrived this fall from Idaho with plenty of experience already under her belt. She’s been riding since she was nine, has spent years learning natural horsemanship and liberty training, and hopes to become a professional horse trainer someday. But at just four years old, Delilah still has plenty to learn, and Maryah is discovering that the learning goes both ways.
We caught up with Maryah to hear about their journey, what brought them to Midland, and how they’re settling into their new home.
Tell us a little about Delilah. How long have you had her, and what’s she like?
I’ve had Delilah since April 2025, so about a year and a half. She’s a four-year-old American Quarter Horse, and she’s very curious. She’s definitely still a youngster and is playful in all sorts of ways! But she’s also such a sweetheart. I’ve had moments where she’s rested her head against my chest for what feels like half an hour, just standing there with me.
When I first got her, she was scared of many, many things. Even seeing a parked car could make her nervous. She’s come such a long way since then, although we’re definitely still working through things together. One of my favorite things is that she usually comes right over to me in the pasture and nickers when she sees me. It’s the best part of my day.
Delilah resting her head against Maryah ’28.
You have quite a bit of experience with liberty training. What is it, and what do you love about it?
There are a lot of different definitions, but for me, liberty is working with a horse when they’re loose and they have the choice to participate. You’re communicating through body language and energy rather than relying on a rope or bridle, so you really have to be clear about what you’re asking and it builds the human-horse-relationship in remarkable ways.
I love watching Delilah figure things out. Sometimes you can see it in her face. Her eyes get bright, her ears go forward, and she’s almost asking, “What do you want me to do?” It’s like a guessing game. She’s trying different things to figure out the answer, and I love that. It’s not about getting everything right the first time. It’s about being willing to try.
Maryah ’28 working with Delilah in the arena.
What has Delilah taught you about yourself?
I’m naturally a pretty nervous person, and I worry about everything. I think Delilah and I are actually a really good pair because she’s nervous too. When I’m working with her, I have to remind myself to breathe and relax because she picks up on how I’m feeling. If I’m hesitant, she feels that. If I’m confident, things usually go much better.
We’re still working on trusting each other completely. She’s young and can be unpredictable, and we’ve had some difficult moments. But we’ve also had some really great ones. This summer, we went to Long Beach, Washington, with my barn and rode on the beach. I was so nervous because she’d bucked me off a few months earlier, and suddenly everyone was running down the beach together. I just had to go with it. She was so brave that whole trip, even walking through town and seeing all the big kites on the beach. I think that experience helped both of us.
How important was it to find a school where Delilah could come with you?
So important. I wasn’t going anywhere without my horse! I’d thought about studying abroad, but then I started thinking about how expensive it would be to bring her with me.
One morning, I woke up to an email from my mom about studying in California with Delilah. I watched all the Midland videos, and I remember one where a student was standing with her horse and said something like, “You’re allowed to bring your dog to Midland, but I brought my horse.” I was like, yep, that sounds great! I didn’t even look at any other schools.
What was it like arriving at Midland together?
I got here a few days before Delilah, and I was so excited for her to arrive. When she finally got here, the trailer was too big to come up the driveway, so they parked at the bottom and I got to walk her up myself. That was really special. It felt like I was walking her into this new little life we were starting together.
Having her here has made such a difference. She’s a piece of home that I get to have with me, and whenever I’m overwhelmed or missing home, I can go spend time with her. It’s also helped me remember to make time for the things I’m most passionate about. Sometimes I get caught up in schoolwork and everything else that’s going on, and then I realize I need to go see my horse. It’s really nice to have her so close.
You’ve already worked with horses for years. What are you learning through Midland’s Horse Program?
I love everything Lauren is teaching us. One thing that’s been really interesting is learning about bodywork, stretches, and exercises that help horses loosen their muscles before and after riding. It’s also about observing how your horse is doing that day and noticing when something might need to change.
That’s something I really appreciate about Lauren. She’s so compassionate toward the horses, and she pays attention to how they’re feeling, not just what they’re doing. She has so many ideas and different ways of approaching things.
There was one day when I was really struggling. I was missing home and feeling overwhelmed with schoolwork, and I was trying to work with Delilah, but we were both nervous and it just wasn’t going well. Lauren was so sweet. She told me to just go sit with my horse. So I went into the arena, sat on the mounting block, and Delilah just hung out with me. We didn’t have to do anything. That was a really special moment.
Maryah ’28 sitting with Delilah.
I understand you’d like to become a horse trainer someday. Where did that dream come from?
My trainer back home, Jessie Leen, has been a huge inspiration. She’s given me so many opportunities and taught me so much. One thing I really admire about her is that she doesn’t just focus on getting a horse to do a certain movement. She thinks about how the horse is feeling in that movement and whether the experience is good for them.
I’d love to be able to give other people those kinds of opportunities someday. I also really want to have my own liberty team of horses and do performances together. My trainer has a team of palomino horses she works with, and I think it would be so cool to have a team of horses that are all the same color as well!
What are you hoping to accomplish with Delilah during your time at Midland?
I want to keep working on our liberty training and help her feel more confident when scary or unexpected things happen. One of my biggest goals is for us to be able to go out on all of Midland’s trails together and feel really comfortable doing it. We haven’t done much trail riding here yet because we’re still working on her confidence, but I’m really looking forward to that.
I think being at Midland gives us a chance to slow down a little. At home, I was always driving from one place to another, and here I can just walk down to the barn and spend time with her. I hope when I look back on these years, I’ll remember how much we learned together and how we worked through things that used to scare us.
Maryah ’28 and Delilah.
Finish this sentence: Delilah has taught me that…
It’s okay to make mistakes. And to breathe, not to hold everything in.
What would you tell another young person who loves horses and is thinking about Midland?
I’d say Midland is a really great place if you want time to just be with a horse. Lauren doesn’t care if you don’t want to ride that day. You can just go hang out with your horse and spend time with them.
I’ve heard Lauren say that horses make better people, and I completely agree. You learn so much from spending time with them, paying attention to how they’re feeling, and figuring out how to connect with them. I think Midland is a really good place for that.
Conversation facilitated by Senior Advancement Associate Jasmine Fullman
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