We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Kellie Roesler a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Kellie thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you talk to us about a risk you’ve taken – walk us through the story?

I have been around horses my entire life. My mother was a barrel race and showed halter class. My father used his horse for hunting. Both gave me a love of horses and helped me understand the versatility. Even with all my exposure to horses I never thought I would be running a business that was centered around them. In 2022 my husband and I decided to move to Puerto Rico from Florida. I suddenly found myself in a place where I couldn’t feasible use my nursing degree because I don’t speak Spanish well enough to take care of patients. When we moved we brought over my horses. I had been stabling my horses for about a year going 6 days a week to work with them when the owner of the stables asked me why I wasn’t doing something with horses for money. They saw how much I enjoyed it. For me it had never crossed my mind before but have her ask me that one question changed everything for me. Horse training and riding is something I had a lifetime of experience with and horses don’t care what language I speak because it’s better to listen.

Kellie, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

My brand was born from a lifetime around horses and a genuine love for what they bring to people’s lives. I never planned on starting an equestrian business, even though horses have always been part of who I am. When we moved from Florida to Puerto Rico in 2022, I suddenly found myself unable to use my nursing degree because I didn’t speak Spanish well enough to safely care for patients. But I did have my horses — and working with them every day became my constant.

After months of spending nearly every afternoon at the stables, the owner asked me a simple question: “Why aren’t you doing this for work?” It stopped me in my tracks. I had never considered turning my passion into a profession, but that question opened a door I didn’t realize was there.

From that moment, Barefoot Riding PR began taking shape. Today, I help clients through horsemanship lessons, horse training, beautiful equine photography sessions, and carefully selected horses for sale. My focus is always the same — to create safe, meaningful, and confidence-building experiences for both horses and riders. I help clients learn to communicate clearly with their horses, develop better relationships, and build skills that make them safer, calmer, and more capable in the saddle and on the ground.

What started as a personal passion has grown into something I’m truly proud of: a business built on honesty, patience, and genuine love for the horse-and-human connection.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

I built my social media the same way I built my business — through a lot of trial and error. When I first started, I tried to make everything look polished and corporate because I thought that was what a business page was supposed to look like. But it didn’t feel natural, and it definitely didn’t connect with people the way I hoped.

Everything changed when I stopped trying to look like a brand and started showing what was actually happening in my day-to-day life with the horses. The genuine photos — the real training moments, the progress updates, the behind-the-scenes clips, even the funny or messy reality — that’s when people started responding. Clients connected with the honesty, and my page finally started to grow in a meaningful way.

It also helps that my husband owns a marketing company, so I get plenty of ideas and feedback at home too 😄. But truly, the biggest shift came from embracing authenticity and letting my real work speak for itself.

Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?

My thinking and business growth have been shaped by a combination of constant learning, observing others in the industry, and staying open to new ideas. Even though I’ve been around horses my whole life, I’ve always believed there’s more to learn. I read a wide range of training books — everything from dressage to barrel racing to groundwork — because every discipline brings a different perspective. These tools help me communicate more clearly with clients, whether I’m explaining something under saddle or breaking down a behavior on the ground.

I also watch a lot of trainers on YouTube and still take riding lessons myself at other barns in both English and western disciplines. I think improving myself directly improves the service I provide. One book that really influenced me on the business side was Starting and Running Your Own Horse Business by Mary Ashby McDonald, DVM. And while he has his share of critics, I’ve learned a lot from Clinton Anderson’s business content — he built a highly successful horse-based brand, and I believe studying what others in the industry did right is important if I want my own business to succeed.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://barefootridingpr.com
• Instagram: @barefootridingpr
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/barefootridingpr
• Youtube: @Kellie-BarefootRidingPR
• Other: Tiktok – @barefoot.riding.pr

Image Credits

Professional photography – Rachel Tanner