Sarah is an Assistant Professor in Colorado State University’s (CSU) Equine Sciences program. Since 2017, she has led the development of CSU’s Equine Behavior Program, which now includes several equine behavior courses as well as undergraduate and graduate research opportunities. In 2023, Sarah co-founded the Applied Animal Behavior and Learning Lab (AABL), an interdisciplinary, interspecies behavior lab at CSU. AABL’s mission is to improve human-animal interactions by helping others better understand the emotional and physical needs of animals—especially horses—and how compromising those needs can affect the human-animal bond. Sarah also serves on the Colorado Horse Development Authority Board and was Chair of the 2025 International Society for Equitation Science Conference, which was hosted in Colorado this past summer.
Her previous work includes developing low-stress methods for gentling Mustangs, validating an applied equine behavior-tracking tool for monitoring management and training-related behaviors, and identifying early signs of stress in equine-assisted service horses. Sarah is passionate about advancing education and research in equine behavior, particularly as it relates to the well-being of domestic horses.
"I am deeply inspired by HHRF's commitment to advancing equine welfare through research. The opportunity to contribute to a mission that both improves horses' lives and strengthens the horse–human bond resonates strongly with my passion for bringing science and compassion together in the equine industry."