Learning Life Lessons on Horseback

Chris Cox’s relationship with horses runs deep. They were the only means of transportation on the ranch in Australia where he grew up and have been his livelihood, as a renowned professional horseman and educator. Most profoundly, horses have been friends who understood Chris — and helped him understand the world. 

Chris wanted to give others what horses gave him. In 2018, he founded Lead Changes, a leadership camp that teaches youth ages 11 to 17 “life lessons through the horse.” At the Triangle C Dude Ranch outside Dubois, Wyoming, campers clean pens, feed and water horses, and build skills that transcend riding. “Learning how to care for an animal, we teach them work ethic, respect and team building,” Chris said. 

One returning Lead Changes camper is 13-year-old Phoenyx Bertussi, who has been around horses for most of her life. She first rode with her dad, who died a few years ago.

At Lead Changes, Phoenyx finds strength in herself, her horse and her community. “People should be around horses, because they make you feel so special,” Phoenyx said. “They’ll just make you feel like you.”