Line` grew up in Grey Forest, Texas, a small community northwest of San Antonio, Texas.  She became active in 4-H in horse judging and showing, amongst showing her lambs (to raise money for her horses) as soon as she was old enough to sign up.  After winning all the major Texas stock shows by her junior year in the horse judging contests with the 4-H judging team (and placing in the Top Ten at Western Nationals and AQHA World Show), she recruited teammates in the FFA program so she could continue her last year judging (at the time if you were high placing individual at a major show you could not return).  She and the team went on to win the State FFA horse judging contest, and returned to the AQHA Youth World Show to gain another Top Ten Award.  In between horse judging contests she showed in 4-H and APHA (American Paint Horse Association) to achieve many local and state awards.

Due to all her connections through 4-H, she was able to find herself at various trainers’ barns for lessons or clinics.  “We had such an awesome group of 4-H leaders that would line up these incredible trainers for us to go visit or host a clinic with, then usually that would open the door for me to continue lessons or just be a new fixture at their place to do whatever they needed.  I was like a sponge, just wanting to hang around and watch if nothing else.”  Some of her most memorable influences as a youth were Guy Stoops, Dan Evans, Steve Schwartzenberger, and Doug Milholland.  Line` also assisted Mary Wassom, an all-around trainer at Covered Gate Ranch in Helotes, Texas for several years before graduating high school.  “Boy did we do everything, talk about all-around!”

Line` attended Sul Ross State University in Alpine, Texas, where she got to see another side of the horse world.  “Rodeo was very popular there, but I wasn’t interested in getting active in it.  I supported my friends that did it and enjoyed being around it.  I also enjoyed playing with and passing on my reining skills I had picked up though.”  She took on a few horses to train to make a little money and loved working at ranches in the area in need of extra help during branding seasons, etc.  “My little Tuffy’s Lil Wonder sorta reiner, sorta show horse didn’t have much cow sense, but he tried.  I usually ended up riding another horse that was really meant for that kind of job.  I developed a huge respect for a well broke ranch horse.”

After graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture Business in 1993, she moved back to Helotes (the area she grew up).  She was planning on getting that full-time job and getting started with a career in… something.  After eight months as Assistant Livestock Manager at the SALE, she had families asking when she would start giving lessons, so when the stock show season was over she left that position and began teaching and picking up a few horses to train.  “I guess you could say that training sorta chose me.”

She established Line` Martin Performance horses in 1994, worked part-time for several years at a cancer research company while building up her clientele.  She dabbled in cutting for a couple of years in the American Cutting Horse Association, ending up in the Top-Five Year-End Novice division (a trainer of a different discipline can show novice as long as they have not earned any money with anything to do in cutting).  “I wish all my show students could spend time in the saddle loping those cutting horses.  It takes away all the over-thinking about what you are doing and you just ride in many circles; Many!”  She had a few years where she was active in the Arabian Horse Association, obtaining several Regional Championships and Top Fives, National Top Tens, two Reserve National titles and one National Champion.  She also helped prepare a horse for the Appaloosa National Amateur Saddleseat title during that time, too!  Line` has since narrowed down to mostly Quarter Horses (there are a few Palominos, too) which was her love, and now has a large group of all-around youth and amateur.

“I love the diversity I have been fortunate enough to experience.  I think it helps me work with each horse and rider as an individual.  I keep in mind the practicality of those ranch horses which were so broke, those riders who can sit in the saddle for hours warming up those cutting horses, but the finesse it takes to get a beautiful finished team for a horsemanship or trail class.”  She also considers it vital to keep an open mind for “continuing education” in this business.  She has hosted a Nancy Cahill clinic for her students and has readily visited experts in different fields to sharpen her skills so she can pass that on to her horses and students.  “It is a challenge doing so many events, but I think I would get bored doing only one or two.”

In July, 2008, Line` had a student in who competed in the Amateur Hunter Under Saddle Division at the Palomino World Championship Horse Show.  She has won several local futurities, coached Amateur and Youth students to multiple AQHA High-Point awards including two San Antonio Livestock Show $10,000 scholarship awards, making a total of three of her students who have won over the years. She added a Region 8 Championship and two Reserve Championships to her list in 2008, too. “The most rewarding thing to me is teaching.  I have some students that may never compete, but I love it when they light up that first time they accomplish a maneuver they have been working on. I also have folks who enjoy staying close to home and trying to win that local affiliate’s year-end award.  Then I have the few that have World Show aspirations, and that just excites me to try to get them there.  I think it is important to make obtainable goals for each student.” To see more about Line`, her students, and their accomplishments, please visit the rest of the L` Performance Horses' webpage.

 

Line` is an AQHA Professional Horseman, on the Board of Directors for the Quadalupe Valley Quarter Horse Breeders Association, and a National Snaffle Bit Association member.  Please visit our Favorite Links page for more information regarding these and other great Equine Associations.