Our Staff

Matthew has spent over 10 years immersed in the art and discipline of horsemanship, training and teaching across Southern California and Utah before returning home to Maine. Now based at Los Solano, he offers colt starting, riding lessons, problem solving, and cattle work with a focus on creating soft, willing, and confident horses.

Strongly influenced by the traditional Vaquero and Buckaroo style, Matthew is dedicated to the classical progression of developing a bridle horse—from snaffle bit to hackamore, two-rein, and finally straight-up in the bridle. He believes in a patient, thoughtful approach that honors the horse’s timeline and cultivates trust, lightness, and mutual respect.

Matthew sees every horse as a unique individual and every ride as a conversation. His goal is to build a true partnership—one rooted in feel, timing, and balance. He is just as passionate about helping people grow in their understanding of horses, and he takes pride in helping both horse and rider find clarity, confidence, and connection.

For Matthew, horsemanship is not just a skillset—it’s a way of life and a lifelong journey. He’s continually striving to become a better horseman, always learning, always listening, and always aiming to do right by the horse.

Emily is a licensed social clinical worker has been working with adolescents and young adults for over a decade. Emily grew up in a suburb of New Jersey but has called Maine home since 2018. Emily is currently working at the Mary Hurd Academy ( a special education high school for students with special education needs) as the social worker for the school and has been there for 4 years. Emily has a special partnership with Los Solanos as she brings her students there for therapeutic purposes and has been able to witness/ experience the (benefits ) of working with horses.