I started Horsing Around Soap a few months after making my first batch of soap. It was not something I had planned, but a hobby turned passion. You might compare this to how quickly we fall head over heels in love with our horses, who win us over with their gentle soft eye and sweet nicker greeting.

As an equestrian, I'm not afraid to get my hands dirty. If you hang around a barn, there's no avoiding it, right? Being a horse owner translates into lot of hand-washing. That routine was taking a toll on my skin, in the form of cracking and splitting fingers. I needed to solve this problem. My solution: it was time to create my own handmade soap!

I knew that the soap had to use wholesome ingredients and it had be kind to my delicate skin. It had to be something special.

Everything changed in 2012 when I stirred up my first small batch of cold-process soap. Yeah, I made soap, from scratch. (Look Mom, no hands!) I was hooked! I was drawn to the art and science of soap making. I recorded notes about each batch. I learned from the unusable soap. I celebrated successes, studied ingredients and formulated natural recipes. Shortly thereafter Horsing Around Soap was born.

I have donated bars of soap along the way to various homeless shelters. I've given bars to family and friends. And I created a line of natural castile saddle soap that would be kind to my skin while gently cleaning my saddle and tack.

Barn chores call. It's time to wash my hands again.