TEXAS NEIGHBORS | SPRING 2021 Michelle Tidwell trains horses, beats cancer By Jennifer Whitlock Field Editor When someone has true passion for their career, it shows. And when someone sticks with that career through adversity and challenges, they have true grit. Madison County Farm Bureau member Michelle Tidwell has both. She’s the assistant horse trainer at Cahill Quarter Horses in Madisonville, a role she’s filled for more than 20 years now. Tidwell said she’s just one of those lucky people who had the opportunity to take what they love and turn it into a career. But those who know her best know differently. She’s a hard worker, dedicated to her students and the horses she spends her days training at Cahill Quarter Horses. The operation is a one-stop training shop for riders and horses. Riders of all ages from the area come to learn from Tidwell and Cahill, and people can send their horses to the Cahill facilities to be trained, as well. “We spend most of our days riding. We ride the horses, come back and get another one and just keep going. We have clients that come in and out for lessons all day, too. Once a week, the farrier comes out, and sometimes we take horses to the vet. So, we’re always busy,” she said. “We train kids as young as four or five all the way up to adults 70 and older, from those who are just interested in riding for fun to people who show.” There are challenges to both. But Tidwell noted with a wry smile that training horses is much easier than train-ing people, although some are more stubborn than oth-ers. “Just like people, horses have all sorts of personalities. Some of them are happy to see you. Some of them are a little grumpy,” she said. “But as far as their desire to work, the biggest thing with horses is consistency. Every day, it’s consistency. They’re fed at the same time or within very close to the same time of it. They go through the same routine each day, and that’s how you get them trained.” In May 2019, life was busy, but good. Then one simple phone call changed everything. It was her doctor, and the diagnosis was breast cancer. But not even cancer was going to stop Tidwell from pur-“ I may have found professional success, but there’s always the desire to be better than you were yesterday. — Michelle Tidwell ” WWW.TEXASFARMBUREAU.ORG