TEEN TRAINER

Scout Murphy finds success with Mustangs via her unique path.

- BY MERRI MELDE

World traveler, published author, commissioned artist, trail guide, barefoot trimmer, Mustang trainer: there's pretty much nothing that 18-year-old Scout Murphy can't do.

And while training horses isn't so unusual in the equine world, Scout's journey to becoming one is rather extraordinary.

LIFE OF TRAVEL

Scout was 10 years old when she and her mother, Michelle, left their home in Cape Cod, Mass., and took to the road full time as equestrian nomads with their three horses and three dogs. That might seem like a drastic change of lifestyle, but it was really an easy decision.

Michelle had planned for a year, and they had taken some trial camping runs. Additionally, Scout had already traveled internationally with her mom.

"I've been to 11 different countries," Scout says. "And we immersed ourselves in the cultures and communities. We always tried to find kids for me to play with so I could see how they lived."

GETTING HER CONFIDENCE BACK

The biggest hurdle was that Scout had a bad riding accident that caused her to be nervous on horseback. Considering that the Murphys planned to travel around the country and ride, fear of riding was a big deal for young Scout.

One solution for her was a solid, bomb-proof horse. Enter the Paint Horse Joker.