From Legal Briefs to Lead Ropes: Amy Cullen's Journey to Ranch Life

How a successful attorney found her true calling managing 200 horses at one of Colorado's most respected guest ranches

Trading a six-figure salary for seven dollars an hour might sound like career suicide to most, but for former attorney Amy Cullen, it was the beginning of an extraordinary adventure that would transform her relationship with horses and reshape her entire life.

"When I first said I was going to quit my job and become a Wrangler, it was in my mind like a six-month sabbatical," Amy reflects, describing her initial plan to take a brief break from legal life. That sabbatical has now stretched beyond twelve years, with Amy serving as the horse program director at Colorado's C Lazy U Ranch, where she oversees a herd of more than 200 horses.

The transition from DC law firm to mountain ranch life wasn't just a change of scenery – it represented a fundamental shift in Amy's approach to horsemanship.

Having grown up in the structured world of hunter-jumper competition, where horses lived in heated barns and wore blankets, Amy found herself immersed in a completely different equestrian culture. Here, horses live as a herd, dealing with everything from negative 20-degree temperatures to encounters with moose on the trail.

"I learned very quickly that everything I thought I knew was a small fraction of what all these horses and being around a herd of 200 for this many years has actually taught me," Amy shares. This humility and willingness to learn has become central to her philosophy at C Lazy U, where she's helped develop one of the most respected guest ranch programs in the country.

Under Amy's leadership, the ranch has evolved beyond traditional "dude ranch" stereotypes. Each horse is treated as an individual, with their roles adapted to suit their personalities and capabilities. "I don't put time limits on anything," she explains. "One horse could get in the guest string the second week he's here, another horse it might take 15 years, but as long as they're being useful to the program and enhancing the experience here for people, they have a job."

This flexible, horse-centered approach extends to retirement planning – an area where Amy has been instrumental in creating positive change. Working with rescue organizations, she's developed pathways for retiring ranch horses to find new careers or comfortable retirement homes, replacing outdated practices with more ethical solutions.

The true test of Amy's horsemanship came during the East Troublesome Fire in October 2020, when she faced the monumental task of evacuating the entire herd as flames approached the ranch. The experience, which she's now woven into her debut novel "Running Free," demonstrated the deep understanding she'd developed of herd dynamics and individual horse personalities.

"We learned very quickly you can't separate friend groups," she recalls of the evacuation. "If I put a lead mare on, six other geldings are just going to follow her right onto that trailer." This knowledge, combined with the trust built through years of thoughtful horsemanship, enabled the successful evacuation of nearly every horse without incident – a testament to the ranch's approach to horse care and training.

Amy's journey from law firm to ranch life carries a powerful message about the value of stepping outside one's comfort zone. “I was at that point where I was like, I am somehow living a life that is not making me happy."

Today, Amy's life at C Lazy U represents a different kind of success – one measured not in billable hours but in the joy of connecting people with horses, in watching young riders discover their passion, and in knowing that every horse under her care has the chance to thrive in a role that suits them best.

Her story reminds us that sometimes the most rewarding paths are the ones that seem least sensible on paper. After all, as Amy discovered, there's more than one way to build a successful life with horses at its centre.