What Our Favorite Horse Rides Taught Us About Running a Coffee Brand

When most people think about running a coffee business, they picture spreadsheets, roasting schedules, and early morning caffeine. But for us, it all started in the saddle.

Before we ever brewed our first batch of freshly roasted beans, we were spending sunrise hours on horseback—riding trails, working cattle, or just enjoying quiet time under the wide-open sky. Oddly enough, that time on horseback laid the groundwork for how we run our coffee company today.

Here are some of the lessons we’ve learned from our favorite horse rides—and how they continue to shape the way our coffee is sourced, roasted, and shared.

1. Pace Matters: You Can’t Rush a Good Ride—or a Good Roast
If you’ve ever ridden a horse that wanted to sprint to a trot or lope before you were ready, you know how important pacing is. A smooth ride comes from balance—between energy and trust, between the trail ahead and the moment you’re in.

The same goes for roasting coffee. You can’t rush the process. Roasting is about patience, paying attention to temperature curves, and knowing when to hold and when to pull. Just like with horses, if you try to force things, you lose quality—and maybe your seat, too.

That’s why we roast in small batches, at a pace that keeps our quality high. Every batch is timed and adjusted by hand, not by automation. It’s slower, but it’s worth it.

2. Know Your Ground: The Best Trails (and Coffee Beans) Come from the Source
We’ve ridden enough terrain to know that not all trails are created equal. A good ride depends on knowing the land—how it changes with weather, where it holds steady, and what to expect around the next bend.

Sourcing coffee is a lot like that. The origin of your beans matters just as much as how you roast them. That’s why we work with trusted farmers, suppliers, and roasters that care for their land, their workers, and their work quality. We’ve taken time to build relationships, ask questions, and learn the "terrain" behind every bean.

We may be based in the U.S., but our coffee’s story starts on the slopes of volcanoes, in humid mountain forests, and in sunlit valleys all around the globe. Knowing where it comes from helps us respect it—and helps us roast it right.

3. Listen to Your Partner: Horses (and Coffee Drinkers) Always Communicate
Ask any rider and they’ll tell you: a good horse will tell you what’s wrong—if you’re paying attention. The same is true with customers.

We’ve learned to listen to the feedback we get, whether it’s about flavor notes, shipping times, or brew guides. We take it seriously because we know how important small signals are. Just like a shift or timing in a horse’s stride, those comments help us adjust, improve, and keep things smooth.

The relationship between rider and horse is built on trust. We aim to build that same trust with our customers—by being transparent and committed to consistent quality.

4. Every Ride Is Different: Adaptability Is Key
You might plan for an easy trail ride and end up navigating muddy paths and stubborn gates. That unpredictability? It's part of the journey.

Running a coffee brand during global shipping delays, tariff hikes, and weather-driven harvest changes has taught us a similar lesson: be ready to pivot. We’ve adjusted to price increases, weather-related shortages, and shifting customer habits. Through it all, we’ve stayed committed to our values—no shortcuts, no cheap blends, no sacrificing flavor for speed.

We’re not in this to get big fast. We’re in this for the long ride.

5. Appreciate the Small Moments: Coffee and Horses Are Best Savored Slowly
There’s nothing like sipping coffee after an early morning ride—dust still on your boots, the smell of hay in the air, and the sun just starting to climb. It’s a moment of stillness, reflection, and satisfaction.

That’s what we hope to share with every bag we roast. Not just caffeine, but the feeling of slowing down, being present, and savoring something real. In a world that’s always in a rush, that kind of moment matters.

Final Thoughts:
We didn’t start a coffee brand just to sell beans—we started it to share the values we live by: patience, craftsmanship, resilience, and a deep respect for where things come from as well as how to do things right.

Horses taught us that. They still do.

So next time you brew a cup of our coffee, know this—it’s brought to you by folks who’ve spent time in the saddle, who know the value of a steady pace, and who believe that quality is always worth the ride.

Thanks for being part of this journey. See you on the trail—or at your kitchen counter.