🎙️ This week on The Trainer’s Wife Podcast, I’m honored to welcome Susan Marvin—a woman whose story is rooted in faith, discipline, and building something lasting from the ground up.

Susan and her husband, Tommy Marvin spent decades shaping a respected legacy in the cutting horse industry. Tommy is a Hall of Fame member with over $2.3 million in National Cutting Horse Association earnings and a NCHA Futurity Champion. Susan herself has earned more than $259,000 in NCHA competition.

But their story didn’t start in arenas and winner’s circles.

It started with bare land, a motorhome, a few panels, and a shared dream.

From humble beginnings in Arkansas to building an 800-acre ranch in Barnsdall, Oklahoma, the Marvins created their operation piece by piece—guided by strong Christian faith, financial discipline, and a commitment to avoiding debt. Today, their ranch includes multiple arenas, barns, cattle, and a home they built themselves—and is nearly debt-free, the result of years of patience and intentional choices.

Susan shares openly about:
• Leaving college and special education to pursue life in the horse world
• Supporting Tommy through every stage of his career
• Managing books, schedules, horses, and family
• Raising children in the industry
• Building a business with integrity and faith
• The power of patience and long-term vision

As their daughter, Kenli, beautifully shared, Susan is “the backbone”—the bookkeeper, loper, encourager, and steady presence behind it all. A competitor in her own right, a mother, and a true partner in every sense.

What I love most about Susan’s story is that it reminds us that real success isn’t flashy.

It’s faithful.
It’s steady.
It’s built one stall, one fence, one building at a time.
It’s about building something that lasts.

And it’s about the quiet strength of a woman who helped make it all possible.

Now, when they have a quiet moment to sit on the porch of the home they built, they look out over their land, their cattle, and a peaceful pond in front of the house—a view that reflects the life they’ve worked so hard to create.

🎧 Don’t miss this powerful and inspiring conversation with Susan Marvin.

Hey everyone, and welcome to Season Two of The Trainer’s Wife.

If you’ve been here for a while, thank you for walking this journey with me — and if you’re new, I’m so glad you found us.

This is where I sit down with the wives of professional horse trainers in the Western equine industry to share their stories — not just in the arena, but in life.

We talk about how they show up for their families, their careers, their communities, and for other women.

This podcast is a place to celebrate strong, brave, beautiful women whose roots run deep — and whose impact reaches far beyond the show pen.

I’m so glad you’re here.

SHOW NOTES:

Marvin Performance Horses

The Jennifer Journals

The Trainer's Wife, Solo Mini-Series

Sponsored by Ken Wold Stallion Services