Roni McFadden

Roni McFadden has spent decades supporting equine veterinary care at Redwood Valley Equine near historic Ridgewood Ranch, home of Seabiscuit. Her lifelong belief in the healing power of horses shaped her work with therapeutic riding programs and inspired the true story of Emilia’s transformation. A SPUR Award Finalist author, Roni continues to support equine‑assisted therapy through her writing, ensuring that Emilia’s courage helps other children rise.

Roni is the mother of four, grandmother of fourteen, and Great Grandmother of six. She grew up in Altadena, CA and now lives in Hayden, ID with her husband of 55 years, John.

Little did they know when moving to Northern California that the property they bought and built their house on once was part of the Ridgewood Ranch, home of the famous racehorse Seabiscuit. Shortly after moving Roni began a career with the equine veterinarians that have cared for the horses at the ranch for over 25 years, and through that connection she was able to write and publish her first book. "Josephine~A Tale of Hope and Happy Endings" is a children's book about a great granddaughter of the legendary Seabiscuit who becomes orphaned at four days of age and follows the filly as she is accepted by a surrogate mare.

All proceeds from the sale of "Josephine" go to Seabiscuit Therapeutic Riding Program at the Ridgewood Ranch in Willits, CA.

Roni's association with Josephine and the Ridgewood Ranch enabled her to start her own small publishing company, which she named The Biscuit Press.

Her love of horses and the unusual experiences she had as a teenager working at a pack station in the High Sierras are recorded in the pages of her newest book, "The Longest Trail."

She retired from Redwood Valley Equine when her employer Dr. Michael Witt retired and closed the office. And after 18 years without a horse of her own, she is now the owner of a beautiful leopard appaloosa named Romeo.

One of her greatest pleasures now, as she gets older, is watching her grandchildren grow and thrive. Now that she is retired and has relocated to Idaho she plans to settle into developing more book ideas.