Ryder worked as a retail manager at Blockbuster Music, in San Antonio, Texas, before moving into the adult industry. She spent eighteen months as a dancer, deciding that she really enjoyed the work. Other dancers inspired her to become involved with the adult film business. In 1998, she flew out to Los Angeles and signed up with an agent.Her agent got her work in various amateur projects and put her in contact with major studios. She has worked for Adam & Eve, Wicked, Vivid, Sin City, Cal Vista/Metro, and Legend amongst others. She also appears on The Erotic Network, Spice, The Playboy Channel, and can sometimes be seen in R-rated films for Showtime and Cinemax. She has starred in 300 adult movies.