About Shannon

Shannon (age 3)
& Dandee

Shannon grew up in the Northwest, where she started riding at the age of three. By age seven, she was spending her days exploring the local golf course, countless farmer’s fields, and creeks, all from the back of a horse. If she wasn't riding a horse, she was pretending she was a horse. By the time Shannon was in her early teens, she had been in the local 4-H program for several years and started her first horse by age 12. Throughout high school, Shannon trained horses locally in her small town, and continued showing both English and Western throughout the Northwest. She continued to ride while in college, but upon graduation, she entered the United States Army to fly helicopters. Over the next several years, Shannon would try to get horseback anywhere she could. After 5 years without her own horses, Shannon asked to be stationed in Texas and started building what is her life today. Soon after arriving in Texas, Shannon purchased Beau, her first horse since joining the army and was managing a stable with over 25 horses, and training for others again, which brought her consuming passion for horse’s right back to the forefront.

Shannon (age 10) & Choco

After purchasing Beau, Shannon decided it was time to make a decision in her life. She closed the chapter as a pilot in the Army, and went back to working with horses full time. It was around that same time that she found two young horses who she bought as resale projects. The mare was quite troubled and had an intense fear of humans. She had tried everything she knew with horses, and even made new things up. Nothing was working with Roanie, and it seemed this wasn't going to be just a resale project, but rather a challenging life lesson. Late one night while standing in a dusty round pen in the Texas heat, she realized she was in over her head and thought about giving up. It was only then that this filly finally came up behind her and touched her gently on the back as if to say “please don’t give up on me.” It became clear that Roanie was just one of a few special horses who were going to cause her to explore and search for a new level in her horsemanship, and quite possibly, a much deeper level within herself. Shannon was looking for some additional help and stumbled upon two books written by horseman Mark Rashid, titled "Horses Never Lie" and "Considering the Horse." After reading these books, she decided to load Roanie into the trailer and head north to Colorado for a week long clinic to work with Mark. It was at that clinic that she began to understand that she needed to dig deep within and establish and internal connection with herself, before ever expecting to get to the inside of the horse. Over the years, she has been reminded of the beautiful relationship that exists when the inside of the horse and the inside of the rider connect, something she experienced unknowingly as a young girl. Shannon has continued to ride with Mark two to three times a year since that first clinic in 2004, and in the fall of 2008, began assisting at various clinic locations throughout the U.S. as a student instructor.

Roanie

Shannon has studied Equine Biomechanics for years as she deepens her own understanding of how the horse works. She has worked closely with with saddle fitters, equine body workers, farriers, natural balance dentists, and veterinarians to provide a balanced foundation to build upon. Additionally, she has attended the 5 day intensive Anatomy and Dissection course with Dr. Deb Bennett as a way to broaden her own understanding of what is biomechanically correct movement for the horse, so she can better apply this to her training and teaching. She began studying Equine CranioSacral in 2010, and has completed advanced training courses with Maureen Rogers as well as a dissection course focusing solely on the equine head and neck. She continues to increase her craniosacral education by pursuing mentorship with both human and equine craniosacral therapists alike, whenever she can. As Shannon walks this exciting path she is not only learning from each and every horse and human she encounters, but it is her primary goal to honor the mind, body and spirit of each individual being.