About Us Introduction

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Staff

Support Personnel

Therapists

Instructors

Founder

Board of Directors

Naomi is the Founder of MTR and a NARHA Master Level Instructor. In 1981, she graduated from the British Horse Society approved instructor training course at the Potomac Horse Center. She has been teaching riding and training horses for over 20 years. Teaching the therapeutic riding instructors is one of her greatest joys, next to working with the very special MTR riders! Naomi also loves to train and compete with her horse in nationally-recognized riding competitions.  Naomi is our lead horseback riding instructor and teaches children and adult riders of any ability about the fundamentals and joys of becoming one with a horse - you might get to ride Naomi's horse and MTR's princess, Gresca.

Kelly Shepstone is MTR's Program Manager. Her wonderful disposition and love of therapeutic riding shines through every day at MTR.  She has made therapeutic riding her life purpose.  She is a graduate of Centenery College where she obtained B.S. in Equine Studies and Management in 2006.  During her time in college she became a certified therapeutic riding instructor. Kelly offers independent lessons to any rider of any age and ability.  Kelly says, "We can't appreciate what therapeutic riding means to some of the clients we serve."

Instructor

Betsy was raised in Mexico where she learned to ride and became a primary school teacher. She married and her family moved to Connecticut, where she acquired a Master's degree in Hispanic Studies and taught college-level Spanish. She has three children, and three grandchildren. Betsy's daughter, Annick, has special needs and also has a love for horses. Through Annick's involvement at MTR, Betsy has become a NARHA Registered Level Instructor and one of the program's most talented schoolers. She says, "It has been such a great experience and I only hope that I can give back to the program as much as it has given me."

By chance, Joseph Dyer, years ago, went on a trail ride through the Santa Monica mountains - and fell in love with horses. He has been riding ever since - competing in equitation and jumping events, playing polo, and leading guided trail rides for, and giving riding lessons to, able-bodied riders. At the same time, Joseph began volunteering with therapeutic riding programs. A dynamic and creative teacher by nature, Joe's students excel under his cheerful guidance. Joe received his NARHA Registered Instructor Certificate in 2003. By day, Joe is an attorney in Wahington, DC.

Ellie has been a NARHA Registered Instructor since 2004, her experience in the therapeutic riding industry comes from her time with EQUI-KIDS as Equine Director and an Instructor. Ellie rode her first horse when she was four, and has since been involved with riding competitively, riding for pleasure, show grooming, schooling, barn management, and teaching. Ellie obtained her Bachelor's degree in Psychology through Regent University and is the proud Mom to a ten-year-old stepson and two-year-old twin girls.

Nicole first caught the horse bug around age four, and her love of horses has been strong ever since. She started horseback riding at age ten, and has ridden balance seat, hunt seat, and most recently dressage. A newspaper article featuring therapeutic horseback riding in 2007 sparked her interest in the field and she soon started volunteering at a center in Great Falls, Virginia. Nicole fell in love with therapeutic horseback riding and decided to pursue NARHA Instructor Certification in June 2008. After a job relocation in September 2008, Nicole started volunteering at MTR. In March 2009 she started teaching on Wednesday evenings. She received her NARHA certification in December 2009.

Carol was born and raised in Kansas where she got her first horse at 10 years old. From that point on, life without horses was just not a possibility. She grew up raising and showing Appaloosa’s and Quarter horses throughout the state riding English and Western with a little Reining and Trail thrown in the mix. After a stretch without horses she and her husband moved to Richmond, VA where she was once again drawn to riding but this time it was English/Hunt Seat. While in Virginia she once again became a horse owner. Soon work brought her and her husband to Maryland where they settled in the Bowie area. She continued riding and showing and soon began teaching which became her main focus in the equine industry. Although she began by teaching able-bodied students, her love has turned to Therapeutic Riding to the point where her registered quarter horse Apollo is now used in MTR's lesson program. Carol still owns a German Warmblood whom she used to show but is now retired. During the day Carol works for the public housing industry.

Instructor

Instructor

Katie is MTR's volunteer coordinator. She is excited to be a part of the amazing team at MTR! Katie has had a great love of horses and has been riding and experiencing their great healing power since the age of 6. After volunteering at MTR, Katie knew that she had to follow her dream to share the therapeutic power of the horse with others and became a NARHA Registered Level Instructor in 2009. Katie earned a B.A. in Psychology and Religion from Dickinson College, and a M.S. in Counseling Psychology from Loyola College of Baltimore.

Instructor

Erin started out as a volunteer with MTR and quickly realized that it was the place for her. Erin received her NARHA Registered Instructor Certificate in 2009. She is a graduate of University of Maryland with a degree in Psychology, with a focus on child development. Her love for horses began as a teenager when she started riding her first horse, Ted. When she's not at the barn instructing or volunteering, she can usually be found at her farm in Harford County.