ABOUT SHEA STEWART People have asked me why I work with horses. The only thing that I can think to say is that horses make me a better person. When I am with a horse, I feel like I am truly living in the moment. Something happens to me on the inside. Horses seem to have a strong need to make things right and maybe there is something in me that feels the same way. They are also so forgiving, and will give you their heart. They are good at drawing boundaries with each other, and they put a lot of effort into what they desire at the moment. I have learned a lot from different horse people (and non-horse people) along the way. But mostly I have learned from the horses. And I know that this is a journey that will continue to present new things to me all of the time. I was given my first horse when I was 8, growing up in Texas. I had been taking jumping lessons since I was 6 yrs old. We had our family horses at home and went trail riding, horse camping, worked cattle, and I practically lived on the back of my own horse. I continued my jumping and dressage education on the horses at my trainer's barn, and occasionally took my own horse to some of the shows. Basically all I did was ride and spend time with my horse. I feel like I was very blessed to be able to grow up with horses. I started my first horse when I was 12, was always asked to ride the difficult horses, and would spend time with my friends educating them about the horses. Every family vacation seemed to revolve around horses. Even when I was in college, I signed up for all of the horse related classes! I spent a few years after college and worked for the airlines. I spent 14 years traveling to as many places as I could, living in New York, Paris, San Francisco, Tucson, and Dallas. I traveled all over Europe, South America, and the Islands. I settled back down in the Santa Cruz area of California and this was where my true passion came back at full force. The very moment that my life settled down and I stopped traveling so much, I got a horse again. It wasn't long until I had two, then I started helping people with their horses, then I started getting asked to take horses in for training. So I decided to retire from the airlines and work horses full time. This has been a wonderful journey for me. I have had the opportunity to meet and become friends with some of the leaders in the horse industry. I have enjoyed learning from some of the best horsemen and women in the U.S. I've spent time with David Genadek learning as much as I can about saddle fit and how western saddles are made. I've gone to numerous hoof dissection clinics and learned about hoof form and function. I've studied anatomy and biomechanics, I've studied nutrition from Dr. Kellon and I've learned massage and acupressure. I have been fortunate to ride and learn from some of the top clinicians such as Harry Whitney, who digs deep into the mind of the horse. I have taken clinics from classical riding masters, ridden with Peggy Cummings who focused on balance, Mark Rashid who focuses on energy, and I will always remember my first riding instructor, Mrs. Zembrod. She never taught us a bad habit. After seeing the kinds of things that are taught out there in the world today, makes me appreciate her even more. She was all about keeping softness in the horse even when we were jumping 4 ft fences, or doing shoulder in down the rail. She also emphasized the horse's mind. She taught us the importance of getting the horse out of the arena and just enjoying a trail ride, and always made sure our horses were in a good place before we put them away. I rode with her when I was 10. I have been blessed to find friendship in other fellow horse trainers and clinicians and have enjoyed collaborating with them. I have also been blessed with the many horse owners out there who have trusted in me, and am ever so grateful for their dedication to their horses. Shea's training has been featured in July 2008 issue of Horse & Rider Magazine. To read in PDF format, click on the following: Horse Stories Shea's articles have been featured in Horse Nation Magazine. To read the latest articles in PDF format, click on the following: A Horse Named Melanie (Summer 2007), Windows to Their Worlds (Fall 2007), and Let's Get This Straight (Fall 2007).