Programs Introduction

Therapeutic Riding and Hippotherapy

Horses for Heroes

Horses for Hope

Maryland School for Horsemanship

Horse Therapists

Staff

Naomi Parry

Naomi is the Founder of MTR, formerly MTR's Executive Director, Board Member, 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. After a serious car accident left her temporarily paralyzed and struggling to recover from multiple injuries, she took up horseback riding in college and discovered that riding healed her body as well as her mind. This realization ultimately led to an interest in therapeutic riding and the founding of MTR in 1996. 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.  In addition to Naomi and Jo, Kelly also 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."

As Equine and Facility Manager, Joanne McCallum "Jo" is responsible for the wonderful herd of MTR horses and our beautiful facility.  Jo grew up in England and is certified by the prestigious British Horse Society as an instructor.  Jo has a wonderful comprehension of the chemistry of people and horses. Her enthusiasm, organizational skills, and energy make MTR run every day.  As a BHSA Instructor, Jo offers training in horsemanship to anyone from beginner to advanced and child to adult.

Betsy Dolard

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."

Joe Dyer

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 is MTR's volunteer coordinator. She 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.

Karen Huyssoon - Speech Therapist

When I was little, I spent every waking moment I could at Arden Farms, exchanged cleaning stalls for free lessons and generally did anything I could to be around the horses. When I was 13, I was given my first horse and he taught me so much. He was a jumper and we enjoyed many wonderful years together. I grew up riding on Arden farm mostly hunters/jumpers. Remember riding the school ponies bareback back to the endlessly green field border fields before they belonged to MTR. Have been riding for about 17 years, and two years ago (before I had my last two children) I was working with a couple of local trainers breaking babies and rehabbed race horses.

In 1996, I married the love of my life who was a Naval Academy Graduate. We were sent to Norfolk Virginia where I graduated from Old Dominion University with a Master of Science in Speech Language Pathology. Three years ago, just on a whim, I turned into Arden to visit with the owners and discovered MTR. I have three wonderful children and I am honored to be a part of the magic of MTR. It is a joy to be a part of a barn where sunshine is on every child’s face and the horses are so endlessly patient and happy.

Nicole Lister

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, having 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 soon started volunteering at a center in Great Falls, Virginia. After being around therapeutic horseback riding and falling in love with it, Nicole decided to pursue NARHA Instructor Certification in June 2008. After a job relocation in September 2008, Nicole started volunteering at MTR and in March 2009 started teaching on Wednesday evenings and hopes to be certified fully in December 2009.

Carole Morgan

Carol was born and raised in Kansas where she got her first horse at 10 yrs 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 soon became her main focus in the equine industry. Although while she began teaching able bodied students her love has turned to Therapeutic Riding to the point where her registered quarter horse Apollo is now used in the 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.

Michele Seanger Physical Therapist

Carrie Sherlock, MS OTR/L (Occupational Therapist)

Carrie’s passion is working with people with disabilities. She currently works full time at Johns Hopkins Hospital in the Comprehensive Integrated Inpatient Rehabilitation Program for adults. Her experience includes working in a special education school as a substitute teacher as well as many clinical experiences in OT working with children with sensory integration disorders, autism, etc. Carrie grew up in NJ and received a Bachelors of Science degree from East Stroudsburg University, PA in Rehabilitative Services in 2004 and then earned her Masters of Science degree in Occupational Therapy at the Richard Stockton College of NJ in 2007.

Carrie has always had an interest in hippotherapy due to her love of animals, despite her lack of experience with horses. When a friend of the family informed her about MTR, she jumped on the opportunity to try it out. She loves the interaction between the riders and horses as well as the benefits that hippotherapy offers that no other form of treatment could present.

Katie Spohn

Katie 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. By day Katie is a Learning Specialist for preschool through elementary age students at a private school in Annapolis. Katie earned a B.A. in Psychology and Religion from Dickinson College, and a M.S. in Counseling Psychology from Loyola College of Baltimore.

Erin Wagner

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.