Today we’d like to introduce you to Shelby Williams.
Hi Shelby, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I’m a horse lover and have always been one since I was just a little girl. My great-uncle had a lot of horses while I grew up, and we would always spend time at his ranch on holidays. I don’t really remember when I was little, but my mom says that I wanted to go see the horses every day when we were there. When I was eight years old, we lived in Plano, and my mom signed me up for horseback riding lessons through the City of Plano Recreation Center during the summer. I went for eight weeks for two summers in a row. While there, a camp employee would be mucking stalls, and I would always ask him if I could muck Dandy’s stall instead of him. Dandy was the horse’s name that I rode during camp. He said that he always felt bad for having a kid do his work even though it was my idea, so we settled on a Sunkist for 50 cents in return. I was happy and felt at home with Dandy. I guess I kind of adopted him while I was there, and I was lucky to get to ride him two summers in a row. The second summer I started asking my mom for a horse of my own, and I met a girl who boarded her horse at the stables. She was selling her horse, and I told my mom about her. The horse’s name was Ginger, and my mom agreed to talk to the girl’s father. They agreed on a lease situation so that I could get to know Ginger, and so my mom could think about buying her.
My mom was a single mom, and we always struggled for things. So, this was a BIG deal for my mom to think about. I fell in love with Ginger, and even though she was only two years old, she ended up being a great horse for me as a beginner. It’s never advised to get a young horse for someone who is just learning how to ride. My mom didn’t know this, and we lucked out because Ginger was always well-behaved. After we leased her a few months, my mom finally figured out a way to get enough money together, and Ginger’s owner let my mom pay him monthly until she paid him in full. My mom didn’t know anything about horses really, and I definitely knew more than her.
We moved Ginger to Commerce because my mom was attending Texas A&M University-Commerce. We boarded Ginger in town, and my mom enrolled in horsemanship classes through the university to learn about horses so that she could help me take care of her. She was homeschooling me during the time, so I got to go to those classes too which was fun even though I only got to watch. We lived in Commerce for a couple years, then moved to where I live now in Farmersville. Ginger loves it out here because she has a huge pasture, and I loved living right next door in the house. This is my grandparent’s property, but we ended up moving to Wylie for a couple years too. I was happy to be able to bring her back here, and I think Ginger is much happier here too. In Wylie, I boarded Ginger in a self-care barn, but it was still expensive overall for my mom because horses are not cheap. Board, food, and medical maintenance just adds up, so I started mucking other people’s horses’ stalls for a little extra money to help out with the cost of having Ginger.
As I learned more about horses, I was able to get a few clients who paid me to exercise their horses too. Little by little, I started wanting my own business, and at age 15, I started Shelby’s Equine TLC. I basically just took care of people’s horses for them like if they were out of town or just wanted to add some exercise time, or wanted their horses’ stalls mucked or just whatever TLC they wanted for their horses; kind of like pet sitting for horses, and I was their “go to.” It really helped to cover costs for Ginger. I had quite a few clients even at a young age, so my mom checked into a program for me which would allow me enough time to work. I ended up satisfying my high school requirements at Richland College where I graduated with dual credit, high school and my associate degree with honors through Phi Theta Kappa. The following year, I decided to go to a horsemanship school in West Virginia, Meredith Manor Equestrian College, where I earned my certificate in equine training, teaching, and equine massage therapy. Sadly, the school closed down last year, but what I learned there will last a lifetime.
When I returned back to Texas, I was, of course, reunited with Ginger, and I decided to pursue my bachelor’s degree from A&M-Commerce. Around the same time, I took a volunteer position with an equine therapy place and eventually became employed there. I was realizing my dream of working with horses but saw myself taking a different path after COVID hit. I think the pandemic changed everyone’s lives, and I started to give lessons at my grandparent’s house to help supplement my income. I never thought a few lessons would develop into what it is now, a full-time business. Before I realized, I suddenly had a handful of regular clients. My mom talked me into getting a banner made, and we hung it on our fence at the road by our gate entry. That banner was the best investment I could have made, and it’s continued to bring in clients. I realized in 2021 that this is something that I was able to really see a possibility of success, so I was all in at that point. We begin making improvements like adding onto the barn and planning an arena. Later this year, I added a sitting area, a portable toilet, and I designed a barrel trainer for riders to practice on while still improving the arena. Most recently, we added a semi-trailer that serves as hay, feed, and supply storage. I’m just focused on making improvements as I can one day at a time.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
The biggest struggle that I had to go through in starting my business is secondary actually. My foot was fractured for 2-3 years. I was working while standing on my feet in pain for a couple years, and then last spring I finally found a doctor who was able to diagnose my situation accurately. I am very thankful for her. She ended up performing back-to-back surgeries on both feet. I had a few months in between each surgery while the other healed, and there was a time that I was literally walking around in two support boots and using a walker out in the arena. Two procedures were done on my right foot and four procedures were performed on my left. So overall, the road has been smooth besides the medical issues, and I am very thankful for that.
We’ve been impressed with Texas Equine Education & Horsemanship, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
We offer foundational horsemanship lessons from the ground up for riders ages five years and older. Our goal is to teach students to have confidence while riding different horses in both English and Western and the versatility to advance into any discipline. Each lesson is personalized to fit the needs of the student. Our horsemanship lessons not only provide riding skills but also improve cognitive function such as memory, sequencing, multi-tasking, information retention, emotional regulation, energy regulation, and problem-solving skills as well as physical function such as balance, coordination, strength, flexibility, and body awareness.
I think how we differ from other horseback riding facilities is that our riders actually groom the horses and tack up the horses by themselves. And after the lesson, they remove the equipment also. Many students help bathe and feed the horses too in addition to mucking stalls and taking care of the horses, so our riders learn true horsemanship. This is why we say that they learn it from the ground up. Many other horseback riding places only let students get on the horses and get off. Their students don’t get to learn other areas of horsemanship. They only learn riding techniques. I believe that students really enjoy and benefit from learning ALL about horses, not just learning how to ride, and we are also excited to now offer badge and certificate programs for kids’ groups like Girl Scouts & Scouts, formerly known as Boy Scouts, homeschool groups and more in summer and winter breaks. Within the next couple of years, we plan to start half-day camps as well.
Another thing that sets us apart is that we have created a non-profit program for veterans, active-duty military, and first responders called Stars & Stirrups. The program provides horsemanship lessons for our heroes. We call them STARS because they shine bright among us as they protect and serve our country, so we want to do our best to serve our STARS in return. The Stars & Stirrups program includes one free horsemanship lesson per week. Each lesson is one hour and can be in a private or group setting. Horsemanship lessons include groundwork, riding, horse care, and safety. Lessons can benefit life skills such as confidence, commutation skills, and energy regulation. We are eagerly awaiting approval for 501c3 status. At this time, we have limited availability for participants and Stars & Stirrups is at capacity for free horsemanship lessons. We have a waitlist though for anyone who wishes to join the program, and they can also sign up for regular classes in the meantime. As Stars & Stirrups grows and develops, I’d like to host social activities for the Stars and their families.
We also have a special little gem at TEEH. Her name is Reign, a precious miniature horse who makes special appearances at parties and events. Everyone loves Princess Reign, The Magical Pony. Children and adults alike enjoy our little pony. She even has a unicorn costume for princess parties.
Lastly, we have a horse ownership course with a textbook that I authored that helps people learn how to be responsible horse owners. It is specialized for those who are buying a horse for the first time or have already purchased a horse and don’t really know much about horses. These classes start from the ground up as well, but we focus more on everything but riding. I would consider riding lessons perhaps an addition to the horse ownership class. Another course program we offer is a teaching certification prep program for those who want to learn techniques of teaching riding lessons. Every participant in our education programs receives a completion certificate.
What do you think about luck?
I’m not sure if I really believe in luck, even though it’s a common phrase to say to someone, you know, to wish someone “good luck,” but I can for sure say that I believe God has blessed me with this business. Back during COVID in 2020, I had gotten laid off and didn’t really know what direction my life would take. I had a few people ask me for lessons or were referred to me through someone. My business grew overnight almost in my horse’s pasture. I didn’t even have an arena set up or anything, and frankly, I didn’t even have a chance to ask my grandparents about starting a business on their property. It was something that just sort of happened, and I am sincerely thankful for my grandparent’s continued generosity, support, encouragement and understanding as it continues to grow. It’s been an organic process, mainly by word of mouth. I consider this a true blessing from God. A lot of prayers went up in 2020 and still do about my business. I’m not wealthy by any means, yet God continues to provide solutions for me. An example might be our newest addition of the semi-trailer. I needed storage for hay, and was searching for a container or something similar, all of which are not cheap. I prayed for the right solution because it was quite overwhelming to say the least. I have eight horses and two donkeys that need hay for the winter now, so this was a big concern since we will likely have a hay shortage. Both my mom and I noticed that a lady was giving away this semi-trailer on Facebook Marketplace. All we needed to do was haul it off. That was a no-brainer for me and certainly a solution that would fit into my budget! I had a local towing company pick it up for us, and my grandpa, with the help of a friend, built a small deck with stairs to the back door. I’ll be removing the big semi doors and installing some skirting around it later, but I firmly believe that God helped me find a solution to my hay storage that fits within my budget. I wouldn’t call that luck really, but some might.
Besides the many volunteers we have come out to the facility that I’m super thankful for, another thing that has certainly helped my business grow with ease is working with horse owners to procure horses by establishing agreements with care leases. This is a program where the horse owner lets their horse live at the facility, they don’t pay board, and they let me use their horses and train them and use them as lesson horses in exchange for me providing for the horses’ care which includes the food. It’s a win-win situation for both Texas Equine, the owner, and certainly the horse because I treat the horses like they are my own, and love them just the same as well. I want to mention that because, while I don’t credit my success to luck, I do see a series of events that have clearly led me to this point, and I never could have done it alone. I can happily and thankfully say that many people have made a contribution to help create Texas Equine Education & Horsemanship, and as long as God continues to bless it and pave the way, I’m certainly willing to do my best to help it grow and make it even better.
Pricing:
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Mini Lessons last about 30 minutes, which includes time to tack/untack and about 10-15 minutes of ride time. These lessons are perfect for younger riders. Lessons are $40 each.
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Private Lessons last around 60 minutes, which includes time to tack/untack and about 30-40 minutes of ride time. Lessons are $65 each.
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Group Lessons last 60-90 minutes for up to 3 students and include time to tack/untack and 30-40 minutes of ride time. Students must be over the age of 10 years old AND exceed Level 3 on our TEEH Skills Checklist to participate in Group Lessons. The lesson price of $60 is for each student.
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Mini Lessons last 30 minutes, which includes time to tack/untack and about 10-15 minutes of ride time. These lessons are perfect for younger riders. Mini Lesson Packages include four pre-paid half-hour private lessons for $150.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.texaseeh.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/texas_eeh/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TexasEEH
Image Credits
Ellen Grace Photography
Shelby Williams
Kim Williams
