Shae has always been in love with horses and grew up riding in Arizona, taking every opportunity she had to be in the saddle. When she was 10, she began taking lessons at a barn and showing Pony of the Americas on the breed’s circuit. As she got older, to better her horsemanship knowledge, she worked as a ranch hand at several barns, picking up valuable tips from the barns’ trainers.
“When I was younger, I thought training horses was confusing. I’d watch the professional trainers and wonder where they came up with their techniques. One day, I asked one of them how they learned to work with horses, and they told me that they followed Clinton’s training approach,” Shae says.
She looked into the Method and discovered that Clinton had an entire program about how to train horses and better understand them. “I really liked the philosophy behind his approach to horsemanship and the importance he put on learning to communicate with them,” Shae explains.
When she graduated high school, Shae got a job working at a ranch and was tasked with tuning up a couple of horses and starting one under saddle. “I’d never started a horse before, so I figured I should look into what Clinton had to offer to lay out a plan to safely and successfully accomplish my goal. I started by watching his videos on YouTube and then became a premium club member,” Shae says.
As she got more involved with the Method, Shae knew she wanted to attend the Academy and establish a career as a Method Ambassador. As an ambassador, she is passionate about sharing her enthusiasm for the Method with others. “The transformation you see in your horse when you start going through the Fundamentals is amazing. Establishing that foundation ties up any loose ends where the horse’s training may be lacking and just cleans everything up,” Shae says. “It’s incredible to see what you can accomplish when you understand how horses think and you develop a true partnership.”