We are very excited to announce that we have hired a professional horse trainer to be our horse trainer, evaluator and Adoption Specialist to help increase adoptions at our Tennessee shelter. This opportunity was made possible by the Watershed Animal Fund and our partners at The Right Horse Initiative.
Kristen Breakfield will be working with our sheltered horses, with a goal of helping them become highly adoptable. She will help match adopters with the right horse for that adopter. All adopters will have access to a 1 hour complimentary session with Kristen and their new horse at the time of adoption. She will also be available to adopters if they have questions about their adopted horse in the future.
From childhood growing up in Tennessee Kristen knew she would become a horse trainer. As a child, she showed in the Paso Fino Association winning many awards. Her self-taught method and natural abilities were first used training Pasos on the family farm. After graduating from high school, Kristen continued to work with horses and following her interest in barrel racing, she showed and went on to State. Kristen started her own horse training business, Smart Lil Acres, in 2013. As the owner, operator, and trainer at Smart Lil Acres, Kristen is known for connecting with horses on a natural level. She has a gentle method that identifies a horse’s strengths and weaknesses and uses them in a positive manner. She teaches the horse to read the body communication of their rider, providing a deeper connection in the partnership. The experiences she exposes them to creates a more confident and versatile horse.
Kristen has trained horses for Safe Harbor Equine Rescue and even adopted a mustang with a history of abuse and neglect. In 2016 Kristen was a contestant in the event, Rally for the Rescues-Trainers Challenge, training a horse that Horse Haven of Tennessee rescued.
We know that Kristen will be a great asset to our Tennessee shelter. Our goal for 2017 for our Tennessee shelter is to adopt 85 horses into the right homes, and we know that with Kristen’s help we can meet our goal!
Thank you all for your support, both financial and emotional.