God's Design for Equine Care and Training: Transforming Horse Training Through Scripture & Science
God has called me to a very specific mission to educate horse and other equine owners about a kinder training method. Due to observing herds for hundreds to thousands of years, humans have believed that punishment and dominance were the most effective ways to train horses. But I am here to show others there's a better way and, I believe, God's way as well.
Over the past year, I have been breaking down Biblical scriptures through the lens of behavioral science in order to understand God's original design for animal caretaking and training. God has called me to share this information through my local community, social media, and online courses. Because this calling requires a lot of focused time, God asked me to leave my job in March 2026. I saved enough money to help my husband and horses for four months, but unfortunately, three horses are very costly and we ran out of our savings this month (August 2026).
Why I Am Asking for Support
I was asking God how He was going to provide, and He reminded me of a show I watched. An artist used a crowdfunding site to help launch his illustrated novels. It allowed him to put his total focus into the project, and the community supported him because they believed in his vision. I am hopeful that God led me to this crowdfunding site for a reason.
I would appreciate and be so incredibly thankful for any financial support, big or small. If you are unable to give, I would also appreciate prayers and encouragement. Thank you so much for clicking to learn more about the vision God has blessed me with.
My Background & Training Journey
I have been around horses pretty much my entire life. I got into horseback riding in the early 2000s. Dominance and punishment were the primary training methods used in the horse community that I was in. As a young girl, I didn't know better and never questioned the methods; I just accepted them. However, I carried a lot of anger as a little girl due to my upbringing and wasn't taught how to regulate my emotions. So when I used punishment with my horses, it became an outlet for my disappointments and rage. In an unhealthy way, it helped regulate me because I was letting out my frustrations.
My methods didn't change until I was in my early 20s when I was given an off-the-track Thoroughbred. She was the biggest horse I had ever worked with, and she intimidated me. Anytime I picked up a whip, she would rear up and flee from me. I saw the abuse and pain she went through, and it instantly changed my life and my training methods. I didn't know how to train horses without using punishment, so I had to research YouTube videos and buy books to help guide me in a new direction. Finding relationship-based and positive training methods was still difficult six years ago. However, I did find a trainer named Warwick Schiller. I studied his relationship-based, punishment-free methods for years and adopted the method.
Discovering Positive Reinforcement
The new method worked amazingly with my Thoroughbred, but when I adopted a wild mustang, I realized the method was still missing something. I tried everything with my mustang—negative reinforcement, punishment, relationship training—and nothing seemed to work. It just made him aggressive and lash out. So I began researching again and found clicker training, or positive reinforcement. Moose (my mustang) just needed the sound of a clicker to clarify what he did right. He was never aggressive; he was just confused because he never knew the right answer.
Although I am still human and may fail if I don't catch myself getting frustrated in time, I really try to avoid using any type of punishment. I believe God called me to do so, and I believe He is wanting me to share my story with others: the story about how positive reinforcement can not only heal horses in the industry, but also horse owners and fellow horse trainers.
How Your Support Will Be Used
My broader vision is a three-part course series, but right now this campaign is specifically dedicated to completing Course 1: The Faithful Handler: Exploring Equine Behavior through Scripture and Science.
Every dollar raised directly supports this production:
- Horse Care & Feed: Essential monthly upkeep, feed, and hoof care for our 3 horses while production is underway. (Est. cost: $800–$1000/mo)
- Course Production: Video filming, editing software, and student education tools. (Est. cost: $50–$100/mo)
- Basic Living Expenses: Monthly stability so I can dedicate 100% of my time to completing and publishing the course. (Est. cost: $500/mo)
Future releases will include Course 2: The Faithful Rider (Intro to Riding) and Course 3: The Faithful Companion (Behavioral Issues).
Thank you again so much for taking the time to read my story and I hope you consider supporting my vision!
Connect & Follow Along
If you'd like to follow the journey, let's connect on socials!
Instagram & Other Socials: @shayna.3smiles
