Nancy

Hi, my name is Nancy Simon and I am the owner of Shorewood acres.

  Like many of you I grew up loving horses and wanted to be with them all of the time. I remember my dad telling me my first word was “horsey”. I’m not sure that it’s true but it pretty much sums me up, everything horsey.

   As a young girl I continually immersed myself in everything horsey. I collected horses, I read about horses, and every chance I got, I rode horses. I was lucky that both of my parents liked to ride and we would occasionally take family trips to a dude ranch in the summer.  When I was a teen I was also fortunate enough to land a job at a local livery stable as a wrangler taking out trail rides. All summer long I got to ride 3 to 10 hours per day and loved every minute of it. My pay for the day was three dollars. Lol, but I would’ve done it for free, I was in heaven, one of the best jobs of my life next to running my own barn and taking care of horses and the many many people that I’ve come to know and love as my Barn Family.

 As a young adult, I was also lucky enough to be able to ride and show reining horses, learning from some really good trainers and there was where my interest in teaching started. I loved it when something clicked and I had an “aha” moment. A new door opened and I was excited to step in! 

I was hooked! I wanted to help others have their “Aha“ moments.

  Since 1994, I’ve been working on those moments, helping riders, both new and not so new, achieve goals. Whether it’s just an intro to the horse world, learning to comfortably and correctly canter or preparing to find and care for their first horse, I love it all. Because I’ve been in your shoes, I understand the struggles but I also understand the sheer joy of riding a horse and sometimes we don’t even have to ride.  These days I’m busy teaching and managing the farm and I have to say I get my horsey fix from just being around them. Sometimes that’s all it takes.

  I sure hope you come and join us here at Shorewood acres, we’d love to show you around and maybe even find a couple of your “aha” moments.

Hello! My name is Destiny Kohl, and I am one of the instructors at Shorewood Acres and the resident Mounted Archery coach.

 I’ve been in love with all things equine since I crawled out of my rocking horse covered nursery. After getting an early start in dressage as a small child, I was fortunate enough to grow up riding at Shorewood for many years before venturing out on my own. 

   My interests lay in multiple disciplines and I enjoyed riding competitively in events from pleasure classes to speed events, and everything in between. After entering the equine workforce I took advantage of opportunities in varied areas of the industry from breeding, riding, grooming and training, miniature horses to jumpers. But I’ve found that my true passion lies in introducing riders to the wonderful world of horses, and especially the exciting sport of mounted archery.

 With the addition of our mounted archery team, the Northern Arrow Mounted Archers, we have have begun our mission to bring this ancient art form to our neck of the woods through demos and clinics throughout Illinois and the surrounding states. Working with barn owners and individual students I hope to help the sport grow and flourish in the Midwest. 

 
  I love teaching students of all ages, and believe that encouragement and kindness are the best ways to foster a positive life long relationship with horses. Each rider is different and I take a flexible approach to teaching that fits with their individual goals, interests, and personalities. I would love to meet you and your family, and hope to see you at the barn soon!

My name is Katie Donnellan and I am a Riding Instructor at Shorewood Acres!

  I was born an avid animal lover and always wanted to ride. My mother let me start riding when I was just 6 years old, starting Western and switching to English when I was 8. As a child, I moved lesson barns a lot until I found Shorewood Acres when I was 10, where I got to explore both basic disciplines of riding.

   
 Shorewood is where I grew up riding, along with both my little sisters. The atmosphere of community and emphasis of safety around horses is what sets Shorewood Acres apart from other local lesson barns.

 I studied horses in college and have a degree in Equine Science and Management from University of Wisconsin - River Falls. In college I got to study classical dressage and reining at a collegiate level. Even training several horses from the ground up. I was also a part of Horseman's Association and showed on the IHSA Western Team. I have had the chance to dabble in many equestrian disciplines throughout my college experience.

  
 My background of riding instruction stems from my time as a wrangler at a local state park, where I shared my passion and knowledge with strangers on the daily. Also shaping my instruction is the many years I have spent both volunteering and teaching therapeutic riding to adults and children with special needs. Horses are good for our bodies and souls, and everyone deserves a chance to create that connection.