Stacy Maher – Biography

My love of horses started at an early age.  I asked my mom and dad to write “PONY” as the number one item on my Christmas List when I was 3 years old.  I didn’t get a pony that year, but my parents were kind enough to indulge my love of horses in other ways.  My mom took me to the Swope Park Zoo and let me ride the ponies.  Some of my fondest childhood memories are summer trips to Colorado, which always included time to ride on rented horses, and trips to the American Royal to see the horse shows and go behind the scenes.

My parents enrolled me in riding lessons at the age of 10 and they purchased my first horse, Ginger, when I was 12. Ginger was a registered Quarter Horse whose ability to work cattle was only overshadowed by her “boss mare” attitude.  Ginger proved to be one of my most important teachers.  She was quiet if we were working cattle in a tight area, yet she still kept the cattle in line.  She would pursue rogue cows or calves in the field relentlessly until they were back with the herd. 

I became interested in showing horses in my early teens.  I have owned a number of show horses and competed with all of them, showing in Halter, Showmanship, Western Pleasure, Western Horsemanship, Trail, Hunter Under Saddle and Equitation.  Showing highlights include Kansas High Point Champion in Showmanship at Halter two years straight, and placing in the top five in Western Pleasure, Western Horsemanship and Hunt Seat numerous times.  When I was twenty years old I was asked, by the owners of a local barn, if I would be interested in teaching riding lessons. It was then that I discovered how rewarding teaching others really is. 

My coaching program begins with the fundamentals of proper handling of the horse, grooming and tacking up.  As we progress to riding, I stress proper horsemanship/equitation skills, light hands and using rider aids properly, including seat, hands, legs and body position. 

While most of my life has involved riding, training and showing Quarter Horses, I have a great appreciation for a good horse of any breed.  Two students whom I had the pleasure of coaching owned Purebred Arabians.  Both young ladies had successful show careers winning Championships in both English Pleasure and Hunter Pleasure under my guidance.  One of the young ladies earned a scholarship to William Woods University and is now a successful Arabian trainer who shows on a national level.  I also coached two young riders (6 and 9 years old) to numerous Top 5 awards at the Paso Fino Grand National Show.

My horse training program includes teaching the horse basics that I feel virtually every horse must know including an extensive ground work program, lungeing and free lungeing and line driving.  My riding program focuses on teaching the horse to carry itself in a balanced, collected way that focuses on proper movement and proper head carriage.   

I have trained a number of horses who have earned points in AQHA, APHA, Palomino and Buckskin shows in the Amateur, Novice Amateur, Youth and Novice Youth divisions.  One highlight includes training two Quarter Horses who placed in the Top 10 (out of 120 horses) in the Iowa Quarter Horse Association Futurities.  I have also had some unique horse experiences including riding horses in two American Royal parades (I had the honor of riding alongside the Governor in 2005) and working with a six-horse hitch of black Clydesdales.  The Clydesdale hitch performed at numerous equine events and was even invited to Colorado to be a part of the wedding festivities for equine clinician John Lyons.         

Occasionally I leave the corporate equine arena and the formal riding arena to work cattle with friends, team sort, take horses to shows or ride in a parade.  I also enjoy attending equine events including the AQHA World Show, Paint Horse Congress, National Cutting Horse Association Shows, Dressage Shows and some of the Draft breed national level shows and sales. The equine world is constantly evolving and I feel that continuing my equine education is important, so I have attended clinics and seminars hosted by clinicians John Lyons, Clinton Anderson, Monty Roberts, Pat and Linda Parelli and Cleve Wells as well as equine health and wellness seminars hosted by a number of veterinarians.

Nothing brings me more satisfaction than having my riding students enjoy their time in the saddle, develop new skills, gain confidence, reach their goals and share in the joy that horses can bring to our lives.  

I graduated from Avila University with a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration.  I live on a small farm in Bonner Springs with my son, Bobby, our golden retriever, Bamm, and our two cats, Miss Kitty and Mr. Kitten.