Mustang Leadership Partners

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Trainers and Staff

Michelle Adams

Dressage Trainer

Michelle Adams is a USDF Bronze and Silver medalist. She has successfully competed at 4 th level. Michelle has been working with Mustang Leadership Partner for 7 years, focusing on developing the mustang as a dressage horse
and as a horse for Chattanooga Girls Leadership Academy’s after
school program.

Michelle is the farm Mom here at Mustang Leadership Partners.
Whether she is working with a young horse or a young student her
steady, persistent guidance is a cornerstone to the success of the
MLP program. During her years here, Michelle has started several of
the working horses: Amis, Lilly, Preta, and Strider.

Teaching riding for the after school girls school program is an important job, and Michelle’s background in therapeutic riding has been an asset to the program. Patience, understanding, and learning to be a calm leader are keys to the riding program at Mustang Leadership Partners; Michelle is the embodiment of these traits.

“Once you earn the trust of a mustang, they form a partnership with you. Their Intelligence, athleticism and curiosity make them highly trainable animals to work with.”
Michelle Adams

Shannon Betts

Dressage Trainer

Shannon Betts is a USDF Bronze, Silver and Gold medalist. She earned her medals on horses that she trained herself, beginning with them as three year olds and developing them up the levels. Shannon has trained and competed with many different breeds including: American Mustangs, American Quarter Horses, National Show Horses, Arabians, Morgans, PREs, and a variety of warmbloods. Shannon trains with and draws knowledge from renowned clinicians including Albrecht Heideman, Jaun Matute, and Tami Crawford. With Mustang Leadership Partners Shannon has had the unique opportunity to work with and train many wild horses. One of her most cherished highlights was being able to train Dart, an American Mustang, all the way to schooling the Grand Prix movements. Unfortunately Dart was taken from this world before he competed at the FEI levels. Shannon deeply appreciates the intelligence and ability that these often-overlooked horses have. She believes the Mustangs have amazing heart and a special ability to bond with their humans. According to Shannon, “The Mustangs teach us so much about ourselves; Are we good leaders? Are we good listeners? Are we fair? If you can gain the trust of a wild horse and teach them to work for you, then you are better prepared to navigate other areas of life.”