Tri-State Therapeutic Riding Center

Olivia is a lifelong horse enthusiast who has worked professionally in various equine positions and disciplines since 2013. She studied Psychology in her undergrad and is a certified CTRI through PATH and completing  MEALF and ESMHL certifications. Olivia is very passionate about teaching students to help them set and achieve goals on and off the horse.

 

Olivia loves to share her knowledge and experience through private and group riding, driving, and EAL sessions.  In her free time, she enjoys sustainable farming, mechanics, and riding her young horses. Olivia and her husband Josh have a 4-year-old son.

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In addition to her management and fund development roles as Executive Director of TSTRC, Olivia in an instructor in our Therapeutic Riding, Carriage Driving, and Taking the

Lead psycho-educational programs.

Tara is a licensed Physical Therapist who received her doctorate degree in 2006 from Shenandoah University in Winchester, VA. She has been practicing for 16 years in a variety of settings including acute care, outpatient, and school systems. Tara specializes in pediatrics and hippotherapy — a form of PT that utilizes equine movement in her patients’ rehabilitative treatments.

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Dr. Yelliott has a strong passion for working outdoors with her pediatric patients. She has been married to her husband, Grant, for 14 years and has two beautiful children, Addy and Tripp. Tara has three horses, two dogs and one cat, and when she isn’t working, she is riding horses, running on the trails with her dogs, or working out!

Claire has been working with horses since childhood and has always appreciated the therapeutic nature of horses. It is her passion to train horses and share them with people. Claire grew up learning from the Hamilton County 4-H and the Midsouth Pony Clubs where she learned a good deal about horse care and technical riding, specifically 3-day eventing.

 

Of late, her interests have shifted more to driving horses. She owns a small horse-drawn carriage company where she shares her love of horses with the public. Claire is looking forward to her teaching journey with the Tri-state Therapeutic Riding Program!

Keri is an educator who received her masters degree in elementary education from Peabody College in Nashville. Originally from northern Illinois, Keri’s love for horses began as a young child. She made friends with the ponies on the other side of the fence of her school playground.

 

She continued her equine-connections throughout elementary and high school, competing in hunter/jumper events and became an assistant instructor for summer day camps, then instructing her own students during college.

She became acquainted with therapeutic riding and PATH International Program at a therapeutic riding facility in Franklin,Tennessee near where she and her family lived.

 

Keri lives with her English Shepherd, Archie, in Cleveland, TN, and joined the TSTRC family as a certified instructor in September. 

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When not at the barn, you can find Keri tutoring children, working as a volunteer with Broad Street United Methodist Church, and bicycling, swimming, and playing music.

Holly and her husband moved to the Chattanooga area in 2021. She's worked/ridden horses for 30 years. She grew up riding hunter-jumper, but now enjoys all things Western riding. 

 

Holly started volunteering at a therapeutic riding center in White Pine, TN, and fell in love with it. She became the program director and a PATH-certified instructor in 2013. 

 

She worked as a veterinary technician for 17 years before moving to Chattanooga. Holly and Aaron (her husband of 24 years), have two grown children (Kaeli and Kaleb) as well as 4 dogs, and 1 amazing horse!

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Holly is currently instructing a wide range of special needs riders on Mondays and Tuesdays. 

Erin has been riding and working with horses for over 25 years in disciplines ranging from hunter/jumpers (IHSA in college) to her latest obsession - ranch riding. Prior to joining Tri-State she volunteered for 5 years at a therapeutic riding center in GA, helping riders navigate wide range of diagnoses.

Currently working on her CTRI through PATH, Erin is also an ATA certified Adaptive Fitness Trainer. Outside of the barn she enjoys doing CrossFit, spending time with her dog, being involved in her church, and working as a digital marketer for a youth development program!
 

Erin passionately believes that horses, movement, and an encouraging environment can make a powerful difference in helping people thrive in any circumstances. 

Nancy moved from California to Chattanooga in 2024. She has worked with horses for 20 years and enjoys sharing her love of riding with others. 

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She has a Youth and Nonprofit Management degree with a minor in equine science, combining her passion for kids and horses.  She is a CTRI through PATH and has taught therapeutic riding lessons for several years. She specializes in trauma-informed care and mental health skills. 

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Nancy is currently working towards her master’s degree in public administration with a nonprofit focus. She loves spending time with her dalmatian and her horse or enjoying the outdoors in her free time. 

Info To Come!

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