Meet Our Staff!
Carol Straus, Owner/Manager
Carol with Kensey at a Dressage Show
Carol began riding as an adult with her daughter, Jessica, and before owning Haverhill Equestrian boarded locally at both private and show barns. Her experience boarding with other barns allows her to understand her clients’ expectations at Haverhill. Carol’s mission is to provide the type of care and service to her clients that she expects for herself and her own horses.
Carol has recently taken up dressage with her new horse, Kensington. Carol is dedicated to her dressage training and was recently invited to participate in a clinic with internationally ranked dressage rider, Catherine Haddad. Kensington had a successful showing and Carol continues to improve her skills.
Jessica Straus, Scheduler/Trainer, USHJA Certified Trainer
Jessica began riding at eight years old and got her first horse when she was
Jessica and Tucker at the CHSA Classic.
fourteen. She graduated from CNU in May 2008 with a B.S. in Biology and a minor in Chemistry. While attending CNU, Jessica was the Equestrian Team President for two years, vice president for two years, and competed on the IHSA circuit and at ANRC.
Jessica began her coaching career in the fall of 2013 with Randolph-Macon College’s Equestrian Team. In R-MCET’s second year, and Jessica’s first year of coaching, the team rose from 11th out of 16 teams to 5th out of 17 teams. While coaching for University of Richmond, the team rose to Reserve High Point Team and had the Reserve High Point Rider for the 2015-2016 season. Jessica has also coached a URET rider to Nationals the last three years (2013-2016.)
Jessica is available for lessons for students that are showing and for training rides. She teaches rider effectiveness and equitation skills for both riding and training, and believes exposure to every discipline helps riding students. While her focus has always been the hunters, she has ridden with an eventing, dressage, jumper, and even a western trainer. Jessica’s extensive and diverse training allows her to bring many different techniques to training horse and rider.
Natalie Shinnamon, ARIA Certified Trainer, IEA Head Coach
Natalie joined the Haverhill family in 2008 when she brought her horse Jewely to board at the farm; she began teaching lessons shortly after.
Natalie began taking lessons at age three and trained with numerous coaches in the Richmond area. As a young rider, she showed on a pony in a wide range of categories from the Short Stirrup Division to the Pony Hunters. When she received Jewely at age eleven, she trained her in different arenas and showed in various hunter divisions. Natalie is now the proud owner of “One of the Perks,” or Perkins.
Natalie teaches riders of all ages and levels and is also available for training rides. The Haverhill Equitation Team (IEA) and University of Richmond Team have seen much success due to Natalie’s attention to detail and training. Natalie’s students and student’s parents appreciate her patience, safety practices, and eye for correct riding skills. Natalie’s ability to explain things in a patient way that makes sense to her students is invaluable at Haverhill.
local and “A” rated hunters, equitation, and some low level eventing. From the time she was a teenager she has been employed in the horse industry, instructing at summer camps, cleaning stalls and later traveling as a show groom on the A circuit. Libby attended and graduated from CNU and was an integral part of the IHSA team while attending, she also attended Virginia Intermont for a year which only added to her equestrian 
experience. Aside from horse showing and teaching lessons, Libby has a passion for working with green horses. Her patient and calming demeanor instills confidence in both the horses she works with and the riders that she teaches. Libby’s clients have commented that she pushes them to try new things, and explains the ‘how’s and why’s’ in a way that leads them to the path of success.