By Rachel Mergen
“Allied Horsemanship strives to empower people and improve their quality of life by promoting horse and human interactions through equine assisted activities,” reads the mission statement for the new non-profit therapeutic equine program in Prairie du Chien, created by Shannon Gher in January 2017.
“One of my older brothers came home one day and said, ‘Mom, dad, I bought a horse.’ Everything started after that,” Gher said. She joined the Crawford County 4-H and taught herself to ride.
For college, she attended UW-River Falls, receiving a bachelor’s degree in animal science with an equine emphasis. She participated in many riding programs and volunteered often while in school.