About
Our Mission
We empower equine-assisted professionals to create safe and effective programs. Through education, training, and support, we uphold standards of excellence, share expertise, and foster innovation — helping programs thrive while focusing on healing for humans and horses.
Shannon Knapp, M.A. NLC-EP, NL Trainer, Eagala Advanced
Shannon Knapp, M.A., is the founder of Horse Sense of the Carolinas and Executive Director of Heart of Horse Sense, bringing more than two decades of leadership and hands-on experience to the field of Equine Assisted Services.
Through Horse Sense of the Carolinas, Shannon focuses on professional education and business consulting for equine-assisted practitioners. Heart of Horse Sense, the nonprofit she leads in Western North Carolina, funds and facilitates low and no cost equine assisted services for survivors of trauma.
Shannon is the author of numerous books and curricula in the equine-assisted field, including More Than a Mirror: Horses, Humans and Therapeutic Practices. She is a trainer in Trauma-Focused Equine Assisted Psychotherapy with Natural Lifemanship, holds Eagala Advanced certification with a Military designation, and teaches Military Horse Sense: The Fundamentals of Working with Veterans and Horses. A professional in the field since 2001, Shannon has thousands of hours of direct client experience across a wide range of diagnoses and populations.
Our Story
Meadows Town Ranch was formed in 2000 by Richard and Shannon Knapp as a horse ranch offering rehabilitation for “throw-away” and abused/rescued horses.
Horse Sense of the Carolinas was formed in 2003 and grew out of Shannon’s recognition that many of the rescued horses they were working with might never be “issue-free” rideable, backyard horses, but that they still deserved a permanent, loving home, a place to heal and a gentle hand. At about the same time, Shannon was learning about the incredible power of horses to heal humans with various mental, social, emotional and spiritual issues. Hence Horse Sense of the Carolinas was born, an organization that employed multiple mental health professionals and horse specialists to provide therapy and learning for people through interacting with horses.
Through Horse Sense, Shannon, Richard and the Horse Sense team gained thousands of hours of experience providing services for a wide range of populations including At-Risk Youth, Survivors of Trauma, Veterans, and First Responders.
In 2024, all of the direct equine-assisted services facilitated by Horse Sense were moved under the non-profit Heart of Horse Sense.
Today, Horse Sense of the Carolinas focuses on providing educational resources and business consulting for other equine-assisted professionals who want to build and strengthen their programs.
Looking for Equine-Assisted Therapy or Services?
Our services have moved to Heart of Horse Sense!
Heart of Horse Sense was founded in 2014 to support quality, professional trauma-informed equine-assisted services for Veterans, First Responders, At-Risk Youth & their families. In 2024, our mission expanded to include the facilitation of these services. Our vision is that every trauma survivor has access to counseling and learning with horses.
Meadows Town Ranch was acquired by Richard and Shannon Knapp in 2000. This expansive 110-acre property features a climate-controlled indoor arena, pavilion with picnic tables, indoor gathering space, mountain views, and much more!
Our Farm
Our Labyrinth
Our farm features a beautiful labyrinth for use by horses and humans alike. A common feature of gardens and other healing spaces, Labyrinths have been used all over the world for hundreds of years for reflection and inner peace. Although typically circular in design, with a single winding pathway to the center, there is no “right” way to walk a labyrinth. Our labyrinth is a space where visitors can practice mindfulness at their own pace while immersed in the incredible natural beauty of our farm.
