Hey wild soul,
My name is Shannon Ray Riley. Thanks for joining me, I’m happy to have you here.
I founded Wild Willing to help humans and horses feel better in their bodies and find harmony in relationship through a holistic approach to health and horsemanship which views the body-mind as inextricably connected.
My journey on this path began with a spirited horse who showed me what wildness really is. It’s not just a place, behavior, or classification. Wildness is the innate wisdom within us all. We just have to be willing to listen to it.
Stay up to date on my work through my podcast Healing and Horsemanship, at my membership site The Herd, on Instagram, and my blog where I regularly post about all things health, wellness, and horses.
The phrase ‘wild to willing’ describes the process of transforming a wild horse into a tame one.
Equally important, though, are rewilding practices that empower us to get back in touch with our bodies own wild, innate wisdom.
My (Long) Story
I’m a bodyworker, herbalist, & horsewoman with a lifetime of experience with horses, an MA in Anthrozoology and a clinical background in Ayurveda.
As a bodyworker and herbalist with nearly a decade in the field, I apply my skills and knowledge to humans and horses equally, and weave healing work into my training.
My roots as a horsewoman and horsemanship practitioner are in Natural Horsemanship and I specialize in working with untamed mustangs or wild horses.
From age four on, all I dreamed about was horses. I took regular horseback riding lessons from age six on in traditional equitation. And at age eleven going on twelve, I adopted my first horse, Jasmine - a spirited mare who showed me a radically different way to be with horses.
Just over a year after becoming a horse guardian, at age thirteen, I became immersed in Natural Horsemanship at Windhorse Ranch in Sebastopol, California. It was at WHR where I first was introduced to the gentling process and began interacting with wild mustangs. Years later, in 2014 I worked at the wild horse sanctuary Montgomery Creek Ranch, training young mustangs for their adoption program.
I began my formal studies in Ayurveda, one of the world’s oldest traditions of medicine in 2012. Ayurveda originated in ancient India, approximately 6,000 years ago, and is at least as old as our deep bonds with horses.
Over the course of six years I continued studying Ayurveda and interning with my teacher DeAnna Batdorff, concentrating on bodywork applications.
In 2014 I earned my California Massage Practitioners License, and in 2016 began working as a student Ayurvedic Practitioner at the dhyana Center under the supervision of my teacher.
I began studying acupressure for horses with my mentor Diana Thompson in 2016. For four years I was both a student of Diana’s, and a trainer for her horses. Diana greatly informed my horsemanship, providing hands-on instruction in rehabilitative exercises, bodywork techniques, and acupressure applications.
In 2022, I graduated with a Master’s in Anthrozoology (the multi-disciplinary study of human-animal interactions) from the University of Exeter.
Prompted by my lifelong passion for wild horses and my research during my MA program, I created The Wild Side, part Archive and part Community to educate about the plight of American mustangs and explore narratives within the wild horse community.
I currently live with my husband, son, dogs, and horses in my hometown of Sebastopol, in Northern California, USA.
Want to work with me? Contact me here to start a conversation.
Thank you for being here. I’m honored to do this work, and share it with you, truly.
“Shannon’s skill in training and handling horses is superior in that she is very skilled and safe in her methodology, endlessly patient, and loving to the core.”
“Shannon Riley is a rare talent in the equine world...
It’s a beautiful thing to be able to earn a horse’s trust, and I thank Shannon for helping me to expand my bodywork into trust-based ground work.”
My Education
+ Master of Arts in Anthrozoology from the University of Exeter - 2022
+ Levels 1 & 2 Equine Acupressure at Hands on Horse Care - 2017
+ Ayurvedic Yoga Teacher Training at the dhyana Center - 2016
+ Ayurvedic By-Donation Clinic Internship - 2014-2016
+ Licensed Massage Practitioner Certification - 2014
+ Ayurvedic Clinical Program at the dhyana Center - 2013
+ Lifelong passion working with horses - established 1998
+ Client Testimonials +
“Shannon is a truly friendly, kind person who desires to be honest and present in her communications with others. Because of these attributes, I hope to work with Shannon in various ways for many years to come.”
“I had always regarded Shannon as far and away, my all-time favorite masseuse, for many reasons. She listened carefully to my requests, and always treated my body with utmost reverence and respect.
She is so tuned in to my breath and body, that there is a deep sense of joining that fosters peace and relaxation. I could not recommend anyone more highly than Shannon Riley.”
“Shannon helped me to learn ground handling skills that were based on compassionate leadership, that have kept me and the equines I’m handling consistently safe, and that have translated well into many different environments.
She made safety a priority in a way that kept everyone (horses and humans) calm. I learned the most with Shannon because she was so present and is herself so naturally talented as a communicator and healer.”
