Shekinah Ranch Staff

Missy Nowakowski: Riding Instructor
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Contact: 724-483-4711

I was born into a family that spent much time and affection on horses and riding. I started to explore my interest in horses at 7 yrs old when I started English riding lessons. This love grew into my teen years when I attended youth camp at a western ranch in the Allegheny National Forest. I eventually became a counselor at this ranch as the barn manager for one summer. This position allowed me to work with children, to care for a very large herd of horses and to trail ride daily in the beautiful forest that I loved!

In the midst of my time in the mountains, I got my own horse, a palomino quarter horse mare named Lacy. I rode every moment that I could and my passion for horses continued to grow. As a young adult, I attended Colorado State University where I earned my Bachelor’s Degree in Equine Science under some of the most respected horse professionals in the world. Some additional studies I pursued were in Agricultural Journalism and Child Psychology. I also competed on the university’s horse judging team. We won the Southwest Regional’s, the Morgan Nationals, and the reserve champion at the National Reining Horse Futurity in Oklahoma. I served as a teaching assistant to the following year’s team, in addition to judging many 4H and open shows in Colorado. I also coached a 4H judging team there. My love of horses and children continued to grow with these new experiences.

Following graduation, I returned to Pennsylvania and ran a boarding, training, day camp and lesson program at my family’s farm for 3 yrs. Following this, I held several other positions including manager of a riding program in Washington, PA; children’s photographer for Pittsburgh day care centers and vet assistant/part of team management at a local veterinary hospital. During this time, I also earned a certificate in Christian counseling. Presently, I am the riding instructor here at Shekinah Ranch!

On a personal note, I am married to Scott and we reside on the ranch with our small terrier, Beverly, our golden retriever, Aslan, our cat, Talitha and our two horses, Chester and Belle. Scott and I are both Christians and as much as we love the outdoors, children and animals; the most important aspect of our lives is our relationship with our Lord, Jesus. He is the center of our existence and we try our best to live our lives for His glory. We are grateful to him for the opportunity to live on the beautiful Shekinah property and look forward to sharing His love with you as you visit the ranch!