Our Team
Shea Pashin
Founder
Hi y’all! I’m Shea Pashin, founder of Roots & Reins, nestled in the heart of the beautiful Texas Hill Country, a serene place that’s been in my family for decades.
After many years working in social services, supporting women and children who had experienced trauma in shelters throughout Austin, I began to notice something essential was missing. There was an opportunity for deeper healing, connection, and growth beyond traditional care settings.
That realization led me to start bringing children to Montesino Ranch, the sanctuary where I was lucky enough to spend my entire childhood. Watching the kids interact with the horses, explore the trails, and simply breathe in the peace of this place, I saw something shift. Their resilience, confidence, and patience began to bloom. Roots & Reins was born from that vision.
Our programs are grounded in science, specifically the Trauma-Focused Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy (TF-EAP) method. This approach reflects my deep belief that healing happens in relationship with self, with others, and with the natural worl.
This work brings together everything I believe in, and I’m honored to witness these individuals heal, grow, and find strength in the quiet power of nature.
Hannah Parker
Co-Founder
My journey to Roots & Reins is one of convergence, bringing together my background in the life sciences and startup systems. Grounded in a Biology Degree from the University of Texas at Austin, my career has spanned diverse roles across various sectors, most recently at Google, where I joined in 2021 as an early contributor supporting startup programs and scalable frameworks. Alongside that work, I developed a deep passion for relational psychology and somatic therapies to support human resilience. Discovering the Natural Lifemanship framework brought that focus to life.
I believe every child deserves supportive, compassionate care regardless of their circumstances, and I’m honored to be stepping into this work to create trauma-informed spaces for children and families.
Rachael Gayler
Operations Manager
My connection to Roots & Reins brings together so many parts of my life: horses, the outdoors, and creating meaningful experiences for others. I grew up around horses and spent much of my teenage years working at summer camps here in Texas, teaching children to ride and helping care for the horses. Since then, horses have remained a huge part of my life, from riding and training to competing internationally in polocrosse and coaching riders of all ages.
Through all of those experiences, I’ve seen firsthand the confidence, resilience, patience, and connection that horses can inspire, particularly in young people. Horses have been some of my greatest teachers, and I love being part of a program that recognizes just how powerful that relationship can be.
My professional background is rooted in operations, hospitality, and bringing all the moving pieces together behind the scenes. Having spent years working with Texas Horse Adventures and Montesino Ranch, Roots & Reins also feels especially close to home. I know this land, its horses, and the sense of peace and connection that makes it such a special place. I’m incredibly proud to be part of Roots & Reins and its mission to give children a place to build confidence, form meaningful connections, and experience the healing power of horses and nature.
Our Herd
Jazz
The matriarch of the herd, mother to Tilly, and a true lover of the slow life. Jazz prefers long naps under the oak trees or being brushed for hours on end.
Don’t get us wrong, she’s a fun ride all day long, but we understand a girl’s needs, and Jazz would much rather snooze than cruise! She’s gentle, steady, and always happy to soak up a little extra love and attention.
Monty
The sweetest boy there ever was, and boy, what a looker! His long, flowing mane picks up all sorts of twigs and grass, because Monty is a true lover of dirt and mud!
He’s still learning the ropes when it comes to being a ridden horse, but he loves going on adventures and will happily soak up any attention you can give him. We never get tired of hearing his happy whinny at feeding time, or seeing just how much he loves his life here at the ranch.
Tilly
Tilly is our 2-year-old filly and daughter to Jazz, and you can certainly see the family resemblance in these beautiful palomino girls!
She’s equal parts sassy and sweet, loves attention, and is always ready to experience a new adventure. With so much personality already, we’re excited to see what her future holds and look forward to taking you along on the adventure with us as she grows, learns, and finds her place here at the ranch.
Ember
Ember is an old soul who is here for the good, easy life, and in return, she’ll reward you with a confident ride, ready for anything you throw her way!
She’s been a roping horse, kids’ horse, and trail horse, so her talents are endless. These days, though, her favorite thing to do is wander around the ranch, happily eating all the grass the mower can’t quite get to.
Ember reminds us so much of a beloved old ranch horse who lived well into his 30s. With her same kind, gentle nature, we hope Ember will continue his legacy here at the ranch for many years to come.
Dot
Dot the barn kitty was born and raised right here on the ranch! Her mom, So Cute, lived here for many years and was always a favorite with our guests. Dot is the last remaining kitten from So Cute’s only litter, making her a pretty special part of the ranch family.
She may be a little more timid than her mom was, but we love her just as much. She does an excellent job keeping the barn free of mice and, once she gets to know you, she’s always up for a chat and a head scratch!