Hello! My name is Joanne Verdelli Shaw and a long time ago I began dreaming of having a small farm and my horses in my backyard. After many years of pursuing that dream, along came Not So Shady Acres. We have owned our farm since August of 2011. There has been a tremendous amount of love, labor and support that has brought these bare acres into the little horse farm it is growing to be. We have wonderful family and friends that support our dreams and are always willing to lend a hand which means a great deal to us.
I love trail riding and dressage! I am trained up to Third Level and have trained with some very wonderful people. Montie Eagle who taught me the basics of the balanced seat and was very patient with me. Richard Ellis who helped me develop into a dressage rider, encouraged me to gain show and scribing experience. Clinics with Judy Westlake who always made me feel that I could overcome any riding obstacle. I currently take instruction from Andrea Velas, who I adore her style and approach, always presenting a clear explanation to what is correct and true.
It is our past horses that make us the riders we are today...
I owe much of my riding ability to the horses of my past…as many riders out there I am sure would agree make us truly the horsemen we are today. No matter how much we think we know there is always a horse out there to prove us wrong! And, we never stop learning!! From my first horse who was fond of spooking/buck/rear at just about anything on any given day who taught me how to “stick” to the saddle… to the ever challenging yet super quiet confidence builder, Molly who was with me for many miles of trail riding and dressage work…to Richard’s schoolmaster who taught me how to ride upper level movements that would help me to rehab Molly back from a surgery for her bone chips…to Pirate the magnificent pinto warmblood born with one eye with no trust in people who I trained for dressage and taught how to trail ride, leg yield, flying changes and is now being shown dressage by his young owner. There are many others that have touched my heart and helped me through good and bad times in my life and I am truly thankful for our little herd we have today who will hopefully bless more lives than just our families.
My husband Mike, is our Mr. Fix it/Rig it/Make it happen! He is an awesome partner in marriage and our farm. I love that the outcome of our ideas and ingenuity are always something to be proud of. Devon is my son, the light of my life and protector. He is growing into a brilliant young man and enjoys his time in the saddle much more than with the pick in his hand! He has been riding since he was 6 years old. Devon enjoys trail riding, some jumping and is beginning to appreciate what dressage has to offer. He also rides and trains in Western Dressage. He is the most attentive rider I know and I love that I am apart of his development as a horseman. Devon also loves to play violin, soccer, do hip hop and tap dance. We hope that should you decide to come visit or enjoy a lesson on one of our horses that you take away good memories to last a lifetime!