About
Founder & Trainer
Shelby Ungurain got started in the horse industry as a teenager, running a successful horse boarding and training business in order to fund her passion. During this time, she began taking lessons on a Grand Prix schoolmaster, which sparked her passion for developing Dressage horses.
Since then, Shelby has managed stables and ridden horses for various Olympic and International Grand Prix Dressage trainers, all while training, marketing, and selling horses of her own.
After many injuries and setbacks, most recently battling a brain hemorrhage, Shelby has made a full recovery and has been developing several promising young horses with the help and support of her husband Jon.
Stay tuned!
Our goal at Zen Dressage is to produce and develop ideal equine partners for riders of all levels through a variety of balanced training methods, focusing on softness, connection, & harmony.
Inspiration
"Zen Dressage was inspired by my 1st Warmblood, a pinto Samber grandaughter aptly named Zen (pictured right). I purchased her when I was 16 years old (my parents having no idea until she arrived in a trailer… easier to ask for forgiveness than permission I always say!) with money I had saved from starting, training, and selling horses out of my backyard stable in Nova Scotia.
Zen travelled with me to various groom/rider positions across the country during my teens and early twenties. She made a huge impact on my life in such a short time, and was by my side for some of the most pivotal of moments of my horse career. I sadly sold her after an accident that resulted in a brain hemorrhage had forced me to take a year off work/riding.
Today, I ride a promising young stallion out of Zen’s half sister, sired by KWPN stallion Parcival (Lancelot x Lucky Boy), who very much reminds me of her with his “zen” attitude. "
- Shelby Risser, Zen Dressage
