Shirley Koch has 25 years experience as a full-time professional horse trainer with many championships in the show arena and competitive trail riding. Her primary focus is on training the horse to be a willing partner and teaching the rider how to be the other half of the ‘dance.’
Shirley has over 4,000 miles in distance competition (competitive trail and endurance riding) with numerous regional and national awards to her credit. She also served as the Training Officer for Placer County Mounted Unit Search and Rescue.
An Arabian breeder for many years, Shirley owned the Reserve National Halter Champion Stallion, SANEYN. Among many others, she bred and raised BINT KHAMARI, LENITA MIA++, her son FYRREPOWER+ and JUSTINA STARLET all of whom went on to successful show careers.
Shirley’s philosophy is if the basic foundation training is done correctly, then the horse
can go on to a wide variety of specialties, depending on the rider’s interest and the
horse’s talents. Although the operation is best known for western pleasure and trail
plus sport horse in-hand and dressage, Shirley has also trained and shown horses in a
wide variety of disciplines: halter, sidesaddle, costume, English Pleasure. Outside the
show ring her horses have excelled in endurance, drill team, search and rescue, babysitting
grandkids, etc.
LOOMIS BASIN EQUESTRIAN CENTER was originally a partnership between Edie Lehman and Shirley. They trained and showed together for 25 years. When Edie died, Shirley took over the operation as a sole proprietorship. Although Edie is no longer here physically, she is still here in spirit. Her ideas and her techniques are used today as Shirley continues the traditions.