Hi, I'm Katie
Welcome to Shieldmaiden's Stock Farm!
My name is Katie Kepes and I am the head puppy snuggler and horse manure scooper at our family farm, here in Sarasota, Florida.
I can't remember a time in my life that horses and dogs were not an integral part of my being. I grew up riding competitively on the hunter jumper A circuit, ending my junior career as the winner of the HBO / Marshall & Sterling 3'6" Junior Medal Final. During that time, I was incredibly blessed to have had the opportunity to train under some of the best professionals in the country of our time. I rode my horses to numerous year end championships for Central Florida, won many circuit championships across the country in the junior equitation and hunter divisions, placing in the national rankings, and for the Horse of the Year. During this time I was introduced to my first Morgan horse. My show horses were just that. Show horses. And I appreciated them all. But my Morgan was the horse I could have fun on, and he did everything I asked with happy pricked ears and an eagerness for whatever adventure awaited. After aging out of the hunter jumper juniors, I took a break from the horse world to attend college at the Ringling College of Art and Design where I earned my BFA. Ringling is a fantastic college and I learned many valuable skills and life lessons during my time there. After graduation, I decided to not pursue Art & Design as a full time career, but I still greatly enjoy offering freelance Graphic Design services. To date, I have worked with a wide variety of different companies, from the Florida Women's Lawyers Group, to equine product promotional materials, kennel logos, business designs, stud ads, and more.
While finishing up my senior year at college, my love and passion for horses drew me back to the world of professional training, and for many years I worked full time as a professional in the equine industry. I gained some incredible experience working under the guidance of several farms, where I was able to participate in the guidance of AQHA Youth Winners, IEA Champions, USEF Champions, and manage two different lesson programs, and youth equestrian summer camps. During my time as an instructor, I quickly learned that while I do enjoy teaching, and taking part of the showing and training of competitive horses and riders, it was the day to day care and training that I really loved. I spent some time working for an equine vet and fell madly in love with physical rehabilitation. Going down the rabbit hole of veterinary medicine, lead me back to my love of dogs and I was introduced to small animal medicine and canine physical rehabilitation. I ended up saying goodbye to my career as a horseback riding instructor and went back to school at the St Petersburg College, earning my AS in Veterinary Technology graduating with honors. After graduation, I went on to earn my license as a CVT in Florida, and then continued to earn my certificate as a Certified Canine Rehab Veterinary Technician (CCRVT) through the Chi University.
It feels like the cumulation of all my past ventures has always been leading me to Canine Rehab. It's a field that seamlessly blends all the skills I have previously learned, and marries them together under one cohesive goal. Animal behavior, training, conditioning, health care, owner communication, lameness / performance / and gait evaluation, teaching others how to work with their animals... these are all skills that I have learned in the past that are crucial to Canine Physical Rehabilitation. Being a Canine Rehabilitation Technician has given me some incredible insight and invaluable experience, working with cases ranging from injured police k9s, injured sport dogs, and of course helping manage degenerative / aging diseases of countless beloved family pets. I have spent many thousands of hours studying canine behavior, canine structure and anatomy, canine fitness and conditioning, diet, enrichment, and more. If there is one thing I know, there is always more to learn, and every opportunity and every animal I have the privilege to work with can provide valuable new experience and knowledge.
During my early years in veterinary medicine, I was introduced to the mini Aussie. These dogs are FUN! They are beautiful, they are healthy, they are naturally athletic, they have incredible drive, they love people, and they love to have fun. What more could you ask for? But more than just wanting a fun dog, I also needed a dog that could handle the life of a farm dog and be my horse show companion. Because while I expanded my knowledge and experience in canine health, training, and sports, I also decided to expand my training and experience in horses by learning ranch riding and sorting. Through riding under various different trainers, I have ridden some really incredible CINCH sorting champions and seasoned ranch and cutting horses. After taking some time for myself to learn, I was able to start my own horses in these disciplines. And don't you know that it turned out the Morgan is a fantastic and versatile little performance horse! In addition to being more competitive with my horses, I wanted to also be more active with my dogs in various different sports. I've always enjoyed dabbling, but currently my focus has been disc dog events, scent work / nose work, dock diving, and lure / FastCAT. But most especially I have come to love herding! Thankfully for me, I have always gravitated towards Aussies and minis from working lines that have maintained good herding instincts. These are the dogs I love and I will continue to work towards the goal of promoting minis from working lines, who have functional herding drive and are naturally athletic and versatile in sports. And that is how this adventure started. A simple (?) evolution of lifestyles, career developments, and participating in various sports lead me to the passionate desire to share these wonderful animals (dogs and horses alike) with others who are looking for the same.
As you can imagine from my chosen professional life in veterinary medicine, health testing is incredibly important to me. Regardless of whether you are talking about horses or dogs, I want them beautiful, versatile, fun and athletic... yes. But they also have to be healthy and relatively low maintenance when it comes to general health and care. This means they need functional conformation and sound minds to make ideal partners for all your sporting/working/adventuring needs. So if you want an easy to live with, incredibly beautiful, versatile in a variety of sports, and willing adventure partner dog or horse, then you have come to the right place!
We are a proudly registered Kennel with the American Stock Dog Registry, are current members of the MASCUSA breed club with AKC, and are members of the local Sarasota Obedience Training Club, which offers a wide range of classes and events for multiple sports. I am also a proud member of the MASCUSA Studbook Research Committee.
Please see our links page for more information on all of these groups.
I thank you for letting me share my dogs and horses with you and I welcome any questions you may have. Things are always evolving, and I strive to always continue learning and expanding my knowledge and skill set. So feel free to visit our Contact page and find us on various social media platforms to see the latest news and happenings.
My name is Katie Kepes and I am the head puppy snuggler and horse manure scooper at our family farm, here in Sarasota, Florida.
I can't remember a time in my life that horses and dogs were not an integral part of my being. I grew up riding competitively on the hunter jumper A circuit, ending my junior career as the winner of the HBO / Marshall & Sterling 3'6" Junior Medal Final. During that time, I was incredibly blessed to have had the opportunity to train under some of the best professionals in the country of our time. I rode my horses to numerous year end championships for Central Florida, won many circuit championships across the country in the junior equitation and hunter divisions, placing in the national rankings, and for the Horse of the Year. During this time I was introduced to my first Morgan horse. My show horses were just that. Show horses. And I appreciated them all. But my Morgan was the horse I could have fun on, and he did everything I asked with happy pricked ears and an eagerness for whatever adventure awaited. After aging out of the hunter jumper juniors, I took a break from the horse world to attend college at the Ringling College of Art and Design where I earned my BFA. Ringling is a fantastic college and I learned many valuable skills and life lessons during my time there. After graduation, I decided to not pursue Art & Design as a full time career, but I still greatly enjoy offering freelance Graphic Design services. To date, I have worked with a wide variety of different companies, from the Florida Women's Lawyers Group, to equine product promotional materials, kennel logos, business designs, stud ads, and more.
While finishing up my senior year at college, my love and passion for horses drew me back to the world of professional training, and for many years I worked full time as a professional in the equine industry. I gained some incredible experience working under the guidance of several farms, where I was able to participate in the guidance of AQHA Youth Winners, IEA Champions, USEF Champions, and manage two different lesson programs, and youth equestrian summer camps. During my time as an instructor, I quickly learned that while I do enjoy teaching, and taking part of the showing and training of competitive horses and riders, it was the day to day care and training that I really loved. I spent some time working for an equine vet and fell madly in love with physical rehabilitation. Going down the rabbit hole of veterinary medicine, lead me back to my love of dogs and I was introduced to small animal medicine and canine physical rehabilitation. I ended up saying goodbye to my career as a horseback riding instructor and went back to school at the St Petersburg College, earning my AS in Veterinary Technology graduating with honors. After graduation, I went on to earn my license as a CVT in Florida, and then continued to earn my certificate as a Certified Canine Rehab Veterinary Technician (CCRVT) through the Chi University.
It feels like the cumulation of all my past ventures has always been leading me to Canine Rehab. It's a field that seamlessly blends all the skills I have previously learned, and marries them together under one cohesive goal. Animal behavior, training, conditioning, health care, owner communication, lameness / performance / and gait evaluation, teaching others how to work with their animals... these are all skills that I have learned in the past that are crucial to Canine Physical Rehabilitation. Being a Canine Rehabilitation Technician has given me some incredible insight and invaluable experience, working with cases ranging from injured police k9s, injured sport dogs, and of course helping manage degenerative / aging diseases of countless beloved family pets. I have spent many thousands of hours studying canine behavior, canine structure and anatomy, canine fitness and conditioning, diet, enrichment, and more. If there is one thing I know, there is always more to learn, and every opportunity and every animal I have the privilege to work with can provide valuable new experience and knowledge.
During my early years in veterinary medicine, I was introduced to the mini Aussie. These dogs are FUN! They are beautiful, they are healthy, they are naturally athletic, they have incredible drive, they love people, and they love to have fun. What more could you ask for? But more than just wanting a fun dog, I also needed a dog that could handle the life of a farm dog and be my horse show companion. Because while I expanded my knowledge and experience in canine health, training, and sports, I also decided to expand my training and experience in horses by learning ranch riding and sorting. Through riding under various different trainers, I have ridden some really incredible CINCH sorting champions and seasoned ranch and cutting horses. After taking some time for myself to learn, I was able to start my own horses in these disciplines. And don't you know that it turned out the Morgan is a fantastic and versatile little performance horse! In addition to being more competitive with my horses, I wanted to also be more active with my dogs in various different sports. I've always enjoyed dabbling, but currently my focus has been disc dog events, scent work / nose work, dock diving, and lure / FastCAT. But most especially I have come to love herding! Thankfully for me, I have always gravitated towards Aussies and minis from working lines that have maintained good herding instincts. These are the dogs I love and I will continue to work towards the goal of promoting minis from working lines, who have functional herding drive and are naturally athletic and versatile in sports. And that is how this adventure started. A simple (?) evolution of lifestyles, career developments, and participating in various sports lead me to the passionate desire to share these wonderful animals (dogs and horses alike) with others who are looking for the same.
As you can imagine from my chosen professional life in veterinary medicine, health testing is incredibly important to me. Regardless of whether you are talking about horses or dogs, I want them beautiful, versatile, fun and athletic... yes. But they also have to be healthy and relatively low maintenance when it comes to general health and care. This means they need functional conformation and sound minds to make ideal partners for all your sporting/working/adventuring needs. So if you want an easy to live with, incredibly beautiful, versatile in a variety of sports, and willing adventure partner dog or horse, then you have come to the right place!
We are a proudly registered Kennel with the American Stock Dog Registry, are current members of the MASCUSA breed club with AKC, and are members of the local Sarasota Obedience Training Club, which offers a wide range of classes and events for multiple sports. I am also a proud member of the MASCUSA Studbook Research Committee.
Please see our links page for more information on all of these groups.
I thank you for letting me share my dogs and horses with you and I welcome any questions you may have. Things are always evolving, and I strive to always continue learning and expanding my knowledge and skill set. So feel free to visit our Contact page and find us on various social media platforms to see the latest news and happenings.
