Founder & Equine Assisted Learning Facilitator

Chelsea founded ECC as a place for horses and humans to have all their needs met. She wanted to create a sanctuary that was centered around research-backed equine welfare practices, such as communal housing and unlimited forage access, while making horses more accessible to the public. ECC’s peaceful, private farm is also her home, and welcoming visitors and Herd Members to join her in sharing space with ECC’s residents is what this is all about for her!

Chelsea holds a Master of Education from Regent University, a Bachelor’s in Biology from George Mason University, a multiple certification Virginia state teaching license, and has completed Equine Assisted Learning Facilitator training through PATH, Intl. She is a Northern Virginia native with deep ties in the Prince William County community. Her background includes over a decade as a classroom teacher in Prince William County Schools, more than fifteen years as a veterinary assistant at a local animal hospital, and numerous internships with organizations such as the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, the National Aquarium in Baltimore, the Caretta Research Project, and more. Chelsea rescued her first horse, Huckabee, from a killpen in 2021 and that experience sparked the dream that is ECC.