Rebecca grew up on a farm in Sanford, Florida, where she learned to care for and ride horses; she credits her parents with cultivating her interests in the outdoors as well as the biological and physical sciences. Her natural horsemanship grew from those early experiences trail riding and socializing with friends on horseback - she didn't even own a saddle until she was 13 years old! Who needs one if you swim your horse across lakes and ride bareback all the time?
     Her leadership training started with JROTC in the Marine Corps in high school, and it continued with an ROTC scholarship to Wofford College in Spartanburg, SC where she graduated with a BS in Biology and met numerous mentors who pushed her to excel in research and teaching aspects of the biological and chemical sciences. Upon graduation in 1989, she became commissioned in the US Army Reserve program as a Signal Corps lieutenant and has tried to balance her military interests with a civilian career ever since. In 1994 she pursued her PhD in Animal Physiology from Clemson University and graduated in 1997 with several major research publications. Meanwhile, she increased her focus into large animal behavior in emergency situations by studying natural horsemanship with major clinicians including John Lyons and the Parellis. In 2000, she became a primary instructor with TLAER and has continued to grow the research and development of new equipment and techniques internationally.
     She has a wide variety of experiences that she combines in her teaching - she taught Biology, Immunology and Microbiology as an adjunct professor at Newberry then Anderson College for several years, owned, edited and published a regional horse magazine for a couple more years, and has written numerous articles for lay publications about horse behavior and appropriate TLAER responses as a freelance journalist. She is a past member and Logistics Officer for Veterinary Medical Assistance Team (VMAT -2), and currently serves as a Major in the US Army Reserves. She returned in July 2007 from a one year combat tour in Kuwait and Iraq where she served as a Communications Officer, and currently serves as the S1/Adjutant for the 359th Signal Brigade, Augusta, Georgia.
Rebecca's current scientific research interests include a national survey of trailer accident causality, a study of physiological responses to Technical Rescue procedures and equipment, and an investigation into poor nutrition in horse neglect cases. Her first book on Technical Large Animal Emergency Rescue was published by Wiley-Blackwell in 2008 with 6 chapter authors besides herself and fellow primary TLAER instructor Tomas Gimenez as editors.
     In addition to trail riding her 6 horses using Natural Horsemanship methods, she owns a dog, several cats, a llama, snakes, a couple of pan-size ornamental fish.She is active in various Equine organizations - especially in disaster preparedness, animal abuse/neglect and trail riding / greenspace issues. Together with fellow primary TLAER instructor, Tomas Gimenez she gives training in Technical Large Animal Emergency Rescue techniques across the US, using privately owned animals which Rebecca trains for the hands-on demonstrations to perform without sedation. Jointly Rebecca and Tomas have published numerous critiques, techniques and journal articles on the subject of technical large animal emergency rescue, and she is an internationally sought speaker and subject matter expert on these subjects.
     Rebecca's current curriculum vitae (CV) is available upon request.

 

Email Rebecca @ delphiacres@hotmail.com