Employee Biographies
Autumn Rae
Autumn rode her first horse before she was a year old in a front-pack that her mother wore, and hasn’t stopped riding since. When she was six years old, Autumn began taking riding lessons with natural horsemanship guru Durlene Meck. As she progressed in skill levels, she was given the challenge of training an “unmanageable” pony that Durlene had bought from a slaughterhouse. If she could tame it, the horse would become hers. This is when Autumn fell in love with training horses and found that communicating with them came naturally to her.
Autumn has continued her equine education and in 2003 became the founder and president of Scattered Acres Sport Horses, LLC. She has international riding experience and continues to train, compete and coach avidly throughout the year.
Autumn has trained with many excellent coaches and riders including Kim Severson, Craig Thompson, Wendy Shaffer, Eric Horgan, Phyllis Dawson, Sharon White, Allison Springer, Bob Orton, and Linda Zang. She is currently training with Jimmy Wofford (stadium), Jan Byyny (XC & stadium), and Britta Johnston(dressage).
Autumn also holds a dual degree in Experiential Education and Conservation Biology from George Mason University. She has a rich background leading outdoor education trips and coaching people to push themselves towards reaching their goals, empowerment, service, and working as a team. She has facilitated the personal growth of many students through adventure activities such as backpacking, rock-climbing, kayaking, and wilderness survival all over the U.S. and abroad. Since she started Scattered Acres Sport Horses, she has been applying her training in experiential education to riding instruction and coaching.
Autumn has trained hundreds of horses from in-hand work and saddle breaking through FEI levels in eventing and dressage. Likewise, she has coached hundreds of students from beginning riders through Preliminary eventing and Intermediate I in dressage.
Autumn is highly educated, skilled, focused on, and excited about helping students to reach their personal goals and about training horses to become athletes and willing partners. Her experience and education includes, but is not limited to:
- Founder and President of Scattered Acres Sport Horses LLC.
- Vice President and co-founder of HorsePower Equine Assisted Learning foundation
- Apprenticeship in Germany with Falk Shubert studying dressage
- Multiple USEA Year End High-Point Awards for her students, her horses and herself
- Successful competition through FEI levels on self-trained horses
- International equine import experience
Autumn is an active, competing member of the USEA, USEF and USDF.
Lisa Hannan
Lisa has been riding since she was 12 and started competing soon afterwards. She has been with Autumn and Scattered Acres since 2005 when she answered an ad Autumn posted on Virginia Equestrian. She serves as the Barn Manager responsible for all aspects of farm maintenance and equine care. Lisa not only manages the barn and all horse care, but she also competes. Lisa won the 2012 USEA Adult Rider of the Year and Adult Amateur Rider of the Year.
As Barn Manager, Lisa is charged with the health and safety of each horse. The care and attention that she places into the upkeep of each horse is meticulous. No scrape, bruise or injury no matter how mild goes unnoticed. She is the perfect match to Autumn’s training capabilities as well as being an integral part of the business management team.
Lisa own 8 horses, 5 of which are stabled at Scattered Acres.
Kayla Elias
Kayla is a PATH Intl. Certified Therapeutic Riding Instructor. She began riding at age 7 and over the years, rode hunt seat, western, and trail. Over time, her primary focus became dressage, as she was drawn to the emphasis on precision and connection between horse and rider. She came to Scattered Acres in 2017 and has continued her dressage education under Autumn’s astute teaching. Her horse, Guinness, is stabled at Scattered Acres.
Kayla aims to help riders reach their goals through an approach that builds confidence, understanding of the horse, and a positive relationship between horse and rider. She is a graduate of the College of William & Mary and holds degrees in English and Psychology.