As Sheila Hoover recalls, “I was the horse crazy kid in the family. Every family has one; I was the one in our family. We lived in the city; however, so owning a horse was more of a dream than a reality at that point.”  Sheila began collecting Breyer model horses when she was only five years old, and started reading books on horsemanship and horse care by age seven.

 When she turned eight, Sheila began western riding lessons. Twenty-eight years later, she met Jahn Hoover and they enjoyed a mutual appreciation and love for horses. When they married in 2005, they bought a home and ranch in Mill City, Oregon and now have seven horses in the family.

 When Into the Wild Equine Adventures launched in 2010, Sheila settled into her position handling paperwork and booking rides for Into the Wild. She cares for the horses, helping with feeding and grooming. Her experience in organizing projects, coordinating programs and collaborating with people for her day job with the State of Oregon Office of Vocational Rehabilitation Services has been instrumental in her role with Into the Wild. Her background as a counselor and manager has also helped, especially when problem solving and time management skills are needed.

Sheila has attended several Clinton Anderson Down Under Horsemanship Walkabout tours. In addition, she enjoys attending the annual Northwest Horse Fair & Expo in Albany, Ore. Sheila is the co-membership coordinator for the Backcountry Horsemen of Oregon, West Cascades Chapter.

 Jahn Hoover says he was born with a love of horses and he attributes that to the fact that his ancestors moved to Fossil, Oregon in the 1850s specifically so that they would have more nutritious grass to feed their racing quarter horses.  When Jahn was a young boy, he had a great admiration of horses and owned his first horse when he was only 10 years old. He was involved with 4-H horse clubs, showing, and fully trained-to-ride his first horse by the age of 17.

Thirty years later, Jahn started riding Arabian endurance horses in the forest of the Oregon Coast Range. He and his riding partners would go out for day-long rides, experiencing the rough terrain, natural trails and beautiful views together. He soon found himself taking friends out on personally guided trail rides and giving horseback riding lessons.

 Jahn serves as a board member for the North Santiam Canyon Economic Development Corporation, where he co-chairs the trails committee that works to establish future trail systems in the North Santiam Canyon. Jahn is an active member of the North Santiam Chamber of Commerce and the GROW North Santiam Resource Board, where he joins other entrepreneurs in helping people establish successful businesses in the region.