About Shannon Cole -  Owner, Carriage Driver, Farrier and Horse Lover

Shannon Cole has had the privilege of being with horses for her entire life. The affinity that she has gained by growing up with these magnificent creatures has given her a remarkable sense of responsibility, spirituality, and a greater overall understanding of people and animals. They are truly her passion!

She grew up on a cattle ranch in southwest North Dakota. Her father also had 120 Thoroughbreds that were bred and raced throughout the US and Canada. It was on that farm that she began taking riding lessons at the age of 3 from her older sister, Dr. Joy Cole, DVM, a former competitor with the Equestrian Team of the University of Tennessee, and who is currently a veterinarian in Virginia. Shannon competed in rodeos and play days in North Dakota ,and was active in the local 4-H until she moved to Lexington,Kentucky at the age of 10 where she began English riding lessons and competed with hunter-jumpers (she trained her own horse to jump) and equitation under saddle well through her teenage years. She lived and competed in New Jersey and Florida for a year before moving to Texas in 1990 at the age of 15, where she has remained ever since.

While in attendance at Texas Women’s University majoring in psychology, she worked part time as a wrangler and riding instructor in McKinney for Jolabec Stables. While in this position, she was approached by a carriage driver and given the reins where she promptly fell in love with driving horses. She drove for Dallas Surrey Service for 3 1/2 years until she purchased her own horses and carriage for what has become Happy Trails Carriage Service (formerly Happy Trails Horse-Drawn Carriage Service) on February 5th, 2001. As of January, 2006, she has relocated her service to historic downtown McKinney, Texas. It has been fantastic in McKinney and she is busy as ever. In 2009, she apprenticed with Joan Green and became a farrier (horseshoer) . Not only does this ensure that her horses have proper shoes, but she is also able to help her clients achieve maximum hoof care for their horses as well. 

Ms. Cole has had over 14 years’ worth of continuous driving experience and a lifetime of horse experience. She is actively sought throughout the Metroplex and state for services including:

• weddings
• parades
• proms
• surprise engagements
• anniversaries
• birthday tours
• children’s birthday theme parties
• Traditional Indian matrimonial ceremonies
• romantic cruises through downtown
• television, commercials and film productions
• trimming and shoeing horses
• pony parties and unicorn parties
• …. and just about anything else one can imagine, within the realm of safety to her horses and passengers of course.

The Business Partners AKA The Horses

All of Shannon’s horses are rescues.  It is Shannon’s passion to rescue and place horses in their forever homes. All of her fur “children” have been through some form of abuse, neglect or starvation. Healing these beautiful animals, feeding them several times a day and giving them a job has inspired and fulfilled her life in so many ways. It is an honor to be able to drive a horse that has been abused. It shows the ultimate in trust and just how magical the power of love really is. The first seven horses are Missouri Foxtrotters. To read about this amazing breed click here.

Buttermilk and Trigger, the original pair who the company was named for, were purchased on December 30th, 2000 from the late Charles Smith, who owned Dallas Surrey Service and was the father of the carriage industry in Dallas. They were rescued by the sheriff in Pasadena, Texas, from severe starvation and cruel beatings. Shannon rehabbed them while they were at Dallas Surrey and with the help of Charles, trained them to drive. She later trained them to drive single as well. Being rescue horses, they had many issues that with time and love have been overcome. Shannon feels they have healed her more than she has healed them. Buttermilk and Trigger are full siblings and registered Missouri Foxtrotters, both born in March, a year apart from one another. They are both incredibly intelligent (they even know the traffic lights and routes!) and great with children. Buttermilk is also used for Baraat ceremonies in Indian weddings and in August of 2008 carried CEO Dave Dewalt of Mcafee Virus Scans into the ballroom of the Mariott at Legacy in Plano. Shannon has been driving these two in downtown Dallas from July 3rd, 2000, while employed by Dallas Surrey Service until she relocated to McKinney, and today continues to drive them while she operates in McKinney and other areas of North Texas.

Smoke was purchased on September 6th, 2002. He was abandoned and starved by his previous owners. It took a year for him to grow out new hooves and get healthy before he was trained by Shannon to ride and drive so he could be a backup or replacement for either Buttermilk or Trigger in the pair. Today, he is also used as a riding horse for special events. He was used in the DVD video for the rock band “Journey”, where Jonathan Cain rode him. He has also been ridden into the ballroom of the Four Seasons Hotel in Las Colinas for a national convention. He was recently in a film production in Las Colinas for Scholastic Books. He is most likely to be seen in a pair with his new partner Silver. In his off time, he is ridden in trail and endurance rides by Shannon.

Jewel was purchased on December 19th, 2006, and was abandoned and starved by her previous owners as well. She was trained by Shannon to ensure adequate rotation among the other three horses, and to complete the four-in-hand team for special events where four white horses are needed. She has been used as a riding horse in weddings and in kids parties. She does Indian weddings and she has also been dressed as a unicorn for parties and special events for photo options. She is truly a stunning mare!

Shannon drove to Missouri on December 26, 2007, to purchase Silver, her fifth matching white Foxtrotter, and Smoke’s look alike! His owner was in a motorcycle accident and he was left at a friend’s place to be sold where he was neglected and living in a stall three feet deep of manure. Shannon fell in love and loaded him to head home to Texas! His registered name is Missy’s Silver Gem. He is a sweet, laid back horse with a mane as long as your arm. As of May 1, 2008, he has completed his training with Shannon and Smoke, and gave his first ride to a couple celebrating their anniversary in downtown McKinney.

Shannon rotates her five horses, her “kids”, now to ensure that each horse has adequate “days off” to relax and just enjoy the freedom to run and frolic in the 13 acres of Texas countryside she shares with them. She often stays outside for hours just watching them graze, play and sleep in the sun or shade on their days off. CLICK HERE to view their pedigree and lineage information.

Shannon drove up to Missouri to rescue another matching white pair of Missouri Foxtrotters who are also brother and sister on November 23,,2008. Their owner had cancer and could no longer take care of them. Isis and Camelot are currently in training with Shannon, and will be coming to the streets of McKinney soon… They are also related to the other five and their pedigrees will be posted in the near future…All seven registered horses are descendents of Missouri Foxtrotter grand champion Zane Grey.

She also has a rescue horse that is retired from the Moscow, Russia Circus Artania named Veresk that will live his days in retirement and peace at her farm.

The newest rescues are two adorable ponies Napoleon and Lark who make apperances as unicorns and pegasus for childrens parties and events.

Today all eight horses and two ponies are healthy and eating as much hay and grass as they possibly can. They are clean, unless they roll in the mud of course, and spend their off time as horses were meant to be…playing and running in the fields.