our staff
We’re a highly collaborative and supportive team coming together to ensure our students get the very best results.
Our staff has committed to exceed PATH’s requirements of continuing education to retain their PATH credentials and to provide optimal quality of services.
Dianne Lashoones is Rhythm of the Rein’s founder and program manager.
Dianne has over 45 years of experience as a licensed physical therapist along with 20+ years of experience as a PATH certified therapeutic riding instructor (CTRI). She also has a lifetime of professional equine related experience in breeding and training
Libby Hale
Libby has been a licensed physical therapist assistant for over 30 years. She is a PATH Certified Therapeutic Riding Instructor and an AHA (American Hippotherapy Association) Level II hippotherapy practitioner. She is also the local region’s only PATH Registered Therapist in Hippotherapy.
Crystal Banevicius — Barn Manager
Crystal Banevicius is Rhythm of the Rein’s Barn Manager. Crystal’s journey with ROTR began almost 20 years ago, when she was 15 years old and had recently bought a young, feisty horse named Ellie May. She ended up boarding Ellie May at Water Tower Farm (now Three Fold Farm), home to Rhythm of the Rein. Of her relationship with Ellie May, Crystal says, “she taught me so many things about growing up: Responsibility. Hard work. About love. And friendship.”
As a teenager, Crystal worked at the barn on weekends. When Crystal had to move away, Ellie May stayed on and became one of ROTR’s most beloved therapy horses. Six years ago, Crystal found her way back to the barn and realized she’d been missing it—and Ellie May—the whole time she was away. Crystal shares: “Being old enough now to understand how the therapy program helps individuals of all ages and situations is why I decided this is what I want to be a part of. Coming from, and being through, so many dark situations in the years between [leaving ROTR and returning]…knowing how much people struggle mentally, as well as in our world, and having witnessed the positive effect this program has, gives me all the motivation I need.”
Crystal knows firsthand how much horses can help and heal. She says, “Horses are gentle yet strong enough to make you see yourself for who you are. They are challenging and rewarding in the same moment. Riding feels like freedom.” She continues, “Ellie was always the first one in my life, starting when I was 14, to help me accept and love myself. She brings that positivity into my life every day, helping me stay stable and work through life’s hardest challenges. Making me a better mother and friend—and my best self.”
Elizabeth Maurice — Weekend Barn Manager
Elizabeth Maurice is Rhythm of the Rein’s Weekend Barn Manager. She has been involved with ROTR since 2024 when she started taking riding lessons and volunteering at the barn. Elizabeth fell in love with riding, and with Rhythm of the Rein, and was excited to join the team and help care for the horses. She is a big animal lover in general and enjoys planting a flower garden every spring.
Elizabeth says, “I love working at ROTR because I enjoy the hard work and care for the horses. I adore learning more about the horses and building a connection with them, as well as with the community at ROTR. I am really thankful that both Crystal and Beth believed in me and gave me a chance to prove myself. I am especially grateful that Crystal advocated for me and helped bring me on as staff.”
Rhythm of the Rein Program and Instructors Win Governor’s Award
Rhythm of the rein therapeutic riding program and its instructors Dianne Lashoones and Libby Hale received the governor’s award for professional of the year at the Brain Injury of Vermont Annual Conference in Burlington, Vermont. One of Rhythm of the Rein’s client organizations, PRIDE SUPPORT SERVICES, with input from their riders and staff, had written a letter nominating them. We think the nominating letter is every bit as much the award as the award itself
Nominating Letter from Pride
Pride Support Services would like to nominate our friends at Rhythm of the Rein Therapeutic Horseback Riding Center for professional of the year.
Many of our organization’s services recipients have been riding for almost 6 years. Each person loves and looks forward to their time at the farm with Dianne, Beth and Libby; they are such open, enthusiastic and wonderful people!! When someone comes to ride, even if they are in a wheelchair or use a walker they don’t see people who cannot get on a horse they see each person as an individual! They don’t worry that someone might not be able to ride a horse, they figure out how they are going to get on and ride; to them nothing is impossible. It is very difficult to explain how it feels to be free and moving when riding, but it is an exhilarating experience that they provide. The horses at the farm are gentle and strong they make each person feel their own personal power and helps them to believe they can do anything that they set their minds to in their life.
It is incredible how when someone believes in you, you start believing you can do anything and you see the impossible as achievable. We think that is why Dianne and Libby started their program, they want everyone to feel the way they make the survivors at Pride feel.
Pride Support Services:
John DoeRon, Deb, AJ , Lori, Dennis, Andrew, Jason, Crystal