Live Equestrian Coaches
Teddy Franke
Teddy Franke is a lifelong horseman, farrier, riding instructor, and working cowboy dedicated to developing both horses and horsemen through authentic, hands-on education. He and his family own and operate Mission Farrier School in Tygh Valley, Oregon—a vocational training program focused on hoof care, horsemanship, and career readiness. Teddy is also a partner in Live Equestrian, an online platform for equine instruction, events, and horsemanship resources.
Teddy holds five international certifications in horsemanship, including Master Instructor (MI) and Certifier through the Certified Horsemanship Association (CHA)—the largest certifying body of riding instructors in North America. He travels internationally to conduct certifications and clinics in horsemanship, hoof care, and equine education.
A former TIP-approved trainer with the Mustang Heritage Foundation, Teddy is also an AQHA Professional Horseman, a founding member of the International Mustang Horse Association (IMHA), and has served on multiple national equine education boards, including CHA and the American Youth Horse Council. He currently serves on the board of directors for the Wasco County Fair and Rodeo.
Teddy’s experience includes managing large herds of horses in three states, running draft teams in Alaska, and leading pack and trail trips for the U.S. Army, serving soldiers and their spouses. His horsemanship background spans both English and Western disciplines, including endurance, backcountry packing, draft and harness horses, show judging, mustang adoption competitions, and vaquero-style ranch roping.
Born and raised in Alaska, Teddy now lives in Tygh Valley, Oregon, where he trains horses, teaches clinics, provides general and therapeutic hoof care, and continues to guide others in their journey as horsemen and women. Known as both a lifelong learner and a committed teacher, he is passionate about sharing his faith, values, and practical wisdom through every interaction.
Learn more or connect with Teddy:
👉 https://www.liveequestrian.net/link-tree-teddy
Scott DePaolo
Meet Scott DePaolo Scott DePaolo has worked in the horse industry in a variety of roles since 1982. For over 25 years, he managed and operated Butte Creek Scout Ranch for the Boy Scouts of America—a working ranch specializing in western trail rides and extended pack trips for youth and families. During his time there, Scott helped introduce thousands of people to horses, horsemanship, and the power of experiential learning in a hands-on ranch setting. Scott believes deeply in the positive effects of learning through experience and has long held that horses are among the best teachers of character, leadership, and emotional intelligence. He teaches that good horsemanship naturally leads to good “humanmanship”—a word from Scott’s personal dictionary that expresses how working with horses can make us better people. Scott is a certified clinician with the Certified Horsemanship Association (CHA), and holds additional certifications as a pack and trail clinic instructor, Western and English riding instructor, Equine Facility Manager (EFM) instructor, CHA site certifier, and Certified Equine Specialist with the Equine Assisted Growth and Learning Association (EAGALA). Since the early 2000s, he has worked as part of an equine-assisted psychotherapy team, using horses to help heal troubled youth and adults in recovery. Recently retired from the Boy Scouts of America, Scott has embarked on an exciting new chapter—building his own horsemanship training and boarding facility from the ground up. From this base, he runs Scott DePaolo Horsemanship, a business dedicated to training horses, teaching riders, and traveling as a clinician to share his approach to relationship-based horsemanship and lifemanship. Scott is also the founder of LiveEquestrean, an online platform for horsemanship education and personal growth. He is currently working with a passionate team to launch the International Mustang Horse Association (IMHA), a brand-new organization focused on celebrating, preserving, and promoting the American Mustang through clinics, competitions, community, and education. Scott is incredibly excited about the vision and momentum behind IMHA, and believes it will help elevate awareness of the Mustang’s versatility, value, and unique contribution to horsemanship worldwide. In his spare time, Scott enjoys training bridle horses and competing in ranch roping, reining, and working cow horse events. He also loves to travel—both to teach and to continue learning—through ranch horsemanship and roping clinics across the country.
