Our Instructors
Anneliese Gilchrest was born in Upstate NY and has been surrounded by horses since she was a little girl. In High-school Anneliese was showing at A rated shows and breaking and training young horses professionally. Her senior year she taught her first summer camp to special needs children from a local community home. In 2004 Anneliese graduated from St. Andrews University in NC with a BA in Therapeutic Horsemanship and became a PATH Certified Instructor. At St. Andrews Anneliese competed on the University's IDA team.
In 2007 Anneliese started Athelas Therapeutic Riding, a therapeutic riding program and Northfield Farm LLC, a lesson, boarding and training farm. After Athelas' incorporation in 2009 Anneliese stayed on as head instructor and program manager and continues to host Athelas at Northfield Farm LLC.
Over the years Northfield Farm LLC has been home to many local riders/boarders. The farm hosts many clinics and horse shows and Anneliese has recently started a new warmblood breeding program. Anneliese continues to compete in Dressage on her Oldenburg gelding, Mozambique. She also enjoys coaching her daughter and other students at horse shows. During her free time Anneliese enjoys spending time with her husband and their five children.
Interested in Getting Involved?
Check out our volunteer opportunities! We are always interested in speaking with potential volunteers.
Jocelyn Marsh
Bio Coming Soon!
Abby Costello is the volunteer coordinator for Athelas Therapeutic Riding. She grew up taking riding lessons and participating in local Chensego Hunter shows but took a long hiatus from horses while attending college and starting her career. A few years ago, she realized how much she missed being around horses and found Athelas in 2016. Abby has always enjoyed working with and taking care of horses more than riding them, so she knew she would love that aspect of Athelas. Initially, she thought participating in Athelas would help her career as a teacher by gaining knowledge in working with special needs populations. However, she quickly realized the importance of helping others experience the joy of being around horses. Working with the wonderful clients, staff, and other volunteers drew her in right away. The feeling of helping someone get out of a wheelchair, experience the freedom of a horse's movement, and seeing a happy horse and rider together is amazing for her.
When not volunteering with Athelas, Abby is a high school biology teacher at Unatego Central School and an adjunct professor in the education department at SUNY Oneonta, where she also earned her B.S. and M.S. in adolescent education. In her free time, she enjoys playing golf and spending time with her animals.
