Rhonda Fritzshall Co-Founder
Certified Equine Professional
Rhonda Fritzshall is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of HERD Foundation, a non-profit organization in Delray Beach, FL. Founded in 2018, HERD Foundation’s mission is to provide the South Florida area with equine-assisted services designed to empower Military Veterans and their families to achieve personal development through the unique relationship between humans and horses.
In addition to serving the local Veteran population through HERD Foundation, Rhonda is the President and Director of Equine Assisted Healing, LLC. This program provides equine-assisted services to those recovering from substance abuse and mental health issues, and anyone seeking to improve their relationship with themselves and others.
Rhonda began her career in early childhood education as a Certified Montessori Teacher. She later completed the Addictions Professional Training at the Hanley Center in West Palm Beach, FL and soon went on to become Board-Certified as a Mental Health Professional in the State of Florida. In 2013, Rhonda began her journey as an Equine Professional, earning her EAGALA certification, both as a Mental Health Practitioner and as an Equine Specialist. Rhonda is also in the process of Natural Lifemanship certification, having completed the Fundamentals Training in 2019 and the Intensive Training in 2021.
Rhonda is a lifelong learner who is deeply committed to her personal and professional growth. As a member of Trailblazers Uncensored of Horse Sense of the Carolinas, she actively pursues new knowledge and guidance from others in the field to ensure the continued growth and sustainability of HERD Foundation. Rhonda also continues to seek out opportunities to enhance her horsemanship skills, having worked with Don Jessop of Mastery Horsemanship for the last four years, as well as attending Linda Parelli’s Natural Horsemanship annual conference.
Rhonda is well recognized in the field for her skillful facilitation, as well as her passion and commitment to raising awareness about the significant personal development one can experience when partnering with horses. Among other honors, Rhonda was asked to present at the national EAGALA conference in Kentucky on the subject of equine therapy and addiction recovery and was also the proud recipient of the 2015 Sierra Tucson Spirit Award.
In collaboration with her dear friend, business partner and HERD Foundation Co-founder, Nongae Johnson, Rhonda has had the unique opportunity to work with prominent trauma therapists and psychologists from all over the east coast to provide equine-assisted services to clients currently receiving intensive treatment. Over the course of her career as a Mental Health Practitioner and Certified Equine Professional, Rhonda has had the privilege of sharing the powerful benefits of equine-assisted services to countless individuals and families throughout South Florida.