Who We Are

Stacey Halloran, founder and owner of Equidae Insurance, Inc., has been an exhibitor, admirer as well as an owner of the American Saddlebred for the last 35 years and now more recently the American Hackney.

Ms. Halloran received her B.S. in Accounting from Marshall University. She is a graduate of the University of Charleston’s Master of Forensic Accounting program and was a former instructor in the program.

She started her professional career as a forensic analyst with Rufus & Rufus Accounting Corporation, as well as the firm’s COO. She has more than 25 years of field experience in litigation support, specializing in both civil and criminal matters. In 2000, she formed Advantage Accounting, Inc., offering consulting and accounting services to small businesses, including the insurance and equine industry.

The venture she is most proud of is the formation of Equidae Insurance. From the beginning, its philosophy has been to educate and advocate for its clients. Education has been the primary focus because the more clients know, the better their decision-making. She has built the Equidae team with agents and staff from a diverse background in the horse and insurance industry.

Stacey believes that industry involvement is important to grow the breeds and grow equine businesses. For this reason, she serves on various boards and donates her time as a guest speaker to help educate the community. Additionally, Equidae has been and will continue to be a great supporter of the industry’s many horse shows.

Billy Jarrell has been involved in the horse industry for over 30 years. Riding as a child, Billy began showing at the local level, and soon went on to compete at some of the most prestigious horse shows across the country.

As a professional trainer for 16 years, Billy was responsible for putting successful teams together and protecting his clients’ most cherished assets. Today, as an insurance agent, he is still focused on protecting his clients’ most cherished assets. Taking the time to understand a clients needs is very important to him.

Billy is also certified as an Agribusiness and Farm Insurance Specialist by the International Risk Management Institute. This foremost professional certification helps him not only assess and identify the needs of current and prospective clients, but attests to his knowledge of agribusiness, farm insurance and risk management as well as his dedication to this industry.

Because Billy has been involved in the horse world in numerous ways – professional horse trainer, riding instructor, veterinary technician, thoroughbred farm manager -- his experience and knowledge enables him to help Equidae clients from all areas of the equine industry.

Billy is heavily involved with the horse industry. He enjoys donating time to speak with organizations such as the United Professional Horse Association and the American Saddlebred Horse Association as well as talking with clients and trainers about their needs and the state of the industry. He can be seen at horse shows and sales all across the country and is always eager to talk about the industry.

Suzy Shiflet has been in the horse industry for more than 30 years and is experienced in hunter/jumper eventing as well as saddleseat disciplines. As a trainer for over 25 years, Suzy has worked with many breeds, including; American Saddlebreds, Morgans, Hackneys, Dutch Harness, Standardbreds, Arabians, National Show Horses, Warmbloods and Thoroughbreds. Suzy also breeds and raises American Saddlebreds for clients and herself.

In addition to horse training, Suzy is officially licensed to judge saddleseat equitation as well as show performances by American Saddlebreds, Roadsters, Hackneys, and Morgans. Suzy was an official Saddleseat Equitation judge at The Morgan Grand National Horse Show in 2016, the equitation medal finals at the American Royal in 2017 as well as judging all divisions at the American Royal in 2020.

Born into the equine industry and a successful competitor and trainer from a young age through adulthood, Katie Garland brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the horse insurance business. She followed in her grandfather’s and father's footsteps as a third-generation horse trainer for over 10 years and has been extremely successful at the national level in multiple disciplines.

By growing up on the family farm and working with several Arabian horse farms, Katie has seen up close the ins and outs of the horse industry and has accrued invaluable experience as well as a sincere love for the equine profession and its animals. Katie’s in-depth perspective and genuine desire to assist her clients’ needs enables her to represent Equidae customers with top-level professionalism and care.

Connor was raised on a large, successful Morgan training farm in Central Ohio and fell in love with all things horse-related at a very young age. He spent his childhood attending top Morgan and Saddlebred horse shows and knew early on that he would like to pursue a career in some aspect of the horse industry.

While employed as Farm Manager at Grove Pointe Stables, Connor oversees and manages staff and daily operations, in addition to preparing horses for success in the show ring. Connor’s father and brother enjoy the training and showing side of the horse industry, while he prefers working with people, offering a more personal, one-on-one experience for their clients.

Connor’s outgoing personality, coupled with his lifelong background, knowledge and experience in the horse industry makes him an asset to the horse insurance business and Team Equidae.

Priya Arora has been an insurance professional for over 25 years, including working as an underwriter for such insurance industry leaders as Travelers and The Hartford. In addition, Priya has been a small company owner and understands the intricacies of the business world and what it’s like to incorporate your passion with your profession.

Although new to the equine industry, Priya is an avid animal lover and loves sharing her insurance expertise and working with Equidae clients. She and her husband dream of one day having a syndicate ownership in a Thoroughbred.

Stephanie Hackney spent a substantial portion of her professional life working as a stenographer. She is a certified Realtime Reporting Instructor and has taught at Huntington Junior College, as well as online to students throughout the United States, and has held board seats for the National Court Reporters Association. Stephanie brings that diligence and respect for privacy learned in the legal field to her support of all Equidae agents’ equine accounts.

Stephanie’s connection to the horse world hits close to home. Her youngest daughter, Alexis, has trained and competed on Saddlebreds from an early age, enjoying both World’s and National championships in the equitation division. You know the old saying, ‘if you can't beat them, join them?’  Stephanie has taken that adage to heart, not only signing up with the Equidae team, but also serving as a board member for the Kanawha Valley Horsemen’s Association.

Heather Pyles has worked in the insurance industry for over 9 years, both in benefits and property & casualty for such carriers as Westfield, Travelers and Encova. Heather has also obtained two property & casualty designations: Commercial Lines Coverage Specialist and Management Liability Insurance Specialist. Working alongside Equidae agents, Heather’s expertise ensures farm clients receive top-line care and attention.

After spending three years in California while her husband was active-duty Army, Heather moved back to West Virginia to be close to family. She was introduced to the world of Saddlebreds when her niece began riding, and Heather feels she has learned so much in watching her over the last 7 years. Like all Equidae agents and employees, Heather is an animal lover. She currently has a Golden Retriever and a small collection of cats.