TIS was founded by Tammera and Jess, combining their passion for horses with a desire to create meaningful impact. Tammera, a social worker, believed horse connections could deepen her impact, while Jess wanted to share the profound benefits of human-horse relationships with more people. Beginning with small introductory sessions, TIS quickly grew into high-impact learning and healing opportunities. Today, the organization operates in three locations with diverse session offerings and a professional team, expanding to meet growing community demand.
Meet the Team
-
After years of witnessing the profound benefits of the human-horse connection, she felt deeply inspired to create a platform that would share these transformative experiences with more individuals and communities. This passion led her to co-found Together In Stride, a foundation dedicated to bringing these life-changing opportunities to others
-
Tammera Merkens is a dedicated professional, a proud mom, and a passionate advocate for building healthy relationships between humans and horses. As a social worker with over 20 years of experience in the mental health field, Tammera is a certified facilitator and co-founder of Together In Stride Foundation where she serves as Executive Director. She has also owned and operated Humble Hooves on Vancouver Island for more than six years. Tammera is deeply committed to lifelong learning, reconciliation, and self-improvement.
-
Melissa brings a diverse background in movement therapy, community engagement, and creative storytelling. She is a Registered Somatic Movement Therapist, Certified Instructor in Body-Mind Dancing, and a certified Cartier EAL Facilitator with years of experience teaching and leading groups. Melissa’s work is grounded in a social justice framework, supported by training in community counselling and years of working alongside diverse communities. She is also a filmmaker whose creative practice reflects her passion for human connection, embodiment, and meaningful social impact.
-
Johanna brings over 20 years of experience working with horses and has spent her life learning from a wide variety of breeds, ages, and disciplines. Her approach is grounded in curiosity, relationship-building, and a continued commitment to learning and growth within the equine-assisted services field. Johanna has been a certified Cartier EAL Facilitator for four years and has also completed the PATH Foundations Equine-Assisted Learning course. Alongside her work with horses, she is currently working toward certification as an Educational Assistant, further deepening her understanding of inclusive and supportive learning environments.
