PR, Marketing & Fundraising Consulting
for the Equestrian Industry
Whoa Communications, a division of O Communications, combines more than 30 years of local/regional/national PR and marketing communications experience with a decade of equine nonprofit experience and a lifetime in the equestrian world.
Services.
Introduce your lessons with an optional, short summary. It all begins with an idea.
Public Relations
Strategic Planning
Nonprofit Consulting
Volunteer Management
Marketing Communications
Media Relations
Issues Management
Sponsorships
Social Media
WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING
“Sheryl's work at Smiling Goat Ranch is exemplary. It's impressive how much she has achieved in such a short time. She's faced all the ups and downs of the equine world and still made a success of it. Reach out to her; she's very generous with her knowledge.”
New York Times bestselling author "The Horse Boy" and "The Long Ride Home"
Long time human rights activist
Autism advocate
New Trails Learning Systems founder – an approach for addressing neuro-psychiatric conditions through horses
Rupert Isaacson
Sheryl Barto.
Sheryl Barto grew up a horse-obsessed young girl in Pennsylvania, the daughter of a veterinarian, having shown horses from age 12 through college as a member of her college equestrian team. She loves skiing equally as much as horses and moved to Aspen, Colorado in 1988 to be a ski bum.
A degree in journalism eventually led to work in public relations that has been her day job ever since. She founded O Communications in Aspen and Carbondale in the early 2000s, and Whoa Communications in 2024.
Sheryl’s oldest son is on the autism spectrum. She combined her experience as an autism mom, horsewoman and PR professional to start Smiling Goat Ranch in Carbondale using horses to help children with autism and veterans with PTSD. SGR is an equine-assisted therapy center based on the Horse Boy℠ Method and principles of neuroplasticity. Sheryl is a certified Horse Boy℠ Method trainer. Horse Boy Centers are now in 23 countries. She bases SGR training on classical dressage and collection and working equitation.
WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING
“Sheryl runs one of the most prominent and successful Horse Boy and Movement Method programs. She is also an autism mom, so she knows of what she speaks. She has a successful PR company – and she never stopped running while starting and continuing Smiling Goat Ranch. We all know the insane amount of work it takes to run only an equine program. It’s a real achievement.”
Founder of the Square Peg Foundation, Sonoma, CA
Book author, A Damn Fine Hand
Joell Dunlap
