Dressage Trainer in San Francisco Bay Area - East Bay Region

[Akademik]

Hi Everyone,

I did a search on Dressage trainers available in the San Francisco Bay Area (specifically East Bay) and found that most of the posters searching for instructors already had their own horses. Unfortunately, I don't own my own horse. (Yet!) Could anyone recommend a great instructor/facility that has school horses and tack (i.e. a saddle of appropriate size - I fit a 16.5/17, depending on the brand) I could use? I have an h/j background but would like to explore Dressage.

BTW - I did look on the Bay Area Equestrian Network but I value COTHer's input/personal experience. Thanks! :)

[honeylips]

Gina Duran - Topline Dressage has "school horses". She is in the East Bay.

[Sandy M]

I believe Jill Munro has one or two school horses (Livermore). Nice woman, very correct instruction, easy to work with.

[Dressage Art]

Katy Bouglow has a GP horse for partial lease with weekly lessons. He has an amazing passage, piaffe, canter pirouettes, 1 tempis, and he was listed as #1 GP USDF horse in the year awards when he was in his prime.And he still dose all of the GP fun stuff = I was riding him for a short time before I broke my leg (on another horse). He is quite an amazing horse.

There are about handful other horses for lease in East Bay. You just need to do a lot of leg work and see them personally, ride them to make sure that they are honestly what is being advertised. I rode some horses who were bluntly misadvertised.

Good luck

[BohemianRN]

Yes, there are tons of lovely dressage horses for lease in the bay area. I lease a Friesian. Look on Bay Area Equestrian network. Also, Laurie Moore has schoolhorses (east bay). And in South bay I know of a cool schoolmaster Andalusian for lease at a barn w GP trainer

[BohemianRN]

Feel free to PM me for more info

[Akademik]

Thanks to everyone who has replied to my post. If you can think of any other instructors to refer, please feel free to PM me.

On another note - do you know if any of these instructors or local barns have a "wear your helmet for every ride" policy? Just curious - I'm from the h/j world and I was wondering what the norm is for the Dressage scene in the Bay Area. Again, feel free to PM. Thanks!

[houserabbitz]

I'm also in the East Bay; both Jessica Miller and Christiane Noelting have lesson horses. C.N. is a bit far (Vacaville), but I'm going to take a trip out to meet her for lessons and starting my three year old. I think she's about an hour out from us.

[mbm]

you might try putting an ad on bayequest.

and re: trainers - it really depends on what you are looking for..... not all trainers are for all riders.

as for helmets: it kind of depends. I know La Jolla had a helmet rule, but it is very barn specific.

good luck!