Recommendations needed for awesome upper level dressage trainer in Orange County, Ca. Please also provide location and charge for full training.
Thank you!
Sarah Lockman hands down. IMHO there is no other coach/trainer that even remotely compares to her. Her coach is Guenter Siedel and her mentor is Debbie McDonald. She is located at Peacock Hill Equestrian Center which is located at the Irvine Regional Park in Orange.
You can see her scores on Centerline to validate her her competitiveness. She is also a kind person who treats all of her clients whatever the level with the same focus and commitment. The horses love her, she has a very quiet and effective riding style. She has horses/clients all the way up to Grand Prix and also has several very talented young horses competing in the FEI young horse 4-6 year old divisions.
You can PM me if you want any more information and I will send you PM on her pricing.
Thank you! I’m just concerned about the traffic getting there - just googled the distance and it’s a good 40 min drive…but heard good things about her as well!
Where in the OC are you located? Amy Miller is in Chino Hills and has clients who come from Burbank and Irvine and pretty much anywhere in between.
Second Amy Miller, but it would depend on where in the OC you’re coming from. And when. Chino Hills is in San Bernardino County, but shares borders with Orange and LA County.
Prices are here: http://www.amymillerdressage.com/services.shtml
Thank you Peggy and atlatl. Amy Miller seems great, too! However, Chino Hills is almost an hour from Costa Mesa…definitely too far.
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Thank you Peggy and atlatl. Amy Miller seems great, too! However, Chino Hills is almost an hour from Costa Mesa…definitely too far.[/QUOTE]
I feel your commuting pain 
I will offer some considerations beyond distance:
How often you plan to be at the barn? If it’s only weekends, the commute is far easier. Also, if you can go in the middle of the day during the work week and avoid rush hour, traffic isn’t as bad.
What are your goals? Depending on where you are starting both skill and fitness wise, you might have more flexibility in selecting a trainer.
Do you already own a horse? Should have asked this one first. If you need a school horse, your options are going to be more limited. I assumed that by “full training” you meant for a horse you already own.
I have found that I’m willing to drive a longer distance for better quality training with a trainer that I click with. No point wasting time on money on a situation that doesn’t work for me. I used to keep my horses roughly midway between work and home. Now home is midway between work and the barn so I don’t typically ride during the work week. Yet, my riding and the horses’ skills have increased dramatically since I made the move to Amy’s. I was essentially spinning my wheels at the previous barn.
Check out the CDS webpage; california-dressage.org and you might get more ideas and then come back here for the classic rumor and innuendo on reputations.
Good Luck.
