Staghorn Stables

Stacie Sprague,  Hunter/Jumper trainer

Congratulations to the Twin Rivers Saddle Club 2010 TRAINER OF THE YEAR!!!

Lessons for Children and Adults

Showing and Sales

Youth Camps

Training All Levels

772-341-3202

Stacie Sprague has been working the A-Circuit on the East Coast from New York to Florida most of her life. Her focus being on showjumpers, Stacie has many years of showing, training, and teaching experience. Her lesson program at Martin Downs Equestrian Center expands weekly with students both local and from abroad coming to train and show with her. With a string of lesson horses, lease horses, and privately owned show contenders pairing each rider to a suitable mount for pleasure or show is one of Stacie’s specialties. In addition to lessons and showing for the Hunter/Jumper arena, Stacie makes herself available to assess sale horses, off-site training, matching riders to new horses, and even has become sought after to school competition dressage horses over jumps to gain more conditioning and diversity in their training. Stacie is a wonderful addition to the talent at Martin Downs Equestrian Center and we highly recommend her both on-site and off-site.  

 

 Treasure Coast Dressage

Heather Bender, Dressage trainer  

Training and Showing

Year-Round Availability

561-596-1519

 

Heather Bender has been riding and training for more than forty years.  She competed in her first Dressage Grand Prix by age of 20 on her own horse that she had started from the beginning.  She has followed that accomplishment with four more personal horses she has taken from the beginning to Grand Prix successfully.  Her love for teaching has taken her to many different countries as a Clinician and also teaches a series of clinics at home in the USA, some of which she has done for over twenty years.  She is a USDF Bronze, Silver, and Gold Medal recipient. Heather has won numerous National awards, Scholarships and has been a member of several USEF and USET teams including:  2 Can Ams, 2 Olympic Festivals, and was selected to represent the US on Winwood in the 2000 Young Horse World Championships in Arnhem Holland.  Certified USDF instructor, with over 20 years of USEF judging and is a published author/contributor with over 35 dressage articles on training in equestrian publications.  Heather feels very blessed to have been helped by so many amazing horsemen and women to develop into who she is today!

Treasure Coast Equestrian Arts

Dreamt up by Heather Bender and her amazing team of talent, the Treasure Coast Equestrian Arts riding school aims to fill the need for an affordable, quality option for those adults who are: returning to riding, starting their riding for the first time, without a horse, bringing along a horse in their training, and/or any plethora of other riding aspirations for the adult amateur looking to get a solid foundation under qualified quidance and education. Workshops both on and off the horse, mini-clinics, fitness classes geared toward riders, and other educational opportunities are included with the riding curriculum. Like us on Facebook for the most up to date information on schedules, offerings, social events, etc.

 Call Melanie Boehringer at 772-634-5555 or email TreasureCoastDressageMB@gmail.com today to schedule a lesson.

 

 Nancy Dunn of Oakhaven Farm

Lessons and Clinics for All Levels

 Specializing in Hunter/Jumpers

 Horses Available for Sale

Shows Local and Abroad

 772-486-1038

 

Coming from a long line of horsemen, Nancy was keenly aware that horses were “in her blood”. She spent her junior years riding and competing in the hunters and equitation with the good fortune of training with some of the area’s best trainers.  During her high school years, the family decidedly moved to Florida.  It was there that Nancy finished out her junior years riding under Robert Robold of North Hammock Stables.  Under Robert’s watchful eye, she would start and bring along the young riders at North Hammock.  Nancy was accepted into the prestigious Westmoreland Davis Equestrian Institute in Leesburg, Virginia where she studied and rode under Olympic gold medalist Tad Coffin and world renowned trainer and clinician Raul DeLeon.  Through the school’s intensive program, Nancy was also given the great honor to ride under such legends as Bert DeNemethy, Jack LeGoff, Gunnar Anderson and Maria Gunther among others.  Upon graduation, she returned home to Florida where she was invited back to North Hammock Stables to teach alongside Robert Robold.   A move to south Florida was made where she became a freelance trainer at various farms in the Miami area.  As business grew, it seemed necessary to take the next step and open her own equestrian facility – Sunset Farm.  She remained there for seven years training and developing many horses and riders up through the ranks from local shows to the A Circuit.Nancy made the eventual move to Palm City with her husband and baby.  They fell in love with the quieter pace and beautiful area so they purchased a farm which they have called home for the past eleven years.  Nancy wanted to bring a long time interest of breeding horses to reality and so began Oak Haven Farm.  Soon after, her husband passed away.  Then, Nancy’s focus became all about raising her young son and developing the breeding program.  Oak Haven Farm became very successful breeding and training the Holsteiner horse for sport.  As Nancy’s son, Eddie, grew older, she decided it was time to get more seriously back into her first love- training.  She began training around the area and Oak Haven Farm expanded from its breeding operation into boarding and training as well.   Nancy approaches Hunter, Jumper and Equitation training with a classical philosophy, emphasizing strong flatwork.  She believes that fundamental dressage is the foundation to successful training across all disciplines.  After all, jumping is just “flatwork between fences”.  She prefers to approach teaching with a disciplined yet positive manner, maintaining a learning environment that is both fun and effective.  She has the ability to build a strong team with horse and rider, successfully bringing them up through the ranks.  Nancy is excited to be coming to Martin Downs Equestrian Center and is looking forward to helping her riders, both current and future, attain their greatest goals.