Certificates
Riding & Training Certifications
BHSQ Level 2 Foundation Coach
Gabrielle Spirk ~ Dressage Rider & trainer
I have been riding horses for over 18 years and am a qualified coach through the British Horse Society. I have trained and competed in many disciplines including Hunter/Jumpers, Three-Day-Eventing, and Dressage.
As an instructor, my goal is to help my students get the most out of every lesson. I take every horse and rider’s abilities into consideration and have honest and open communication with my clients about their goals and needs.
Film Study
On the Saddle
Here is a recent video of some horses that I’ve had the pleasure of riding and training with at Five Phases Farm in Ocala. They are all young horses, who have had limited rides, but have so much talent and potential to move up the levels!
If you would like to get in touch with me for training or riding, please feel free to contact me at gabriellespirkdressage@gmail.com
My Story
About Me
Ever since I was a young girl, I knew I wanted to become a professional dressage rider and experience different training methods and teaching styles.
After taking first place in the 2015 Arizona State and West Regional dressage championships, I was the first American to attend the Talland School of Equitation in Ampney Knowle, England. At Talland, I worked on a yard of 96 horses and ponies with students from all over the world.
At Talland, I learned that you must be efficient and meticulous to run a large yard successfully.
We worked six days a week and had one lecture and lesson a day (flat work or jumping). We were responsible for feeding, turnouts to fields, mucking out three times a day, grooming, tacking up for clients, annual trot ups, night checks, and the overall health of all the horses and ponies at Talland.
After six months of being there, I was put in charge of the team of students and the daily running of feeds, tack ups, and turnouts. In addition, at this point in my exams, I was teaching three to five lessons a day and lecturing the Pony Club.
From February 2017 to May 2018 I did an intensive course through the British Horse Society. Exam Stages 1-3 gained you your Assistant Instructor qualification, or BHSAI. I was eager to learn and gain all the experiences/qualifications I could while at Talland, so I applied for my Stage 4 riding and stable management care theory exam towards the end of my stay.
Work Experience
Where I've Been
Education
Talland School of Equitation (Ampney Knowle, UK)
Owners Pammy and Brian Hutton
Stage 1-3 exams covering: horse behavior, handling, equipment/tacking up, grooming, grassland management, shoeing, health and safety, anatomy and physiology, ailments and vices, fittening and conditioning, and confirmation.
Stage 4 exam covering: creating training programs, fittening and conditioning for a competition horse,
knowledge of all roles of the horse’s systems and how it pertains to training, breeding/foaling,
and being proficient and efficient enough to run your own yard.
Riding Experience
Hawtins Stud
(Staunton, UK)
Owner Judith Davis
Hawtins Stud is an internationally-recognized, top-class breeding and training facility for competition horses.
In 2017, I had the chance to visit the facility and got the opportunity to ride a 4.5 y/o gelding in training and a 7 y/o mare who was already produced.
Riding Experience
Eilberg Dressage
(Redditch, UK)
Owners Ferdi, Geri, Maria, and Michael Eilberg
I got to work on the competition yard and on the breeding yard with some of the foals and brood mares. I got lots of practice with making big, fluffy straw beds and making proper banks. We had daily feedings, mucking out and grooming to do for Maria and Michael. After a day’s work, I got to have a lesson on a 5 y/o gelding with Michael Eilberg.
Yard Management
Louise Davison Dressage
(Tamsworth, UK)
Owner Louise Davison
Louise has a beautiful facility in Tamsworth, UK, with a group of competition horses on her main yard, and a group of brood mares, foals and yearlings in fields down the road.
During my placement here, I had the usual yard duties, in addition to grooming and checking on the brood mare fields. I got to have a few lessons on her 4.5 y/o mare. I also got the opportunity to go with and trailer one of her competition horses to Carl Hester’s yard for a lesson.
Yard Management
Mane Imports LLC
(Oakland, CA, USA)
Owner Yasmine Becker
I worked at Mane Imports LLC in Oakland, CA for six months under Yasmine Becker (Yaz), a knowledgeable, classically-trained German rider.
During this time, I was introduced to the German Training Scale and served as an assistant instructor.
I was given a lesson by Yaz every day either on Delibrus – a 16 y/o classically-trained gelding – or a client horse. On the days Yaz would stay home, I would go to the barn and teach lessons, and exercise/lunge either client horses or Yaz’s three horses.
In addition to Delibrus, Yaz had Fin and Flirt. Finny was a 9 y/o German bred gelding training at PSG. Flirt was also a German bred gelding, 11 y/o training Grand Prix.
Freelance Instructor
Now Available for New Opportunities in St. Louis, MO
Gabrielle Spirk
- Experienced Dressage Rider & Trainer
- BHSAI and Stage 4 Care and Flat
- Talland School of Equitation (2017-18)
- St. Louis, MO (USA)