For as long as I can remember, horses have been my greatest passion. As a very young child I begged endlessly for a horse of my own. Unfortunately we lived in the city and couldn’t begin to afford buying or boarding a horse. However in an effort to support my passion, at the age of 4 ½ my mom managed to procure riding lessons and took me religiously in spite of long workdays and little rest. Lessons and time spent with these amazing animals just made the inability to have my own horse all the more bitter. I was however really blessed to have a close friend with horses and increased opportunities to ride and show. I also took advantage of stall cleaning opportunities which earned me privileges to use horses which belonged to others and offered my exercising services to the parents of horse owners who’d went off to college leaving their horses pastured and idle.

Finally at the age of 12 the endless begging and pleading paid off and my parents purchased my first horse, a little bay Morgan which we boarded just a couple of miles away. Over the next couple of years I spent time contesting a horse for a friend of the family and showing mine in hand, western, and English. I also competed on various equestrian teams and became involved in a vaulting group, which traveled around doing vaulting demonstrations at fairgrounds, malls and other venues in an effort to increase awareness of the sport. Eventually I started spending time and working with other trainers, showing class A as an amateur, qualifying and competing in nationals and worlds, and expanding my experience with different breeds and different riding disciplines.

I started out at the age of 18 training mostly problem horses and starting young horses under saddle. Nine years later my family bought a training and boarding facility called “Meadow Grove” and I dropped my amateur status and started training horses professionally. I have been unbelievably blessed over the years to have been able to work with a number of amazing horses. With gods blessings and guidance, a little luck, and a lot of patience, I have even managed to train a few national and reserve national champions.

Although I still have a home and some horses in Michigan, and I continue to participate in certain facets regarding the management and operations of Meadow Grove, my son and I have relocated to L.A. We made what we thought was a temporary move to Los Angeles in 2001, so my now 14 year old son Tristan Jarred could pursue his love and dream of acting/entertaining. Little did I know then, what a long term commitment that would become.

I am currently training in Valencia and the greater L.A. areas. I enjoy working with weanlings on up, for pleasure or show. I love working with all breeds and have experience in a number of disciplines.  Throughout the years I have had the opportunity to work with a number of trainers from very different backgrounds and have since garnered skills training in areas, which include but are not limited to: ground manners, in hand, park saddle, park harness, english pleasure, pleasure driving, western pleasure, hunt seat, dressage, parade, trail, contesting, vaulting and problem solving.

I also give riding instruction, private, semi-private and group lessons, which range from beginner through advanced, in saddle seat, hunt seat, western, contesting, driving, vaulting, equitation, showmanship and horsemanship.

I enjoy all aspects of training and take great pride in helping people, whether it's starting a young horse, solving problems, or tuning up an old one.

Joy and Tristan