Three Horse Farm

I have been in training with Lizzy for about 2 years now and I have learned so much from her. I’ve ridden my whole life and have never had a trainer that was so great at explaining the mechanics of riding. I really feel like I have taken my riding to the next level. I grew up riding in APHA shows but decided I really like jumping best so I made a complete switch to Hunter/​Jumpers and I chose to ride with Lizzy and it was the best decision I have made. I went from jumping around 2’6 courses to schooling 3’9 with ambitions to move up beyond that. Lizzy helped me find a great horse and guided me through my first show season of A circuit competition and I finished the year with 2 championships and 2 reserve championships! I cannot say enough good things about her and her program. The horses are all happy and healthy and really enjoy their jobs. Three Horse Farm operates out of Gilroy Gaits which is an amazing facility with top amenities and great rates. You just can’t go wrong entrusting your horses with Lizzy!

I took my first lesson at Three Horse Farm in December 2009 on a chance suggestion from a friend who had found an ad online. I thank my lucky stars every day for that suggestion, for without it I might never have found the outstanding trainer that I have in Lizzy, the many friends I have made among the other riders at the barn, and the numerous partnerships I have gained through the horses I have leased from the Three Horse Farm program.
Lizzy is extremely accommodating — she is willing to work with any budget and any schedule. My situation was unusual as I attended college from 2009 – 2013 in Indiana and so was only able to ride with Lizzy during the summers. Despite this, every time I came home Lizzy was able to provide me with an A-​circuit quality horse to lease. There hasn’t been a year since I began riding at Lizzy’s barn in which I haven’t earned a champion or reserve champion ribbon at a rated show. With Lizzy I have successfully competed in jumper, equitation, and hunter classes at well-​known A circuit shows, including Woodside and Sonoma. When I came to Lizzy I was riding 2’6″ courses at schooling shows. Thanks to her fantastic training and high-​quality horses, I was able to successfully compete in the 1.00m and 1.10m jumpers, with some of the top times, throughout the 2014 show season.
I can’t even begin to describe how much I have learned from Lizzy. I have seen her do wonders for the confidence and form of many a horse and rider. Lizzy is particularly skilled at teaching the horse and rider to work together — she will help you understand each other so that you can move forward as a team. Her patience and experience make her great at building confidence, great at mentally resetting disagreeable horses, and great at adjusting her teaching style to suit your learning style. All of the horses in the Three Horse Farm program are well-​mannered and in great condition.
Gilroy Gaits is an unbeatable facility. The oversize stalls and well-​kept, the indoor arena is enormous, there are lots of large turnouts, and the barns are gorgeous and well-​designed. In addition, each trainer has their own outdoor arena so there is no sharing of arenas when it’s not raining; this also allows there to be an entire course of 8 or more jumps set up at all times. Anyone looking for an accommodating, flexible, place to improve their riding should look no further than Three Horse Farm.

When returning to the Bay area about 4 years ago, I interviewed over a dozen horse trainers in the area. Three Horse Farm stood out among all of them. Not only is Lizzy a gifted rider, trainer, and horseman, but she excels in providing tailored instruction to her riding students. I’ve appreciated her thoughtful guidance and specific feedback on my technique. I learn something new every time I ride with her. The barn is laid back and fun, and welcoming to beginning riders as well as A circuit competitors. The horses at Three Horse Farm are well cared for, in great flesh, and relaxed and happy. It was a great decision to ride with this barn, and I can’t imagine being anywhere else.

My sister and I brought my nieces to Lizzy at Three Horse Farm for a lesson. My nieces are 8 & 5 and quite a handful. When we arrived at the barn, we first noticed how beautiful the grounds and stables were. The barn is well kept and the horses seemed very happy. They were also quite curious and friendly. All fifteen horses stuck their heads out of the stalls and greated my noisey nieces with ears perked forward. I was really worried that the horses might nip or bite the girls, but my worries were unfounded as the horses were tolerant of the kid’s sudden noises and gestures. The horses like to be scratched and rubbed just like any household pet. I couldn’t get over how affectionate they were with my nieces.
When the lesson started, Lizzy showed us how to bring the horses out of their stalls and put all their tack on. The girls received a thorough lesson on horse care and safety before they ever mounted the horses. We brushed the horses down, put their saddles on, and proceded to walk them to the arena. I thought we would ride outside, but it was a bit windy that day, so we were led to newly constructed covered arena.
It was their first time on a horse, so the lesson was pretty basic. The girls learned how to safely get on and off the horses, and how to control the horses’ pace and steering while they walked around the arena. She even brought them both to a trot. You should have heard the giggles!
We were only scheduled for an hour, but Lizzy did not have a lesson scheduled after ours, so she took a lot of extra time with us. I was shocked that when we got back into the barn, we had already been out for much longer than an hour (not including prepping the horses). The girls asked a lot of questions, and Lizzy answered all of their questions with patience and understanding. I would be happy to return for a lesson for myself and would definately recommend Three Horse Farm to all my friends.

I called approx 20 stables on a Saturday morning, to schedule an adult lesson for Sunday afternoon… All went to voice mail, but Lizzy was the first to call back ~15 min and although she was already booked offered three alternative suggestions.

Three Horse Farm at Gilroy Gates in Hollister is an excellent horse facility… Woohoo! As good as it gets! The trainers, Lizzy and Julia, are professional and knowledgeable and even though I have been jumping for many years I have improved due to the attention that is given to the fine details of position, timing, and attitude. As I move forward with my riding ability I have been consistently placing in the horse shows that I have been attending! The facility is new (about 2 years old), with state of the equestrian art footing throughout the stalls, outdoor and indoor arenas, hot walker, and large turnouts. The covered arena allows riding in all weather, too. Check out the photos on the Three Horse Farm website to see how beautiful this stable is. Horses appear healthy and happily well provided for and taken care of as my horse was given attention to his individual feeding requirements. Getting there may take a little longer, but it is easy with good highway and streets. Well worth it!

A friend and I stumbled upon Three Horse Farms after purchasing a
deal for a 1 hour riding lesson– what luck! Julia (a co-​owner of the business) gave us a very informative and fun lesson. She is VERY knowledgeable about horses and as such I always felt safe while we were grooming or riding. I’m so glad we were able to experience riding– even only for a short while– with THF. I would love to come back as soon as possible! Thanks Julia!