Kerivan Farms - English Horseback riding lessons in Gilbert, AZ
Kerivan Farms - English Horseback riding lessons in Gilbert, AZ
About Us
Kerivan Farms
Kerivan Farms is located in Gilbert, Arizona. Kerivan farms is a fully equipped facility that provides training, riding lessons and full service boarding for their clients. There are no additional charges for turnout, supplement feed, or blanketing. We have a large lighted riding arena with show jumps and dressage arena, roomy stalls that get cleaned daily, grooming cross ties and a round pen. As you can see from our website we love all types of animals and have a little of everything at our farm. We have goats, chickens, dogs, and even a miniature horse. We pride ourselves in providing a safe and family friendly environment for all. Students learn everything from managing horse care, medical needs, stable management, lunging, course designing, appropriate equine nutrition and show preparation.
Head Trainer - Allison Kerivan
Allison has an extensive background in riding, training, and showing horses. Allison grew up in California and rode at Flintridge Riding Club. She showed many weekends a month growing up, riding any and every horse she could. This gave her an extensive background with all sorts of horses. Allison competed on the A circuit in California for many years successfully on a variety of horses in both Jumpers and Hunters. Additionally, Allison has traveled and competed in Eventing at places such as Woodside, Ramtap, Flintridge and Trojan Horse, when it was in existence. Allison has ridden with Trainers such as Susan Hutchison, Jimmy Williams, Anne Kursinsky, Jimmy Wofford, Rob Gage, Gerhard Politz, and Rachael Saavedra. Allison provides high quality, multi-disciplinary training at a very fair price to make it affordable for her clients. Allison strives to provide an educational experience that suites each persons needs. Allison prides herself in having an extensive background in education and stresses the importance that all students and horses are different. Allison has been in education for 19 years, she has taught middle school, high school and master level classes for educators. She has two masters degrees, a teaching degree as well as a principal certificate. Allison has chosen to follow her passion and create her love for teaching and horses into her second career which is owner and trainer of Kerivan Farms. She has a wonderful ability to differentiate for her students needs.
Assistant Trainer - Gabriele Smith
Gabriele has a love for horses starting with a very stubborn pony she rescued as a youngster from a neighboring farm in the mid-west. She was able to work and save up money to purchase her own horse, a yearly she broke and trained. An avid reader she studied ways of training and horse psychology. Eventually teaching horsemanship at a local camp for a couple of years while in high school. This started a love affair with horses, teaching, and children. After service in the Air Force, traveling around the United States including a few years in Texas, another horse, and completion of Graduate school for Psychology. Gabriele married, had children, settled in Washington State with two horses, private mental health practice, and enjoyed being a high school equestrian team coach.
Gabriele brings with her years of working with children, an understanding of psychology, animal behaviorism, a passion for fitness, and experience teaching. She works with beginning students to establish success, a foundation of good horsemanship, proper English riding, terminology, having high standards while ensuring learning is fun and engaging, instilling drive, focus, and maintaining motivation.
Assistant Trainer - Clair Thunes
Born and raised in England, Clair grew up around horses and both her mother and grandfather rode. He found her first pony for her, when she was 8. What followed has been a lifelong journey experiencing many different disciplines. Through high school she competed successfully in dressage, show jumping and eventing as well as hunters. With no arena, nearly all competition preparation was done on the trail. Cross training horses and riders is still something that Clair believes has great value and she loves to get out of the arena when possible. Pony Club provided a solid foundation in horsemanship and provided initial opportunities to teach. She aged out with her B certification but has been involved with Pony Club ever since. Clair enjoys sharing her knowledge and has taught beginner and intermediate riders both as a freelance instructor and as assistant trainer at Capstone Farm while attaining her doctorate from UC Davis. She has taught college courses in equine health, equine nutrition and exercise physiology. Clair has always had a fascination with rider biomechanics and follows the work of Sally Swift, Wendy Murdoch and Mary Wanless. She enjoys helping riders to find a secure and balanced seat and to experience the rewards in their horse’s way of going. Clair owns Summit Equine Nutrition and when not at the barn works as an equine nutrition consultant. Her work has taken her all over the world and she has been lucky enough to create diets for some of the leading horses in the country. In her free time, she is the leader of the Salt River Pony Club based in Gilbert/Queen Creek. She also enjoys travelling with her family, good food and a glass of red wine.