Teri Rich: Carefree Dressage

Trainer Spotlight on Teri Rich

How long have you been training Dressage?

I have been teaching and training Dressage for over 30 years. I have ridden and shown almost every equine discipline, but decided to concentrate solely on Dressage after graduating college and starting my own business.

What's your favorite memory from your time as a trainer?

My favorite memory as a trainer is when I competed at Gladstone in 2006 for the Festival of Champions with my own horse, Fontainebleau. It was a long road to get there, but such a rewarding one to be able to accomplish one of the goals I had set for myself. Gladstone was an amazing experience! The whole week there was so fun competing at such an incredible facility with so many talented riders.

Tell us about your favorite horse that you've trained or owned.

My favorite horse was my own horse, Fontainebleau. He was a very special horse to me. He was an 18 hand Hanoverian that I had purchased from Germany as a 3 year old and trained successfully to Grand Prix. He was a very sensitive horse but so smart and sensible in his training for a big guy. He had a huge heart and would try anything I asked despite having multiple orthopedic issues due to his large frame. It broke my heart when he fractured his pastern when he was 17. He lived out his final years in a massive grass pasture with many friends in southern Arizona.

Tell us about a favorite product that you use for riding or grooming.

For grooming, I use lots of curry combs and brushes and good old elbow grease. When I lived in Arizona, we used a product called Healthy Hair. It is so dry in Arizona that this product helped to keep the static down in the horse’s tails and would put some moisture back into their coats.

Are you currently accepting new clients for training?

Yes. I train out of Seabreeze Farms in Carmel Valley. It is a wonderful facility. They take great care of the horses and it has a very friendly environment.

Give us a Dressage training pro tip that we can share with the CDS San Diego membership.

Never stop learning. This applies not only to training and teaching techniques, but health management, veterinary issues, shoeing, and nutrition. There are always new ideas, new products and new research that might help keep our horses healthy and happier.

Thank you to Teri for her responses! Contact Teri Rich at www.carefreedressage.com.

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