Desirea has worked with horses most of her life. Her formal horse back riding instruction began when she was 9 years old.  She was privileged enough to ride under the talented trainer and instructor Julie Ely. Once out of high school, Desirea headed to Philadelphia, PA  where she worked at a combination racing and show barn with high energy Thoroughbred horses as well as top quality hunters. With a desire to learn as much as possible, Desirea worked after hours to gain experience with race riding and starting young horses. Since then Desirea worked at multiple farms in PA, MD, and NC as a working student, groom, riding instructor, and barn manager. With all of these great opportunities, Desirea learned how to properly condition horses for hunter/jumpers, equine first aid, and excellent fundamentals of barn management. The love of riding and training horses led her to teaching and training professionally.

Desirea is our hunter/jumper instructor, here at Sapphire Farms, for beginner through advanced riders. She is able to accommodate riders of any age or level. She feels that it is important to learn good horsemanship skills on and off the horse. Her main focus is developing a strong foundation using the seat and balance of the rider. She feels that once a rider has good balance and a good seat, learning the fundamentals of jumping becomes much easier.  Desirea prefers to teach private lessons to give students the personal attention they deserve. Desirea’s professionalism and enthusiasm will be a great attribute to all of her lessons.

Desirea has a great deal of experience in young horses, green horses, and prospects. She believes in creating a solid foundation in training, but she feels that it is also important to keep the horses interested and willing to learn. Desirea is able to provide training rides for breaking or finishing. Every horse is different and she caters each program to the individual requirements of each horse. She feels that the training process includes arena and round pen work as well as trail riding and groundwork.