GighaSteinmanBackground

River Oaks Farm

Gigha Steinman ~ Background

Gigha Steinman has been an active rider since childhood. After graduation from the University of Florida in 1996, she started what was then called "GBS Dressage", and was later renamed "Lochinvar Dressage" following the death of her FEI horse Lochinvar in 1998. After training for several years out of Hanover Farm in DeLand, she was able to buy her own farm in 2005, which was christened "River Oaks Farm".

Gigha began her riding career as a child, and will be forever grateful for the solid basics and

love for the horse which she learned riding with Baiba Bourbeau. She later rode extensively with Nancy M. Smith (a former member of the USET, a medalist at the Pan Am Games, and short-listed for the 1996 Olympics), whom she still admires greatly. Other noteables whom Gigha has worked with include Hilda Gurney (former Olympian and Grand Prix level trainer), Bo Jena (director of dressage at Sweden's National Stud "Flyinge"), Anne Gribbons (Grand Prix level trainer and international competitor and "O" judge), Tina Drake ("S" judge and FEI level trainer/competitor), and Hannah Johnson (Grand Prix level trainer and competitor.)

Gigha has had much success, and on a variety of different horses. She believes all horses can benefit from dressage training. While not all horses may have the talent to be competitive at the FEI levels, she works to bring out the maximum potential in each individual horse, and she has had much success on some very unlikely horses. She believes good basics and a solid foundation are the keys to success in dressage, and her methods have proven successful time and time again, with numerous National and Regional Year-End Awards and Championships; including Year-End Awards Regionally and Nationally thru FEI level dressage.

Gigha is very active with the Friesian Sporthorse Association, and played a crucial role in the development of this registry, of which she is currently the Executive Director. She is a proud breeder and promoter of Friesian Sporthorses, and fully endorses this registry. She is also an active member of the American Warmblood Society, as their Dressage Representative for Florida. She firmly supports their goal of breeding "the best to the best".

Gigha is also active as a dressage instructor, and judges several schooling shows each year as well. She is also a nationally certified equine appraiser, specializing in dressage and sporthorse appraisals, with a rating of "excellent" from the American Society of Equine Appraisers.

In addition to teaching, training, and judging, Gigha has also written articles and short essays which have been featured on websites and in publications such as Dressage Daily, EuroDressage, MyHorseFly, DressageTheory, Modern Dressage, Horse & Pony, and various newsletters. She was also active for a time, offering tips and training advice via the internet, but she discontinued this because she felt that real training issues are best dealt with hands-on. Gigha has also appeared in magazines such as Halifax Magazine, Hunter & Sport Horse, Horse & Pony, The Centerline, Connections, Equestrian (the national publication of the USEF), and The Chronicle of the Horse.

Gigha is an active member of the USEF (United States Equestrian Federation), USDF (United States Dressage Federation), AWS (American Warmblood Society), FSA (Friesian Sporthorse Association), and CFD (Central Florida Dressage).

Currently Gigha is enjoying success with her Elite Book Friesian Sporthorse stallion "Charleston", winning National and Regional Year-End Awards thru Third Level and being named FSH Horse of the Year for 2006. He is currently competing at Fourth Level. She is also bringing along two promising younger stallions, check our "News & Updates" page for the most up-to-date information.

Gigha lives in Astor, Florida. She currently trains out of River Oaks Farm (Astor), and is also available for lessons and clinics at Hanover Farm (DeLand). Please email for more information.