De Frates Horsemanship

04/15/2025

Welcome to the world little man. This cutie joined us at 11:17pm after a flawless delivery. Momma Fiona and baby are doing well and we will check in with them in the morning.

03/26/2025

Harley’s first OnlyPaws pay out came today!

03/25/2025

Nothing to see here, just a Mareternity photoshoot with Fiona.

03/12/2025

Princess Fiona had her first much needed spa day. She wasn’t too sure about it all until she realized the water was warm. She got some good grazing time afterwards as well, which I think sealed the deal.

03/10/2025

Caption this!

03/09/2025

I may have done a thing today. Don’t worry, I had Mr. De Frates Horsemanship’s full support. Meet Fiona. While we don’t know her exact due date, all signs point to any day.

02/24/2025

Get ready to bloom this Spring with De Frates Horsemanship

At the time of this writing, the Daylight Savings time change in California is just two weeks away, and if you've been with us for a while then you know that also marks the start of our clinic season!

This year we are bringing back some of your favorite offerings, like Baby Boot Camp, Horsemanship, and Training on the Trail. We've also reimagined some others, like our Confidence Building and Horsemanship Over Obstacles clinics. Many of you have told us that it has just been too difficult to carve multiple days in a row out of your schedules to attend these programs in the past, so we're offering these two flagship programs in a day at a time, go at your own pace format. Lastly, and in true De Frates Horsemanship style, we are experimenting with a new offering, Saddle Foundations. This week long intensive clinic is designed to support you in starting (or re-starting) your own horse under saddle. If you think you are excited now just wait; that is only the first half of our 2025 clinic year schedule!

We have also made some changes on the business side of things to hopefully make learning with us even easier and more acceptable. If you take a gander, you'll notice lower deposits and an even more generous cancelation policy. We sincerely hope these changes eliminate the barriers you may have experienced in the past and open the doors to you working with us more and more. Don't forget, we also are always available for lessons at our facility, and depending on your location, may even be available to travel to you.

See our full schedule now: defrateshorsemanship.com/schedule

12/19/2024

I am SO excited about this webinar, hosted by the one and only, the best resource for all things equestrian in the Bay Area, the Bay Area Equestrian Network. Please join me live, or register to watch the recording, to learn more about our journey “From Passion to Profit.”

NEW FREE ONLINE WEBINAR!

Are you ready to transform your equine passion into a profitable, thriving business? Join us for this power-packed webinar, hosted by Bayequest and featuring Dana De Frates, owner of De Frates Horsemanship. Whether you're just starting out or looking to refine your existing business, this session is designed to help you achieve long-term success in the equine industry.

Dana brings a unique blend of expertise, combining 20 years of corporate experience with her lifelong equestrian passion. Leveraging proven leadership and organizational strategies, she built a profitable equestrian facility and business in just five years. Now, she’s sharing the keys to her success so you can do the same.

When:
January 4th, 2025, at 8 AM PST

Where:
Live Online Webinar

This session will provide actionable insights, tools, and strategies to ensure your equine business thrives. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn from Dana’s journey and apply her proven techniques to achieve your goals.

Space is limited—register here now to secure your spot!

https://www.bayequest.com/webinar-registration/

11/07/2024

Had a little mishap earlier this week; don't worry, ortho thinks it's just a sprain. What's a bored horse trainer to do while forced to RICE on the couch for a few days? Make a new philosophy video, obviously! Enjoy!

https://youtu.be/iUhca8ITQqE

This is the third video we've published to help you understand the underlying philosophy behind our methods. If you missed the other two, check them out our YT Channel: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL04UM4c0BvWS--_9PoAhLCxY4Z7rXDHhQ

Welcome to the third in a series of videos that we have created to help you learn more about our philosophy and methods. In this video, Dana discusses how to...

10/30/2024

Happy National Cat Day to our amazing barn cat, BC. She’s had a rough couple of weeks but is all better now and back to work hunter gophers!

10/27/2024

Such a beautiful afternoon here in Gilroy. Pictures do not to the sky justice. Me thinks there be rain in the forecast.

10/16/2024

We are just so proud of how well these young horses and ponies did on their first trail adventure. You can never desensitize a horse to EVERYTHING they may encounter in the real world, so in addition to desensitizing them to what we can, we also teach them what to do when they ARE afraid. We call this spooking in place. Why? Because I because I have a much better chance of staying on if their feet aren’t moving. Haha!
Here you see our Baby Boot Camp graduates doing just that the first time they ever encountered a rollerblader. Pay close attention to the steadfast adult horse on the right who makes a quick cameo in the beginning. That’s our 6yo boy, Duke, who is a perfect example of how calm and confident our horses turn out!

What’s the craziest thing you’ve ever used to desensitized a horse?

10/16/2024

Please join me in congratulating our 2024 Baby Boot Camp graduates!

During this four month long program the babies learned the skills required of any good equine citizen making them a joy to handle by anyone. Skills like leading, tying, spraying and picking up feet. They prepared for future work by learning how to wear saddles, ground drive, and pony. Then conquered all the obstacles without concern. Lastly, they went on their first trail ride and were even awarded Jr. Park Ranger badges by the SCC Park Rangers!

We couldn't be prouder of these kids and can't wait to see where their journeys lead.

10/05/2024

Get ready to fall in love this season, with Mara.

This breathtaking girl is looking for her special someone. Her perfect match would want go on lots of trail adventures, do some obstacles, and maybe dabble in working equitation or ranch trail. Actually, it really doesn’t matter to Mara what you want to do as long as you treat her kindly, and dote on her a little.

* 11yo Bay Azteca Mare
* 14.3H and STOUT
* Fantastic mother, even took on an orphan foal while nursing her own
* PERFECT on the ground and will let you do anything, even use a leaf blower to dust her off
* Ties to anything, even the ground & hops right in the trailer
* Picks you up from the mounting block
* Goes English or Western, prefers to work of seat and leg
* Has gaits smooth as glass
* Loves trail rides and goes out solo or in groups
* Has never refused an obstacle
* Solid WTC, stops, backs up, side passes, turn on forehand and haunches
* UTD on feet, vaccines & deworming, due for dental in Dec
* Needs a calm, confident person in control of their aids or she will root and take you back to to the gate
* Very empathic and cares a lot more about your emotions than many other horses.
* Right of first refusal and references required

PM for more info.

See more photos and videos (riding videos coming soon)
https://www.icloud.com/sharedalbum/

10/03/2024

Stay cool, friends! Don’t forget to check and refill your horse’s waters often. If you can, leave water out for stray, feral, and wild animals too. While you’re at it, make sure you’re drinking plenty of water too!

09/25/2024

Join us for our Halloween Edition of our flagship program Oct 26-27 in Gilroy, CA.

Horsemanship Over Obstacles is often imitated, but never duplicated! If you want to transform your relationship with your horse, sign up now!

https://www.defrateshorsemanship.com/service-page/horsemanship-over-obstacles-halloween