11/20/2024
Meet Laura Barnes!
Owner - Manager - Head Trainer
Laura's passion for horses ignited at the age of seven in Atlanta, where she trained under Annelise Vogt-Harber at Vogt Riding Academy. After three years of lessons and barn work, she became a working student, gaining invaluable experience with her own horses and assisting in managing the lesson program.
By age 12, Laura was not only helping with new lesson horses but also deepening her dressage education alongside Grand Prix horses at Vogt Riding Academy. This experience fueled her ambition to master classical German dressage and set high-level goals early on. At just 15, she graduated high school and received a Friesian gelding named Jeremiah, who has been her loyal companion since he was seven months old. Despite doubts from others about raising a young horse, Laura embraced the challenge to enhance her training skills.
After high school and college, Laura worked at various facilities, including Applewood Farm in Alpharetta, GA, where she collaborated with esteemed trainers from the Atlanta Dressage community. A significant part of her journey was working with Ashley Marascalco, head young horse trainer for High Valley Hanoverians. This role allowed Laura to learn about breeding and raising foals while pursuing her goal of becoming a young horse trainer.
In 2013, Laura and Jeremiah became PATH certified as both horse and instructor. In 2016, she acquired her second horse, a Friesian named Droom Draak, who is now seven years old and under saddle with Laura. Recently, she trained horses from training level to Grand Prix in Canton, GA. In May 2024, Laura returned to South Georgia to care for her family and now operates a 24-stall facility on 14.5 acres in Rincon.
Laura prioritizes the well-being of each horse in her program through individualized training plans that include 4-5 days of work per week and enriching experiences outside the arena. She collaborates with a dedicated team of farriers, vets, and bodywork specialists to ensure top-notch care for all horses.
Proudly sponsored by Devacoux and Seminole, Laura looks forward to expanding her training and lesson programs while continuing to deepen her knowledge in the equine industry.
