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 Kevin McGinn - Jumpers, hunters, equitation, training, sales  
“In training horses and riders, the fastest way IS the slow way; there are no shortcuts in real education.” — George Morris
 

Kevin McGinn is the great-grandson of a blacksmith from County Mayo, Ireland. He still has family in the UK in Racing and Three Day Eventing. He rode on Long Island, New York in the Big Eq. Divisions as a Junior. He trained with Robert Hoskins, George Morris and worked for Jumper Trainer and "R" Judge Ralph Caristo. He left horses to see the world, and settled in New York City in 1980 and let the world come to him instead. He spent a kaleidoscopic decade working for a major recording label, signing new music acts. He was a club disk jockey. He became a special events coordinator and raised money for both commercial and philanthropic causes such as the NYPD's Widows and Orphans Fund, Amnesty International, Chiat Day Advertising, record release parties for The Eurythmics and Sarah MacLaughlin's debut album, and many Broadway and Off-Broadway opening and closing parties. But his most lasting accomplishment was to study and work with acting and teaching legend Stella Adler, which lead to work in Off-Broadway and regional theatres across America. He also worked day-time T.V and several films. He is most proud of the work he did for American Foundation for AIDS  Research (AmFar), founded by Elizabeth Taylor and Matilda Krim.

Kevin then arrived in Los Angeles, intending to continue his work as an actor. However, as life tends to happen, that's when his real equestrian career began. He started by teaching one Saturday morning, four hours per week "for fun". Within five years he owned one of the largest riding school/training barns in California, with forty-five horses in training. He had also studied with Kathy Kusner and created a clinicians-in-repetoir including Olympic Course Designer, Linda Allen, Double Olympic Gold Medalist Joe Fargis and Multiple World Cup Finalist Rider Susan Hutchison. He is most grateful to those extraordinary horsemen for all their help, especially Kathy Kusner, who taught him exactly what horses are capable of, and Susan Hutchison, who taught him how to think like a horse, not a horse trainer, and to consider the best way to convince the horse he can do anything. His riders have been regulars in the Zone 10 year-end final standings, and he had the youngest rider, Brooke Faber, to compete in the storied Foxfield Derby (at age 11) and entered her first Grand Prix at the relatively unique age of 13. He has prepared several Grand Prix riders along the way, in addition to many, many young trainers, instructors, "catch riders" and U.S.E.F Judges. He has even cross-trained nationally ranked Barrel Racing Competitors, stunt men and several "A" list actors and actresses as they prepared for horse-related films, music videos and TV appearances.

Kevin is an on-staff consultant at Moonshine Equestrian at Hansen Dam Equestrian Park; he teaches locally in Los Angeles and is a sought-after clinician across the United States and Canada. Kevin is perhaps currently best known for his writing for Judge My Ride, an online equestrian help line that offers tips and advice to riders from Beginners to Professionals alike, always free of charge. Judge My Ride enjoys over 100,000 readers. He does pro bono work, perhaps most notably The Jumper Riders from The Compton Junior Posse. He believes the strong emphasis on basic skills developed at home must be strengthened through the pressure of the show ring environment. Kevin's students compete on both the "A" and "B" circuits, as he feels the smaller shows are great confidence builders while large shows stretch riders to rise to a higher standard.

Kevin spent numerous winters in Europe, which has enabled him to complement classic dressage techniques with the European method of show jumping.

In addition to providing full training services for horses and lessons for riders, he is available for judging and clinics, day coaching at shows, and accepts approved horses for consignment sale.

Kevin thanks his  mentors Kathy Kusner and Susan Hutchison.

Training Location
Kevin is available for clinics at your farm or facility anywhere in North America. To be a Partner/Host, please contact Kevin here for a "best practices" sheet and rate schedule. He is always interested in adding new locations to his existing calendar.
 
Ask about the benefits of having a consultant-on-call service. "Equestrian House Call" is available to clinic hosts at a much discounted rate. The service provides private one-on-one consultation with shared video capability over Zoom, for any issue a trainer may encounter, including problem horses, student issues, and sales advice, as well as advice and referrals to reputable sales agents in the United States, Canada, The United Kingdom and Western Europe. If you have read Kevin's column "Judge My Ride" (on all major social media platforms with over 100,000 readers), you will know he can offer doable, practical tips and tried-and-true exercises that yield predictable, reliable results.

Kevin McGinn is based in Los Angeles  
He is a consultant-in-residence and can meet you for lessons on your horse, or a quality lesson-horse for riders just getting started or returning to the sport.

 
Hansen Dam Equestrian Park 
11127 Orcas Avenue
Lake View Terrace, California  91342   
Services Summary

Equitation and hunter students will thrive under the challenge of Kevin's use of time-honored training traditions, coupled with innovative exercises and concepts brought from the dressage and jumper rings.

Kevin trains with enthusiasm, creativity, structure, respect, and humor while bringing classical horsemanship to his students. 

    Kevin McGinn
    Horse Training, Lessons, Judging, Clinics, and Sales

    Hansen Dam Equestrian Park •  11127 Orcas Avenue • Lake View Terrace, California  91342

    Phone: (818) 512-4550
    Email

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