Ella learned how to ride at Split Elm many years ago and after a few years of lessons, she moved out to Alberta, Canada to work at a dressage barn for the summer. After, she moved to Florida and worked under an olympic eventer while riding, training and showing the sales horses and simultaneously producing her own. After years there, she ran a primarily hunter and eventing farm in Vermont before finally moving back to Split Elm as a trainer. Now she has produced horses through preliminary level eventing and 1.20m jumpers with plans for more. She is also one of the coaches for the Stockton University equestrian team. When she is not riding, she is flying with her pilot's license.

Hi! My name is Dana and I’m from Cape May, NJ. I grew up riding at a large quarter horse show barn. After showing hunt seat equitation as a child, my interest took me elsewhere and I learned to drive horses on carts. I worked for the Cape May Carriage Company for five years giving historic tours. After completing veterinary nursing school, I participated in an array of large animal endeavors such as foal sitting, working at an alpaca farm (breeding, birthing, training, and showing), and sheering sheep. Ultimately I chose companion animal medicine where I worked in emergency, critical care, and surgery for nearly 20 years. My experience with animals doesn’t stop on land I have a passionate love for the ocean and have conducted both shark research as well as dolphin dorsal fin photo ID studies all over the world. I joined Split Elm in 2013 and finally felt like I had a home barn where I could put down roots. Since then, I’ve become a member of USEF, USHJA and AMHA when I rescued my Morgan Marta. I enjoy competing in eventing, jumpers, competitive distance trail riding, and most recently ranch sorting. In our free time my husband Josh and I enjoy fishing, biking, and hiking with our three dogs Irwin, Coovie, and Olli.

My introduction to horses began at 6 years old after an act of cosmic intervention on a trail ride where my horse took off with me and ran back to the barn. Needless to say, I was hooked. I began lessons and showing shortly after and it wasn’t long before I realized that working with horses was my path in life. My mom ( also a lifelong horse woman) and I bought our first horse Shadow, an unraced, unbroke 3 year old thoroughbred when I was 12 years old. Working with him from the ground up cemented my love of training horses. I began working at Hunterbrook Horse Farm at 16 and worked as a trainer/barn manager there for over 14 years, working mainly with off the track thoroughbreds and the occasional sassy lesson pony. I spent most of my 20s showing clients horses in the local hunter/jumper circuit. I broke and learned to gallop on our homebred baby’s and acted as groom and hot walker on race days. Being a live in barn manager I lived through every triumph and tragedy. I learned what it truly is to be a horseman. The horses taught me patience and understanding. They taught me what hard work and dedication really is. I began working at Split Elm 5 years ago, and that’s when the fun truly began!!! From horse shows to hunter paces it’s never a dull moment here!! In 2025 I got the opportunity to show at WEC, Ocala with the Split Elm team. Riding Charlie SE, our little mustang mare at WEC was an amazing opportunity and I can’t wait to do it again!! Since working here I’ve been exposed to so many different types of horses and have continued to learn from these amazing animals. I try to bring the patience and understanding that I’ve used to work with horses into the education of all my 2 legged students as well.

Becky

Sara

Maria