Lara Burau Instruction

I have been training in a classical balanced seat method for over 15 years with various experiences in horses for over 25 years. I earned my BS in Equine Science at Midway College (Kentucky) in the heart of Bluegrass Country. Since then, my education has continued in eventing and dressage with such notable trainers as Cathy Wieschhoff , Jeurgen Helmut, Jessica Stark, Kim Barteau, Enrique Martinez, Kelley Shetter-Ruiz and Marijke de Jong.

When Kishwaukee Community College (DeKalb Co, Illinois) offered an Equine Science program, I was an Adjunct Professor for the subjects of Equine Reproduction and Breeding, Equine Management, Nutrition, and Business. The students who graduated from that program have gone on to varied careers within the equine industry, to include equine insurance, training and competitive showing, equine humane investigation, and sit on the boards of local horse clubs, state horse councils, national disaster response organizations, and international animal disaster management conference organizing committees.

My education is ongoing and covers all aspects of horsemanship and horse keeping. I am currently working through the Straightness Training Mastery program by Marijke de Jong.

I have completed training in the following areas as well:

• 120+ hours Basic and Advanced Mounted Police Training through the National Mounted Police Training Service, taking horses from minis to Percherons through multiple days of despooking clinics;
• 20+ hours through Technical Large Animal Emergency Rescue and the University of Illinois Fire Service Institute to safe extrication of live large animals in local emergencies (trail overturns, mud, ice, barn fires, etc) and disaster areas;
• 100+ hours through the Internation Horse Agility Club;
• Certification as an instructor with the American Side-Saddle Association.

Offering every horse the tools and training to have the best possible chance of a happy and long-term home was the focus of my work with the Hooved Companion Project from 2017-2019, assessing, retraining, and helping to place horses rescued from kill pens nationally.

Now that we are here in northeast Florida, I wish to continue to build on these foundational goals and bring that sense of community and basic enjoyment of our horses into the area, regardless of discipline. The horse who enjoys the show ring can (and often does) enjoy trying out new and varied experiences…and so do we.