Gilly Slayter
Gilly Slayter | Lead Trainer
Gilly Slayter brings her wealth of equestrian skills, education and competition experience along with her passion and energy to Via Nova’s training program. As a professional, Gilly stays on top of the dynamic world of competition and training by participating in clinics and other educational programs, and maintaining challenging upper-level competitive goals for herself.
Gilly Slayter brings her wealth of equestrian skills, education and competition experience along with her passion and energy to Via Nova’s training program. As a professional, Gilly stays on top of the dynamic world of competition and training by participating in clinics and other educational programs, and maintaining challenging upper-level competitive goals for herself. She’s witnessed the power of using positive reinforcement to bring improvement for both horses and riders, and looks for the most effective ways to incorporate R+ solutions into traditional training techniques for dressage and eventing. With a deep understanding of the nature of horses, and her love of interacting with people, Gilly is an ideal trainer for students at all levels of experience.
Gilly began riding at the age of five, competed in FEI-level Dressage as well as FEI-level Three-Day Eventing, and earned her USDF Silver Medal for achievement at Fourth and Prix St.Georges Level. She competed at the North American Young Rider Championships as a member of the 1992 Area X Three-Day team in Bromont, Canada, and again in 1996 with the Region V Advanced Young Riders Dressage team at Temple Farms. Gilly went on to develop her own Advanced Level event horse, Simply Larry, purchased in 1995 as an un-started three year old.
Gilly was also a member of the elite USEA Developing Riders squad in 2003, and in 2011 passed the USDF L Judging Program with distinction. Created by the US Dressage Federation Judges’ Committee, this educational training program teaches judges to evaluate the correct training of dressage horses.
Combining a business degree with a lifelong familiarity with stable management, Gilly is our knowledgeable and responsive Barn Manager at our Santa Fe Facility, Terra Nova Training Center. The well-being of the horses is her highest goal.
