Meet Our Trainer
Kiera Murphy
Kiera Murphy has a love of teaching; humans and horses! She has been giving horseback riding lessons for almost 20 years now and has her BA from Rollins in Elementary education. She loves giving horse back riding lessons to all age groups and experience levels.
As a competitive child rider, qualifying for the Zone 2 pony finals in the Large Pony Hunter division she started her career with the equine sport early. Sadly, she outgrew her pony “Hooligan” and decided it was time to get herself a "horse she could have forever".
Kiera horse showing on “Hooligan”
Kiera trained her first horse “Josh” aka “Tequila Sunrise” when she was 16 and has had a love for horse training ever since. “Josh” was a beautiful and extremely talented Appendix. Although along with all that talent came 17 hands of power and a little crazy. She says Josh was the horse that taught her how to ride and that he was super athletic and could jump near anything. He didn't need much of a reason though to try and put his head between his knees though and buck like crazy! She said that her experiences with training him have made her the rider she is today. She loves to do desensitizing training for young or inexperienced horses and help introduce horses to the skills they need in and out of the hunter and jumper show ring. She has helped many of her students with purchasing and or training of their own horses.
She has also trained imported horses from Europe with a past partner.
“Josh” aka “Tequila Sunrise” competing in a hunter pace in upstate N.Y.
Kiera is a big fan of doing many fun equine activities such as horse showing in the hunters and jumpers divisions, hunter paces (cross country endurance rides with jumps), horseback riding on the beach and trailering to various places all over Florida to trail ride (or trail riding all around the miles of beautiful trails right behind our barn). She has been scheduling excursions with her students on a monthly basis to help open up their eyes to all the fun and excitement the sport of horse riding can offer; in and out of the show ring. If you want to be competitive, we can start horse showing. Maybe you want to learn to ride for the pleasure of it and the connection and bond that is created between horse and rider. Kiera says "No matter what your goals are as I rider, I can help you achieve them.”
“April” was supposed to be a fun little project to train and sell Kiera says… 14 years later she is still at Lucky Star Stable and has been used to teach numerous children and adults how to ride do to her kind nature and incredible talent!
April” the day she was born.
Mayha riding April. This was Mayha’s first horse show! The pair did great!
This is “Scout” and Kiera at Rocking Horse. Scout has been at Lucky Star Stable now for around 3 years. “He is super talented and fun to ride,” Kiera says “ yet the best part about him is how great he is with kids and that he is able to be a part of our lesson program for all experience levels.”