Susan Labagnara

Susan has been teaching dressage for over 15 years, and has been located at the North Jersey Equestrian Center since 2009. She has a special talent for working with non-traditional horses, as well as horses with behavior issues.

Susan believes that correct riding is a lifelong pursuit. She sets high standards for her students, and believes that there are no shortcuts to success. She utilizes many different techniques in order to get the very best from the horses she works with, including long-lining, work in hand, and cavaletti. Additionally, she has her students frequently work on the lunge-line to improve their balance and posture.
After beginning her riding career as an eventer, she turned her focus to dressage. Susan has trained with some of the icons of the dressage world, including Nuno Oliveira, Hilda Gurney, Belinda Nairn-Wertman and Uwe Steiner. Currently, she trains with Katie Riley and Paul Belasik. She has also studied Parelli Natural Horsemanship with Nita Jo Rush.

Susan works as an advanced practice nurse at UMDNJ, where she works with children with cancer and blood disorders. She holds a master’s degree in nursing from the University of Colorado and is currently pursuing her PhD. (Source)