Hunter/jumper trainer Dacia Peters moved back to her native Southern California in January of this year. She had spent three years running her own stable successfully in the Southeast, and several years before that interning with various horse people that helped her build an impressive resume of knowledge and experience.
She specializes in young horses and re-training and has a special skill for assessing horses and forming relationships that allow the horse to reach its full potential. In addition to training opportunities, Mattango Farms specializes in horse sales, with an emphasis on young horses and those in need of re-training.
Dacia was only visiting Angela Pike’s Mattango Farms, in La Cresta, out of curiosity when she stopped by several months ago. The beautiful, private stable beckoned to Dacia as she drove up the rose-lined driveway to the 15-stall barn with cathedral ceilings and myriad other elegant and practical touches.
Dacia’s four horses, three babies and a competition mount, came home to California with her and soon found themselves at Mattango Farms. Watching Dacia ride and work with her horses, Angela says she was sure Dacia was exactly the professional Mattango Farms was looking for. “After several months of working together, the results were indisputable,” Angela reports. “Dacia had made incredible progress with the Mattango Farms horses.”
As a trainer and a person, Dacia is open-minded, easy-going and positive. “Compliment before correcting,” is a modus operandi in her coaching, which all starts with a realistic assessment of the horse and rider’s abilities and ambitions.
“I’m into horses because I love it,” she says. “I want my students to enjoy what’s going on. I like to use encouragement and positive reinforcement in my lessons.”
Teaching primarily private lessons, Dacia prides herself in recognizing the potential in each horse and rider. “I want to build their training scale based on the horse’s conformation, what they’re good at and what they like to do,” she explains. “I like to think outside of the box.”
“Dacia is a wonderful teacher for both horse and rider,” confirms Angela. “She builds confidence in each individually and therefore creates a solid performance team. My horses absolutely love her and perform for her. She has then translated to me how to achieve the same results through my riding. I could not be happier with her approach and the results.”
Dacia welcomes her students clinicing with other professionals and Mattango Farms plans to host visiting instructors in the future.
The intimate setting at Mattango Farms is a perfect fit for Dacia’s approach. The main ring has an in-ground water jump, a bank obstacle and a full course of stadium jumps. An additional ring is smaller and ideal for beginners and turn-outs, and a 50’ round pen is currently under construction. Miles of trails going through the nearby Santa Rosa Plateau provide nice opportunities for out-of-the-ring mental and physical conditioning.
“The horses are super happy here,” Dacia observes. “The staff is really on top of the care and maintenance of the horses. We know each horse by its personality and if somebody is just a little off, we look into it right away.”
Dacia grew up in the Los Angeles area’s Rolling Hills and rode and competed at the Seahorse Riding Club. In high school, she arranged a work experience program that enabled her to leave campus early to ride. She earned degrees in equine sciences and digital media communications at St. Mary’s College of the Woods in Indiana.
Various internships followed. She worked for California breeder and trainer, Tish Quirk, international eventer Tiffany Loudon, and a veterinarian. All together, it gave Dacia the self-sufficient horse sense that enabled her to handle most anything that came up while operating her business in the Southeast.
She is enjoying the process of building up Mattango’s training clientele. There are a few full-training spots open. Dacia anticipates that they’ll show approximately once a month, on both the A and county circuits according to the needs of her clientele. The barn is conveniently located about an hour’s drive from both Showpark in Del Mar and the Oaks in San Juan Capistrano.
For more information on Dacia Peters and the sales and training opportunities at Mattango Farms, please call 951-461-9065 or visit
www.mattangofarms.com.