Hidden Gems: Meet Meg Dunne of Meg Dunne Training

Today we’d like to introduce you to Meg Dunne.

Hi Meg, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story. 
I remember sitting on a horse for the first time twenty-one years ago and thinking, this is it. This is for me. I spent the next decade begging my parents for riding lessons, a horse, anything that involved being a little closer to horses. I worked at stables to offset the cost of riding lessons and, eventually, the cost of my horse. I worked full-time through college at a riding stable, trying to stay in the impossibly expensive sport I love. After college, I could not afford to stay east with horses, so I headed west. Opening my horse training business was the nest natural step. 

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I don’t think anything involving horses is ever smooth. Money was and is a constant concern; the cost of running your own business, particularly one with thousand-pound animals, means a lot of overhead. Vet bills, unideal landlords, wildfires all added bumps along the way. I think through the hurdles myself and my team grew stronger. I allowed the restrictions and setbacks to channel unique, fruitful paths. 

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Meg Dunne Training is comprised of investment horses, boarding, horse sales, a small breeding program, a rehab program, and a riding school. I also co-own an additional business, MDT Events, where we run affordable horse shows along the West Coast. Investment horses are horses I get to ride and compete in hopes of improving the horses value for eventual sale or breeding. We take a number of sale horses every year, and while it can be stressful, it’s really fun to find each horses human. Because I am not in a position to buy World Cup horses for myself, I am making them from scratch; the babies are so fun and super solid. The best horses I get to sit on are the ones I start myself. Our rehab program has seen injured, sometimes neglected horses come back into work. Rehabbing horses is extremely rewarding. Our riding school give folks who don’t own horses an opportunity to ride. I have taken on some really unlikely horses over the years. I don’t shy away from underdogs, and in today’s industry, I think that really sets me apart. 

I didn’t come from a horse family or “horse money,” but because of this can see opportunities a lot of people miss. I am really proud of the level of accessibility I can give to my riders and assistant trainers. You don’t have to come from crazy money to succeed with my program. 

We offer a small, detailed-oriented experience with a unique perspective for hunter, jumper, and equitation riders. We are able to see horses for what they are when no one else does. 

Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?
I have learned to trust myself, my experience, my perspective. 

Pricing:

• Horse Consignment starting at $1600
• Coaching at shoes starts at $85
• Clinics starts at $2500
• Rehabilitation boars starts at $1700

Contact Info:

• Website: megdunnetraining.com
• Instagram: @megdunnetraining
• Facebook: @megdunne

Image Credits
Rebecca Tolman