O’Reilly Equestrian LLC is the teaching and training business of Bevin O’Reilly Dugan. Bevin works out of her farm, Faodail, in Vernon, Vermont, and spends winters in Aiken, South Carolina.
Eventing and Dressage are the disciplines we focus on at OE. Bevin has competed to the CCI-3L level in Eventing, and the Intermediare 2 level in Dressage. She is a USEA ECP Level 3 Instructor and has her USDF Bronze and Silver Medals.
If you are a passionate rider who seeks to improve your technical skills as well as your understanding of the horse, O’Reilly Equestrian welcomes you.
Values
Bevin runs O’Reilly Equestrian under a strong set of values in all aspects of the business. She limits the number of horses in the program in order to offer outstanding care and training to every horse.
O’Reilly Equestrian is more than training and lessons. Bevin seeks to deepen the understanding of those she works with. She strives to help riders appreciate the importance of the whole picture. Riding well and having a well-trained horse are only two variables in a much bigger equation. Helping owners solve that equation is what makes Bevin stand out from other trainers and instructors in the equine industry. She is always seeking new opportunities to learn and grow. Horsemanship is a combination of understanding horses, but also of understanding oneself. It requires the coordination of many variables: nutrition, lifestyle, tack fit and function, footing, farriery, veterinary attention, biomechanical understanding and so much more.
Training Philosophy
The training program is based in dressage using the German training scale as the foundation. All horses in our program have a balance of activities in their training –whether they are dressage or event horses– with the use of hacking, hill work, cavaletti and jumping. Sometimes we train for competition, and sometimes we take more of a physical therapy approach to the work. And, we believe it is very important to also incorporate groundwork and horsemanship in all of the horses’ routines.
Photo: Erin Gilmore Photography
Horse Care
Bevin places a huge emphasis on the management of the horses and coordinating all aspects of their care to contribute to their success. We work with an exceptional team of farriers, vets, saddle fitter and body workers, providing a well-rounded system of care. Nutrition, turnout, and social dynamics are all considered carefully. The horses get what they need here, and it shows in both their physical and emotional health.
We have also invested in the best footing for our arena, using iEquitek’s research and engineering to create a surface that has been measured, and is proven to have the qualities necessary for our horses’ soundness and performance. The footing comes from Soltek Equestrian in Canada.
Teaching
Teaching is something Bevin is extremely passionate about. She was one of the earliest to be certified by the USEA’s Eventing Coaches Program. Bevin puts as much emphasis on HOW she teaches as she does WHAT she teaches. The needs and styles of the horse and rider are carefully considered with the goal of building confidence and aptitude in both.
Professional Development
Bevin works constantly to hone her craft as a rider, trainer and instructor. She considers her own experiences and observations, filtered through her education, as the sources of her knowledge. Eric Horgan has been her most significant mentor. Eric’s influence on Bevin’s riding and teaching cannot be overstated. She has also done extensive work with Gunnar Ostergaard and Jan Byyny, as well as having had influence from a number of other well-respected horsemen and women.
Work with the USEA
Bevin has also become involved behind the scenes. She is currently on the USEA Area 1 Council as the Professionals Liaison and ECP Representative. She also recently served on an ECP Task Force and as a Selector for the Area 1 Young Riders. Giving back and working toward the betterment of the sport is very important to Bevin and is something she hopes to do more of in the future.