Her first job working with Arabian Horses was at Ventura Farms, which had a very successful breeding program in the ‘80’s & ‘90’s, and she was able to work with some of the most renowned horses. It was at her next job at Cali-Camp where she discovered her love of teaching and became an accredited horseback riding instructor. The program there was unique because all of the children learned to ride with bareback pads. It also provided invaluable experience teaching over 100 children per day and managing a herd of 65+ horses. As she developed her eye for recognizing natural talent, two pilot programs were started for children that wanted to learn more than the basics.

Following that position, she created a successful riding program in Hidden Hills where she had nearly 30 horses and even more riders. It was during this time she hoped to replicate her childhood activities with horses, and the Arabian horse was perfect partner for the children to accomplish this. The students activities varied from day to day, and the Arabian’s versatility and intelligence made it easy for them to enjoy horse shows, trail rides, gymkhanas, parades, beach trips, riding with the hunt club, and trips to the local swimming hole, all on the same horse!

Following the program in Hidden Hills, Nedra worked at the renowned nonprofit Taking The Reins in Los Angeles. She revamped the program using pure and half Arabians and created a Judging/Hippology and Show Team comprised of talented, but under-served teen girls.
Though her riders have earned national championships, her forte is teaching versatile riders with a strong horsemanship foundation at the grassroots level. The academy operates with a hands-on approach and the children are involved in all aspects of the horses’ care; grooming, tacking, feeding, medicating, etc.

For nearly two decades she’s rescued, rehabbed, and acquired “retired” Pure and Half Arabian show horses and worked with then to nurture a
versatile equestrian with a reverence to the Arabian breed.

The Arabian Horse Riding Academy is the realization of a lifelong dream to create a legacy of empowered equestrians that have a positive impact in the lives of the Arabian horse.

Finney