Testimonials

Dear Gina,

It was a pleasure meeting you and seeing your facility! You were professional and honest which is hard to come by these days! The horse was everything you said he was and unfortunately not a match for me!

Thank you again for everything!

Stacie
New Jersey

Dear Gina,

I wanted to sit down and write you a quick note to thank you for Midnight Espresso. With the loss of Grace's first horse, it was so important that we find the right next horse. As we worked to learn more about each other, we were so impressed that you were not just interested in selling your horse, but had the same vested interest in ensuring we could build a successful partnership. You worked together with our trainer to understand what we were looking for in our horse. You provided us with many details about Midnight - his training, environment, personality, etc. It helped assure us we were moving in the right direction... before we traveled from Oklahoma to Long Island!

Once we arrived in Long Island, I loved the way we continued to work together to foster the successful beginning of a new relationship with Grace and Midnight. You took the time to answer not only our simple questions but shared with us those things that would help Midnight adjust once he arrived in Oklahoma.

Its hard to believe its been just a month since the day he arrived. He is absolutely a kind, willing, patient, funny, athletic, smart, and wonderful partner. While some may believe these traits may be genetic, you had the wisdom and kindness to build the confidence he needs to adapt and be successful in our new home, in a new discipline, and with our daughter. Without a doubt, you prepared Midnight to take on this new job and you did it well.

We have joked that "it was meant to be".... but it has been more than just luck. It started with hours of dedication and love you shared with Midnight. Our Valentine Ranch "family" has also ignited Grace's passion and respect for horses. The joining of Grace and Midnight - they were meant to be!

We are excited to see them learn together. We love him, Gina. Thank you for all you have done and for sharing Midnight with our family.

Denise

Gina,

I would like to thank you for delivering on all your promises to me.

When my horse came to you he had just finished healing from one injury and had sustained another one. To say the least he was in poor physical health. His ground manners were no bargain either.

You gave him the time he needed to develop his muscles, you knew how to work and exercise him to strengthen his injured areas and the right supplements to enhance the process. You also turned him into a very respectful mount, not an easy feat, but your knowledge, patience and consistency accomplished it.

When I saw the video of you riding him in the snow I couldn't believe it. He looked as good if not better than he had ever been.

Thank you so much for the time care and love that you gave him. I was always confident that he received the best possible care when he was with you.

Candice

When I decided to retire my Connemara/TB mare, I began my search for a new horse and found "Barney" online at Bay Breeze Estate. He's the horse of my dreams, a purebred Connemara gelding. He was advertised as a well mannered, bombproof horse. Since I live 4 hours away, I was thrilled he was exactly as advertised.

Barney is a lovely horse with great ground manners and very tolerant under saddle. This is very important for me. Though I'm an experienced rider, I am a middle-aged woman with physical challenges. I need a horse who is easy to lead and can tolerate clumsy mounting. That's Barney. He lunges beautifully, is well trained under saddle, and very quiet. Gina definitely did a great job with him.

When I decided he was the right horse, Gina helped arrange transport from Long Island, NY to Southern NJ. Her shipper was a real professional and I will use her again if I need to transport a horse any distance. My experience with Gina Arcate is that she's an honest horse woman, great rider/trainer, and advertises her horses truthfully.

A happy buyer and horse owner!

One of the best things I did for my horse was sending him to Gina Arcate for Training and Evaluation. Thank you Gina for all you did for Hudson.

Your knowledge and dedication helped make him a more confident and happy horse. You got him very, very fit, figured him out, exposed him to all disciplines and most importunately found his niche.

Changing circumstances in my life made it difficult for me to keep him in a consistent working program, which he needed. You gave him that discipline and he flourished under your care. He loved you and learned to be more confident and developed a work ethic. Gina you made the process of training and ultimately selling him to a great rider and home a very good experience. Your honesty and knowledge was refreshing and you kept me updated on his progress and always answered my many questions.

I do miss him but I am happy and confident he will do well with his new owner. I have you to thank for this journey working out so well.

Gina your honesty and horse knowledge is your trademark and never compromise those traits nor your integrity. I would highly recommend you to anyone who is buying, selling or needs training for a horse. You do what you promise and go far beyond expectations.

I wish you well with all your horsey adventures, you are a true horseperson and a great asset to the profession.

Kathy

Your horse could be in no better hands. Gina has a gift and she executes it in an extraordinary way. I have seen Gina take a rogue horse and completely turn it around into a loving manageable horse. I fox Hunted for the first time in 30 years on a 5 year old that Gina raised and trained and I could not have had a safer mount.

If you are looking for some one to help you with your horse, look no further, you have found an honest, dedicated horse trainer who will take your horse beyond your expectations.

Sincerely,

Merrily Baxter

Hi Gina -

Geronimo is doing great! We all love him so much, I can understand how upset you were to see him go! I took him a horse show on Sunday and he was a super star! He looked so handsome all braided and he behaved beautifully, of course. I have also been using him in a program that I run in the spring and fall for handicapp children. Children with special needs come out once a week for 4 weeks in the spring and fall and get a chance to ride. Geronimo is so great with the kids! I attached a couple pictures of him with one little boy, Anthony, hugging his leg, another little boy, Jared leading him, and a little girl, Selena, on him. He's enjoying grazing on fresh grass pastures with a couple other geldings that he's now friends with. Thank you again for this wonderful animal! He is truely special.

- Claire

I don't really think I could sum up in just mere words what Gina has done for me. She is a selfless person who is not just a trainer,but a true horsewoman. She is the horse whisperer. They need to make a show about her, so that others can see just how talented she truly is. I am not just grate full to learn how to ride but her absolute wealth of knowledge of horses, their care and training. It is an honor for me to be in her presence and to learn from her . Her horses are exceptional creatures who she has made into the finest they can possibly be. Her horses are safe, smart and she will always be honest with what she is selling to you. Her horses are in a class all their own and it is the highest class out there. Only a fool would not heed her advice, her knowledge, and all she has to teach..Thank you Gina for teaching me so much and I will continue to learn from you as you are the true horsewoman I strive to be.

Police Officer,

D. Weston

Gina is the closest thing to a horse whisperer I ever hope to know. A natural horsewoman, plus the most committed, resourceful, and honest (that’s right) horse person I’ve ever dealt with. Gina listens to the client, listens to the horse, and keeps both in mind. In 3 months, she transformed my freaked-out mare into an even happier show hunter than she was when I bought her. This horse, who people said was crazy and unsaleable, now went on trails without blinking at road traffic and went around the fences without a hitch. In and out of the ring, she was calm and contented, and drugs never entered the picture. Gina sold her for a fair price all around to a caring family and a very reputable trainer. I am her devoted fan forever.

Thanks,

Molly Clevenger

I've been taking English riding lessons, inconsistently for about 7 months. You know your typical give me your money, 5 min of walking 15 min of trotting, and 5 min of cool down, hurry up and get off. Never having time to learn how to tack up, untack or interact with the animal at all!

I don't like to stereotype, but most people who teach lessons are very young, with lack of experience, or older and worn out with NO patience for me or the animal. I found out that school horses are over used and not disciplined, which makes the learning process very hard for the student.

Frustrated, but driven by my insane passion for horses, I began searching for colleagues, so I can get hands on experience, and the proper education. I even went into chat rooms (special interests horses), hoping to find some one, who owned a stable, a farm, anything! Needless to say the schools were all very far away, and most people in the chat rooms worked at the stables and farms.

Then one of my friends introduced me to Gina Arcate! What can I say? She is EVERYTHING I've been looking for!!! Her Passion for horses are insane. Her Horses are Amazing! They're so eager to please, so smart, affectionate, and most of all forward, (a term I just learned), which makes the learning process so much easier on me.

I've been taking lessons on Joey. He's helping me along with Gina. It's like having 2 teachers! Just watching her, the way she handles him with such love, patience, and intense passion! How could you go wrong? That's all the ingredients for a happy horse who's eager to please, a happy student who's eager to learn, and a patience teacher who's eager to teach!

I have only taken four 1 hour lessons with her and have learned more from her and Joey, than I have in the past 7 months! I've learned about tacking, grooming, horses memories, as well as riding skills. She has also video taped me so I can see myself ride, which makes a huge difference over just being told verbally. She takes the time to explain "why" to everything she teaches me. Not to just command with no explanation.

What can I say? I feel like I died and went to Heaven!

Randy

Hi Gina!

There is so much that I can say about my dealings with Gina Arcate, but I think the most important thing that I can say is that Gina is honest. What you read in her website is exactly what you will find when you go to see Gina and her beautiful horses at Baybreeze Farm! It has been a year since I first called Gina after seeing an add in THE CHRONICLE of the HORSE. During that year Gina made my wonderful new horse Aspen into a safe foxhunter!

Aspen is amazing...so sweet and sane, which is just what Gina told me she was. All of the horses that I met at Baybreeze Farm were so sweet. Gina was so accommodating, not only did she invite me to come out to Long Island and try Aspen in her ring, she also invited me to take Aspen foxhunting. It was so great to be able to try her in the field and really see what she was like, and again, Aspen was exactly what Gina said that she was! I have had Aspen in New Jersey with me for two weeks in the most awful ice conditions... she was not able to be turned out for nine days and she was still as sweet and sane as the first day I tried her.

My experience with Gina has been such a positive one, I cannot recommend her enough. It is really hard to find a horse that is just what you were told it was, but thanks to Gina Arcate, I found just that in my new horse Aspen!

Thanks,

Grace

(more on Aspen)

Hi Gina!

Its Grace, I wanted to tell you about how Aspen was today. I went with my mom to Jody's barn today because my mom wanted me to ride Aspen again. We rode around her indoor and she was so good! Then we went into the outdoor so we could jump around for a little. There was also another girl out there on her mare jumping so we both jumped courses together. Aspen was so great! I even jumped her over three jumps after each other with only two strides in between. She did not really know what to do with her feet at first, but then she really got it! She was so wonderful! My mom thinks that she likes me better then her haha and she was saying how jealous she was because she was going around so well! My mom wants me to ride her a lot so i could show her in a small jumper class eventually! She jumps so well I had the best time on her today! I'm so happy it worked out with her, shes the best.

Thanks,

Grace

I’ve been riding since I was a child, but because of the high cost associated with owning a horse in Long Island, New York, I jumped around from barn to barn and never owned my own horse. I then took a long break from lessons while I advanced my career. At age 30, I started taking lessons again at a local barn. The horses were quality, well-trained school horses; the barn was clean and friendly; and my teacher was experienced and patient, yet something was missing. Week after week, I went to my 30-minute lesson where I spent 15 minutes warming up on the flat and 15 minutes jumping small fences and courses. I was learning, but it never felt like enough.

One afternoon I stumbled upon Gina Arcate’s website, http://www.baybreezeestate.com. I spent a long time looking at her gorgeous horses and reading about her training philosophy. I think I was most attracted to the following statements: "I give explicit details and explain to you why you are doing what you are doing, so you are not just a passenger. You will feel a connection and understand how you got it. Then we progress." When I read that, I knew I had to email Gina and see whether she’d agree to take me on as a student. Gina responded to my email immediately, and we scheduled our first lesson for the following week.

Gina’s lessons are like none I’ve had before, and I’ve ridden at a lot of barns with a lot of different types of instructors. Her farm is not a mill with back-to-back lessons; it’s a private, beautiful estate in Suffolk County. When I arrived for my first lesson, she was welcoming and unhurried. She took time to tell me about the horse I’d be riding and let me get him from the paddock. After he was tacked, she lunged him in her dressage ring with be by her side. She showed me what she was doing with her body, her eyes and her hands to ask her horse to walk, to stretch, to bend and to trot. She then had me take a turn lunging him. After that, I mounted and the hard work began!

There are many differences between Gina and other teachers, but three things really stand out. The first is that she really explains WHY something is important. The second is that Gina really shows you how to do what she’s asking: she’ll get on your horse and show you what you should be doing or she’ll ride along with you to instruct you. Most trainers I’ve ridden with before only threaten to show you something when you’re unable to do what they are asking of you. Finally, Gina asks you to really ride. When she says you won’t just be a passenger, she means it. Don’t get me wrong: it’s really hard work, both mental and physical, but it is so rewarding.

Only a few weeks have passed since I first emailed Gina, so I’ve only ridden with her a handful of times. Even so, I can honestly say that I’ve never felt so fulfilled riding before. For once, I actually feel as though I am leaning an array of skills that will allow me to be a great horsewoman. While I may not be able to perfectly execute everything she’s asking of me, I know what she wants me to do and, more importantly, why she wants me to do it.

~ Holly from Long Island

The person I would buy a horse from must love, trust and respect horses. They must also understand what's natural and important to a horse's well being; physically, emotionally and mentally. They must put these principles before the business of making money. Matching the appropriate horse with the appropriate human requires integrity honesty and selflessness. People like this are very rare.

Gina Arcate is one of these rare people. She is a trustworthy, reliable and principled horse professional. She takes the time and commits herself to preparing every horse she sells to become a safe, fun, positive partner for their new human owner. I have worked with Gina and a number of her horses helping her prepare them for there future homes. In every case she has demonstrated her dedication to the natural horsemanship principles of love, understanding, communication and leadership. She practices and believes in this method. She understands that in order to have fun with your horse you must know you're both safe. Gina Arcate trains and sells nice horses. I'm happy to recommend her.

Tim Hayes, www.hayesisforhorses.com

"If there is a special horse your looking for and you need a guiding hand let Gina help you she is well experienced in the field of Equine and also a people person who can see the connection between a person and the right horse for you. She is there even after you purchase that special horse for excellent training and just all around help if she can. I'm very happy with the special horse she brought into my life and all the help and guidance she has given me in making my choice the right one for my life is now fulfilled."

Please feel free to e-mail me with any questions or comments. Thank you for taking the time to look at my site!

- Gina Arcate