Meet Our Team of Horse Trainers

Tara grew up riding horses in the hills after school and spent her teen years working off training sessions by mucking stalls at local barns. After stepping away from horse ownership for a while, she returned to her first love during the pandemic—and Lil Barn was born. Tara wanted to create a space where horses were accessible, lessons were approachable, and no one felt judged or out of place. She brings years of horse ownership experience and a passion for making riding feel welcoming for everyone.

Isabel’s approach to building camps and riding programs is based on confidence, clarity, and care. She’s dedicated to creating a positive, welcoming environment where riders of all levels can grow and enjoy their time at Lil Barn. Drawing on her classical training background and deep understanding of horsemanship, Isabel designs programs that are as fun as they are enriching, helping each participant feel supported and inspired.

Sydney began her horseback journey around 8 years old in a western saddle. Quickly outgrowing lessons with mom, she rode on a mounted drill team. At 17 with the help of english-riding family, Sydney started learning English and joined the hunter jumper team in college. She spent summers as a horse counselor at Tom Sawyer Camps in Altadena giving trail rides and teaching riding skills to kids between the ages of 3-14. After taking a step away from horses after college, Sydney is so excited to have joined Lil Barn at the end of 2025. Her favorite part of teaching is seeing a student have an “aha!” moment while trying something new.

Sophia has ridden horses for about 15 years, with her initial interest beginning with the classic obsessive horse girl storyline. All the excited screaming at the mere site of a horse finally paid off, and she got to start taking western pleasure lessons around age 8, doing so consistently for 10 years. After a few year break during college, Sophia picked riding back up, this time focusing on English pleasure, some jumping, and more recently polo. She loves trying new disciplines and being a versatile rider, and has a goal of using horses in her clinical practice as an Occupational Therapist. 

Sophia loves teaching because she hopes to bring an approachable, warm, and patient energy to the beginning of people’s horse journeys. She knows the benefits of riding and being with horses beyond just winning ribbons, and hopes to cultivate that energy and approach with her students.

Shir has been riding for over 15 years and has loved horses for as long as she can remember. Her passion really took off when she got her first horse, Keeper, an Off-the-Track Thoroughbred, at just 12 years old. From then on, she spent every chance she could at the barn—riding, caring for horses, getting ready for shows, hitting the trails, and learning everything she could.

She got her start as a working student under experienced trainers, helping develop young and project horses before moving on to teaching horse camps and lessons on her own. Today, Shir loves working with riders of all ages and experience levels. Whether you’re brand new to horses or looking to build confidence and improve your riding. 

While jumping is her favorite, Shir enjoys everything from dressage and english pleasure riding and she’s always happy to share her love of horses with every student who walks through the barn.

Mike has loved horses since she was a kid and started riding English as soon as her parents would let her. After getting her first horse at 12, she discovered a passion for dressage and spent years developing her skills while also enjoying long trail rides and simply spending time with her horse.

What Mike loves most about teaching is helping riders build a true partnership with their horses. She believes that a strong horse-and-rider connection is the foundation for confidence, communication, and success, and there’s nothing more rewarding than seeing her students’ hard work come together in the saddle.

After taking some time away from horses to focus on her education, Mike is excited to be back in the barn, sharing her passion and helping riders of all ages grow their skills and confidence at Lil Barn.

Camille has over 15 years of riding experience. She grew up in Puerto Rico, where she started in dressage and built a strong foundation in flatwork before moving to Wellington, Florida, as a teenager to transition into the jumper ring and compete.

After taking some time away from horses to focus on her education, Camille found her way back to the barn and is now doing what she loves most—teaching and working with horses every day. She is also fluent in Spanish, allowing her to connect with and support a wider range of riders and families.

Camille enjoys teaching riders of all ages and experience levels. She believes in pushing her students to do their best while keeping lessons encouraging, supportive, and fun. Her goal is to help every rider build confidence, develop strong fundamentals, and enjoy the process of learning, whether they’re riding for the first time or working toward new goals.