Windy Hill Equestrians Riding School and Training Program
Fremont Hills Country Club / Windy Hill Equestrians, 26941 Purissima Rd, Los Altos Hills, CA 94022
About
Windy Hill Equestrians Riding School and Training Program offers Bay Area hunter jumper horse riding lessons, general riding lessons, and a horse and rider training program. The program also offers hunter jumper training, a summer camp, and buying and selling of horses for clients. It operates as a full service operation that includes both a Riding School and a Training Program and functions as a full time A-Circuit training barn.
Windy Hill Equestrians Inc. was formed in 1999 by trainer and owner Laura Gerst as a full time A-Circuit training barn. The leadership team includes Trainer & Owner Laura Gerst, Head Trainer Dakoda Mower, Assistant Trainer Natalie Gerst, Riding School Director Laura Morishige, and Assistant Trainer/Instructor Gillian Mihanovic. Laura has extensive experience in hunters, jumpers, and equitation, and earlier in her professional career worked with Linda Hough, Carleton and Cindy Brooks, and her father Larry Mayfield; she also buys and sells horses for clients through Paul and Emil Hendrix. Dakoda has been with Windy Hill since 2016, turned professional in 2016 after a junior and amateur career in equitation, hunters, and jumpers, began his Grand Prix career in 2019 with Duanda of the Lowlands Z, and has had success with the horse Icebreaker. Natalie has ridden hunters, jumpers, and equitation horses for many trainers, spent time in Europe riding with Stal Hendrix, rode on the Zone X team at the USHJA Jumper Championships and won a team silver medal in 2019, and turned professional in 2023. Laura Morishige has been part of Windy Hill since 2007, started the riding careers of many high level riders in the training program, emphasizes proper position and basics, and has two children of her own. Gillian began riding at Windy Hill at age 9, competed from the Pony divisions through the 1.30m Jumpers, graduated from UC Boulder, and returned to continue her professional riding career, teaching and competing at all levels.
Windy Hill describes itself as a premier Bay Area hunter jumper facility with an all-inclusive horse and rider training program where each horse and rider is treated as a team with a tailored program to suit their needs. The program states that it strives to make the learning aspect fun and safe and that it has a friendly, family-oriented environment. It serves clients from San Francisco to South San Jose and notes that its facility is easily accessible from communities between San Jose and San Francisco, including Los Altos, Mountain View, Palo Alto, Woodside, Portola Valley, Atherton, Menlo Park, Redwood City, and San Mateo.
Parent testimonials describe Windy Hill Equestrians as a “great fun and family oriented environment to take your riding to the next level whatever that may be” and recommend all of the programs. Another parent calls it “a terrific barn” and says they “trust them implicitly” with their horse, and another says it is “such a warm and caring place for horses and kids.”
Last updated July 28, 2026.
Windy Hill Equestrians Inc. was formed in 1999 by trainer and owner Laura Gerst as a full time A-Circuit training barn. The leadership team includes Trainer & Owner Laura Gerst, Head Trainer Dakoda Mower, Assistant Trainer Natalie Gerst, Riding School Director Laura Morishige, and Assistant Trainer/Instructor Gillian Mihanovic. Laura has extensive experience in hunters, jumpers, and equitation, and earlier in her professional career worked with Linda Hough, Carleton and Cindy Brooks, and her father Larry Mayfield; she also buys and sells horses for clients through Paul and Emil Hendrix. Dakoda has been with Windy Hill since 2016, turned professional in 2016 after a junior and amateur career in equitation, hunters, and jumpers, began his Grand Prix career in 2019 with Duanda of the Lowlands Z, and has had success with the horse Icebreaker. Natalie has ridden hunters, jumpers, and equitation horses for many trainers, spent time in Europe riding with Stal Hendrix, rode on the Zone X team at the USHJA Jumper Championships and won a team silver medal in 2019, and turned professional in 2023. Laura Morishige has been part of Windy Hill since 2007, started the riding careers of many high level riders in the training program, emphasizes proper position and basics, and has two children of her own. Gillian began riding at Windy Hill at age 9, competed from the Pony divisions through the 1.30m Jumpers, graduated from UC Boulder, and returned to continue her professional riding career, teaching and competing at all levels.
Windy Hill describes itself as a premier Bay Area hunter jumper facility with an all-inclusive horse and rider training program where each horse and rider is treated as a team with a tailored program to suit their needs. The program states that it strives to make the learning aspect fun and safe and that it has a friendly, family-oriented environment. It serves clients from San Francisco to South San Jose and notes that its facility is easily accessible from communities between San Jose and San Francisco, including Los Altos, Mountain View, Palo Alto, Woodside, Portola Valley, Atherton, Menlo Park, Redwood City, and San Mateo.
Parent testimonials describe Windy Hill Equestrians as a “great fun and family oriented environment to take your riding to the next level whatever that may be” and recommend all of the programs. Another parent calls it “a terrific barn” and says they “trust them implicitly” with their horse, and another says it is “such a warm and caring place for horses and kids.”
Last updated July 28, 2026.
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