About Seascape Sporthorses: A-Circuit Hunter/Jumper Training in Gilroy, Serving Silicon Valley and the greater South Bay
Our story
Seascape Sport Horses began in 2016 with a simple focus: importing talented European sport horses and developing them into champions. Founded by trainer Charis Dankert at the Bonny Doon Equestrian Park, Seascape has grown into a full-service hunter/jumper training program at WoodMyst Farm in Gilroy, California, offering riding lessons, show coaching, and horse sales for riders across Morgan Hill, San Jose, and Silicon Valley.
Charis, a University of Findlay graduate with degrees in Equestrian Studies and Equine Business, pairs A-show quality training with a horse-first philosophy shaped by her decade as an ICU veterinary technician. The program has produced NorCal year-end champions, USEF Zone 10 championships, and national Horse of the Year placings, and every horse and rider gets an individualized program, from a rider's first lesson to Pony Finals, Year-End awards and medal finals.
What sets Seascape apart is the depth behind the training. Every horse in the program is managed with a level of personalized care and attention most barns can't match. That horse-first approach is what has produced so many champions and, more importantly, unforgettable partnerships between horse and rider.
Driven by horsemanship
We're not here to chase ribbons at any cost. We're here to build confident partnerships between horse and rider. Whether you're taking your first riding lesson, leasing your first horse, or campaigning at pony and medal finals, you get an individualized program built around your goals. We treat our clients like family, our horses like athletes, and our work like craft.
“Charis is a lovely choice for anyone looking to ride and show the hunters, equitation, and jumpers. She's attentive to the horse's needs, encouraging, and has a superstar hunter background from the East Coast. It's hard to find a trainer in the Bay Area these days that specializes in hunters without applying a tremendous amount of show pressure, but Charis fits the bill. The facility is quiet and well-run”
—Rebecca & “Q”