Classes for ALL AGES and Experience Levels!
Spark Equestrian Academy founders Julie Brady and Melissa Lund saw the need for a structured, step-by-step system that consistently develops well-rounded riders. After years of refining their methods, they created Spark’s official curriculum, which consists of seven progressive levels with clear goals and a week-by-week agenda.
Our program runs in 12-week sessions, with lessons once per week. Each lesson includes a 45-minute riding session, complemented by 25 minutes of horsemanship before riding and another 15 minutes after. The horsemanship portion covers grooming, tacking, and understanding horse behavior and expressions.
Graduates of our program will develop confidence in the saddle, a solid understanding of horse mechanics and cues, and the ability to safely handle horses on the ground while recognizing their communication signals. Our goal is to instill a lifelong passion for horses in every student.
OUR MISSION
To provide a clear and complete foundation for riders and ignite passion for the equestrian sports.
Structured Curriculum
It’s clear what will be taught and when it will be taught so you know you are mastering the most important skills at the right time.
Transparent Level System
You will know where you’re at in your journey and what you will need to level up.
Goal Oriented
We focus on one goal at a time so you can focus and develop the most important skills for where you are in your journey.
Year-Round Progress
Our year-round temperature-controlled facility means your skills don’t get rusty over the winter.
Spark Certified Instructors
All our instructors are certified to teach our curriculum so you get a consistent experience, every time.
Julie Brady | Founder
Julie Brady is one of Spark Equestrian’s lead instructors, specializing in hunter and jumper disciplines. With over 20 years of experience running a successful teaching and training business in Stillwater, MN, Julie expanded her operations in 2018 by acquiring the beautiful Serenity Farm, where she is currently based. Her students have achieved numerous successes in both schooling and rated circuits across the hunters and jumpers categories. As the founder of Spark Equestrian Academy, Julie is dedicated to using her extensive expertise to provide students with a clear and structured path to success in their equestrian pursuits.
Melissa Lund | Founder
Melissa Lund is one of Spark Equestrian’s primary instructors, specializing in the equestrian sport of dressage. She is recognized by the United States Dressage Federation as a bronze, silver, and gold medalist in dressage competition. Melissa is passionate about bringing young riders up through the levels in her sport, and has taught hundreds of kids how to ride through the summer camps and lesson programs she has developed. In addition to training horses and riders in the private sector, Melissa has also taught in the University of Minnesota’s intro-to-riding class. Melissa currently teaches and trains out of Serenity Farm in Stillwater, MN and gives dressage clinics around the midwest.