Abby Gibbon

Owner, Trainer, Manger

Abby is a USEF “r” eventing judge, FEI competitor and lifelong horsewoman who grew up caring for her own backyard ponies. She was an avid Howard County Pony Clubber, graduating with a B rating, and spent several formative years on the A circuit, piloting pony and junior hunters at the Washington International and HITS Ocala. In her 20+ years specializing in eventing and dressage, she’s been lucky to train with many top-notch coaches, including Colleen Rutledge, Felicitas von Neumann-Cosel and Jim Wofford, to name a few.

At Fine Idea, Abby is committed to creating a community-oriented training program for the thinking rider, with correct equitation and flatwork serving as the basis for incorporating sports psychology, fitness, groundwork, goal setting and theory in a dynamic, all-encompassing approach. The aim is to create a supportive environment in which students find greater fulfillment both in and out of the saddle, fueled by the belief that there’s always more to learn.

Abby has experience with a wide variety of breeds and backgrounds, and believes in approaching each horse/rider pair on their own unique terms. In addition to a busy schedule judging and competing her own and client’s horses, she rides in and audits clinics with top level trainers on a monthly basis. She’s constantly looking for ways to learn, improve, and discover new tools in her lifelong journey with horses.

Abby holds degrees in creative writing from Johns Hopkins and the University of Oxford and formerly worked as a full-time staff writer for both the Chronicle of the Horse and Eventing Nation. She’s a member of both the Howard County Agricultural Preservation and Soil Conservation Boards, and has a passion for preserving green space for both equestrian and environmental pursuits. She hosts monthly unmounted discussions at the farm, and enjoys reading and writing whenever possible.