Today we’d like to introduce you to Kristi.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Kristi was the typical horse crazy kid, who began to be fully immersed in horses at age 12. It was then that she got her first horse and began volunteering and spending all of her spare time at a therapy riding program. She ended up working at the therapy program all through high school and her first couple of years of college, first as the Stable Manager/Volunteer Coordinator, then Assistant Riding Instructor, and finally, one of the regular Riding Instructors.
Kristi has a Bachelors of Science in Organizational Leadership from Biola University and went on to a career that did not involve horses. However, Kristi continued to ride and be a horse owner, retraining a young thoroughbred she bought off the track, and taking in a variety of rescue and semi-rescue case horses that needed retraining. She continued taking lessons from jumping and dressage instructors. She bought her horse, Weston, as a youngster and started him under saddle herself, eventually taking him to wins and championships at local shows. Kristi was always participating in any clinic opportunities available and continuing her horse education by attending expos and symposiums.
After having her first child in 2004, the importance of having a career changed, and Kristi ultimately quit to become a stay-at-home mom. During that time, her life came full circle with people asking her to teach their kids to ride. Exclusively through word of mouth, the riding program thrived and outgrew the family’s private property. In 2014, Kristi collaborated with the owners of Canada Larga Ranch to move the program to the facility there and manage the stables. After being an affiliate trainer with Stubben saddles, she became a Stubben saddle fitter in 2025 and serves the Santa Barbara/Ventura/LosAngeles areas.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Juggling multiple businesses while being a mom and wife has been a challenge. I often felt guilty that my kids had to have their lives revolve around the stables, even though they had a built-in friend group and had a lot of amazing experiences. There can be lots of burnout, exhaustion and feeling of wanting to quit it all and go back to a “real job.” The stables is always up and down with different levels of profitability and there are ebbs and flows of having great workers and not so great workers. Now that my kids are older and independent, things are easier to juggle.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Canada Larga Stables is a gorgeous, secluded facility on 3500 acres. We have two covered, lighted arenas, a dressage court, an enormous jumping arena, a large and small round pen and a trail course arena. We also have miles of private trails.
We are a full service facility, offering everything from barn stalls with runs to the “wild” pasture.
Horses in the barns, corrals and paddocks are fed three times per day, cleaned daily and watered daily. We also offer full care services, such as turnouts, blanketing, supplementing and lunging.
We have something for everyone, from the casual trail rider to the competitor in training. There are several trainers in multiple disciplines available in-house, as well as outside trainers with training privileges.
MCRC Equestrian is a licenced United States Pony Club Riding Center located at the gorgeous Canada Larga Stables. We teach all disciplines and all levels and have a ton of fun. We focus on excellent equitation, detailed care of the horses and teamwork. We work hard, but we also play hard. We regularly have BBQs, parties and sleepovers to continue to improve our bond as a team. Because of our hard work, we have excellent horseback riders who excel and win at competitions. Because of our sense of family, we all support one another, win or lose, and all have ownership in the success of our group.
I am also a certified Stubben saddle fitter, which ties in beautifully with my love of Centered Riding and rider biomechanics. If the saddle does not fit the rider and/or the horse well, they cannot function well as a team and perform athletically. I go out to barns and private residences and assist the horse and rider find the perfect saddle that is a custom fit for them.
Alright, so to wrap up, is there anything else you’d like to share with us?
To disconnect and have a break from work and the horse side of life, I do art and lake watersports.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.canadalargastables.com www.mcrcequeastrian.com
- Instagram: Canada Larga Ranch MCRC Equestrian KristiStubbenSaddles
- Facebook: Canada Larga Ranch MCRC Equestrian
- Youtube: MCRC Equestrian
