Welcome to Irish Rose Farms
Discover an exclusive and private equine facility nestled against the San Gabriel Mountains, where personalized care meets unparalleled expertise. We offer a unique and friendly environment for horses and aspiring equestrians
The Small Farm with the Big Heart
At Irish Rose Farms, we are a dedicated couple - Norman Day and Debra Opp- providing hands-on care for every horse. With over 34 years of experience, including healing hundreds of injured racehorses from Santa Anita, we bring advanced knowledge to all aspects of equine health and training. Your horse's well-being is our top priority.
This is Global. He is a Thoroughbred conceived and foaled here through live cover. The owner abandoned him as a baby. We did the best we could by him, trained as our own- in dressage and eventing. He was bred to race but never made it to the track. He is our "sweet boy" now- 20 yrs. later. His grandfather is the late great Unusual Heat- the all time leading stallion in Calif. We rehabilitated many of his off spring that returned to race at the track and win.
We live right here on the property, with our dog, three cats and a bunny. It is very convenient if an emergency arises. The property is gated above two beautiful bike and walking paths that can also be used for horses. If someone is adventurous, you can ride to the San Gabriel River.
Advanced rider jumping a Beginning Novice fence, on Global.
Happy horse boarded in a safe 24 x24 welded wire stall with a cover.
Charter Schools
We are happy to announce that Blue Ridge, one of the Charter Schools, is a main client here. We are listed in their catalog. Parents buy the certificates for the number of lessons they want and we start the instruction. I am happy to share the horse experience with young people. Several of them have grown up here and even gone on to compete. It is fun to watch them excited with the horses as I was growing up.
Trainer teaching Dressage to an adult rider on Global.
Our Friendly Instructors and Horses
We have two instructors at Irish Rose. One is a very knowledgeable dressage clinician that comes every Sat. She teaches all levels. She can also teach beg. jumping if needed for she was an advanced Event rider. The other- is a very qualified instructor in basic horsemanship. She teaches beginners to intermediate in English or Western. She has taught approx. 12 years. She can come Sun. and in the afternoons, during the week. The lessons are approx. 45 min.'s long. They are reasonably priced with package deals available. We go over, grooming, tacking up and cooling down, along with riding. We have beginning horses: Monte, Scoop and Thor- are for more intermediate riders and Global is for more advanced riders in dressage and beg. jumping- as seen on the left. We also teach disabled kids or adults. Our goal is to promote safety, growth and confidence in a relaxed fun atmosphere. We are not a competitive show barn here, though all of us have competed at one time or another.
Instructor giving a private lesson to a beginner student on "Two Scoops of Ice" a retired racehorse.
Our Offerings
Our Faciliity
Multi- Purpose Ring and Paddocks
Our riding area, is a unique combination of dressage, stadium jumping, a small x-country (Beg. to Novice) course and grazing in the middle. It has a sand track around the area. The ring is lighted with two huge lights- "as good as a football field." There is also a round pen for training. There's a private tackroom and lighted wash rack. The stalls (all welder wire) come in 12X12, 16X24 (fully covered and lit) and 24x24. All the stalls have covers, with automatic waterers and good drainage. There are also mats under every feeder to help prevent horses from getting sand colic. The beautiful grass area can be made into a small dressage court or jumping course. There is a main 4 stall barn with a tack room. The whole place is covered by a lot of oak trees, like an oak tree forest up against the San Gabriel foothills. We offer different kinds of hay but the board is based off the price of alfalfa hay, if the others are needed, there might be an extra cost for they are more expensive. We will also feed supplements, do fly masks, turn-outs and fly spray- if needed. We are very lucky to be on this beautiful property, but it is also really hard work!
Debra Opp
I grew up in this area, further down the foothills near Eaton Canyon. Irish Rose Farms is named after my first two beloved horses. Irish as described earlier in this site and Rose, pictured to the right at the Horse Trials in Pebble Beach. My dream was to always have my own horse farm. I am very lucky with hard work and the help of a lot of other people I attained it.
Competing
I started riding around 7 yr. old. My parents gave me Irish for Christmas. We were lucky enough to have horse property, where he could live. It changed my life. He was out of a feed lot for rental horses at 2 yrs. old. Needless to say both of us being young- it wasn't easy riding- I got bucked off a lot! As we both got better, I discovered he would jump anything. I went into that wholeheartedly. We started competing around 12 yrs. old. I did the LA County circuit in Green Working Hunters, every week for about 4 yrs. I did it all on my own as my parents couldn't afford a trainer. We went on to get a championship in Green Working Hunters at around 16 yrs. old. All the hard work paid off.
As an adult, I got a BFA degree in Graphic Design. Not happy with that I went back to school at Cal Poly Pomona to learn how to manage a horse farm. I took all the Animal Science and Pre Vet courses to apply to one vet school- Western University. I didn't get in- I believe it was my age, for I was in my 50's. During this time I also competed in Eventing on five more horses that I had trained. It is a very hard sport as there are three disciplines you have to learn. I didn't do as well as when I was younger, but it was a lot of fun. It's been a few yrs. now that I've stopped competing but I still ride.
"The Farm Troublemakers!"
"I have been a horse boarder at Irish Rose for at least 30 yrs. In all that time, Debbie and Norm have treated my horses with love and care. When my horse has health issues they make sure the horse receives the care it needs.
Barbara Martin
"The dressage lessons with their Grand Prix clinician are top-notch. I've grown so much as a rider, and the facility itself is beautiful and well-maintained."
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"After years of searching, I finally found a barn that truly understands senior horse care. The owners' expertise is evident in everything they do. Highly recommend!"
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Contact Us
Debra Opp or Norman Day at 1849 Royal Oaks Dr.
Bradbury, CA 91008-1907
Hours
Every day from 9 am to 9pm
Please call for appointment
Phone
hm.- (626)358-9234, cell-(text) (626)201-7706
debbieartist.do@gmail.com