Ruthanna Bridges - Head Trainer
Born in Long Beach California, Ruthanna's riding career began in 1966 with a trip to the dump with her father. Ruthanna heard a horse winnie, and she was off. Dad and brother Bruce were forced to promise a trip to the stable next door in order to pry her from the chain link fence. The rest is history.
Ruthanna grew up riding Hunters, Western Pleasure, Gymkhana, Hunters, Eventers, and eventually Dressage. Some of the trainers she rode with include: Jimmy Williams of Flintridge, JoAnne Postell and Nancy Turrill of Foxfield, Richard Shrake, Mark Mullen, Tom Betts, Becky Maffai, Gregg Mosuer, Ila Kasad, Bill Gobie, Bob Anderson, Burt Phillips, and even a clinics with Monty Foreman!
Bridges Equestrian gets its start
Ruthanna started Bridges Equestrian in 1981 training for Bolt
Arabians. She freelance trained at horse-owner's homes for a
few years, then taught for the Seahorse Riding Academy at Crystal
Cove. From there she went to Serrano Creek 
Ranch
where she managed and ran the riding school, as we ll as the
English Training program.
While working at Santa Ana Feed, she met Lynn Carter. In 1989 Ruthanna and Lynn would team up to start the Bridges Equestrian Training Center at Peacock Hill Equestrian Center in Irvine Park.
Over following years, Bridges Equestrian would expand and evolve, and eventually call the beautiful Sycamore Trails Stables in San Juan Capistrano home. The team now includes five instructors, over 120 students, 32 horses, and a well known show team.
The current Bridges Equestrian program is the vision of one little horse crazy girl, and her dream to provide the best environment for horses and horse enthusiasts to learn about each other.
More dreams
In 1996, Ruthanna embarked on another dream, to tell the horse's story. After writing numerous articles for horse publications like Horse and Rider, Horseman's Network, Equine Market and Orange Coast Magazine, Ruthanna began work on "The Tales of a Horse." The first section, On Pegasus Wings was completed in December of 1996. The next two sections, "Vincent Van Horse," and "Ears to the Wind," will be finished in late 1999. These three collections of stories will form the novel, The Tales of a Horse .