TOPIARY FARMS STAFF
Mandy Chesnut
Mandy fell in love with horses at 7 years old and never stopped. She started beginner lessons living in Florida, but when her family moved to California at age 11, her riding improved exponentially. She started competing in local hunter/jumper horse shows, and eventually outgrew ponies. Mandy then got first horse Comanche, an off the track thoroughbred. With the help of her trainer Christina Avila, she retrained Comanche to jump, compete and win. During high school she worked as an assisted trainer teaching lessons and working young horses.
Mandy and Comanche took a break from riding while she attended Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. Mandy got her BS in Agriculture Communication taking animal and equine science courses. Upon moving home Mandy and Comanche enjoyed his last few years trail riding in the east bay, the central coast and even an overnight trip in the Sierras. Comanche passed in summer of 2024.
After welcoming her first child, Grace, Mandy quite her full-time job in wine hospitality and reignited her passion for horses working part-time at Topiary Farms. Mandy values hard-work and creating a safe environment for children to expand their knowledge and love for horses and the hunter/jumper sport. She relives her childhood memories through teaching youth and adults to become lifelong horsemen.