Meet the Staff
David and Laurie Gainey
Founder & Owner
David Gainey grew up right here and started his riding at 6 years old. He was self-taught, having learned through his own dedication to understanding how horses think, move, and learn. Through the years, David found he had a talent for training horses with groundwork and bringing them from “green” to “broke to ride” level of training. This started his 35-year career in training horses, gaining immeasurable experience, to include frequently working with “problem horses” with specific training needs such as loading into trailers. David has two sons, one of which, Brian Gainey, joined David in training horses by finishing their training in the saddle once David had completed groundwork training.
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Together, David and Brian started Gainey’s Horse Heaven Stables Inc 25 years ago and built, by hand, the red barn and pastures seen on the property today. After Brian joined the Army and moved away, David continued to grow and improve the business, and eventually married his wife, Laurie Gainey. David and Laurie have made this facility what it is today. After many long years of success at Gainey’s Horse Heaven Stables Inc, David and Laurie are semi-retired from the business and maintain ownership but have passed along management of the business to Richard Davis. Fortunately, the staff here has the opportunity to continue learning from David and his vast experience with horses as the “Barn Family” remains a close-knit community, going on organized trail rides, enjoying late night fires, and maintaining the “heaven on earth, here on horseback” way.
Richard Davis
Manager
Richard Davis has been around horses throughout his life. Growing up, his family was given a horse named Patches, that his uncle had trained. Patches was the first of four horses his family would own while growing up and became part of the family and many shenanigans. Unfortunately, in high school, Richard was no longer working with horses and never thought he would take up that part of his life again. It wasn’t till years later after joining the military that he would start volunteering at a facility close to the base he was stationed at. He started with the general mucking of stalls, repairing of fences, and any other barn projects that needed attention. Then he started getting back in the saddle, following out trail rides and eventually leading rides. This was well suited for his western riding background at the time. “Riding brought back a part of myself that had been missing for way too long.”
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In 2021, him and his family purchased their current horses, Whiskey and Reese, and have been full steam ahead ever since. This eventually led them here, to Gainey’s Horse Heaven, Inc., where Richard was given the opportunity to take his love for horses and put it towards helping other people experience the same. “As barn manager, I get to help look after 20 plus horses and get to be a part of the experience for our boarders, riders, and families. Watching this business grow and introduce more people to something that I love has truly been a blessing.”- Richard Davis
Casey Curreri
Assistant Manager
Casey Curreri was first introduced to the horse world with simple lessons at age 7. From those humble beginnings, she expanded her equine education to include english equitation and hunter jumpers throughout high school and into college. At the State University of New York at Potsdam, Casey competed on her college team in hunter jumper equitation and minored in both outdoor education as well as therapeutic recreation. This way, she could bring this knowledge to teaching and helping to heal through horses and the outdoors. During the summers between college semesters, Casey was also hired as a trail guide, leading western trail rides in the Black Hills of South Dakota. After college, she was able to take her love for animals to the next level becoming a veterinary technician in Sumter while her husband was stationed here at Shaw AFB. Since then she has returned to Gainey’s Horse Heaven Stables, a mother of two, and working full time here at the facility.
Over the years Casey has taught many new and young riders the basics of western as well as english equitation. She was never shy about getting her hands dirty throughout her years of riding as she spent her time out of the saddle, mucking stalls and caring for various horses wherever she rode. She also loves hitting the trails herself with her trusty steed, CC! Here at Gainey’s Horse Heaven Stables Inc, she assists Mr. Richard Davis in farm management through leading the riding lesson program, guiding trail rides off the property, and caring for the boarded horses.