Core Values
Bridge the Gap Equine operates under the guiding ethos of respect.
That principle applies to horses, to the partnerships we share with them, and to ourselves.
BGE’s Three Core Values
Welfare First: Every decision starts with the question, “What’s best for the horse?” From training plans to daily care, their physical and mental well-being is our top priority.
Partnership Over Performance: True success comes from trust and respect between horse and rider. Results matter, but relationships matter more.
Education & Growth: We’re committed to lifelong learning, both for myself and the riders we work with. The more we know, the better we can serve the horses in our care.
Meet the Owner
Madeline Conley is the owner and trainer at Bridge the Gap Equine. With more than 30 years in the horse industry, she is an experienced, knowledgeable horse woman with a passion for harmonious partnerships between horses and riders, equine wellness, and lifelong learning.
As a young rider, Madeline built a strong foundation at Bit-O-Woods Farm in Hainesport, New Jersey, where she quickly developed a love for eventing. This interest led her to pursue a working student position under Mark Weissbecker, an international 5* event rider who was shortlisted for the U.S. Olympic eventing team in 1996 and represented the United States at the 1997 Open European Championships (England). This invaluable depth of experience cemented her love for the sport and propelled her toward a career in horses.
Before that career in the industry fully commenced, though, Madeline joined the United States Air Force, where she spent years traveling both domestically and internationally as she served her country. Horses were never far from Madeline’s mind as she served, and everywhere she was stationed, she sought opportunities to ride and learn. Her depth of knowledge grew exponentially with each new barn she rode at, each new trainer she learned from, and each new experience she accrued as she immersed herself in equestrian culture around the world.
Upon the culmination of her Air Force service, Madeline returned to her New Jersey roots, leveraged her wealth of knowledge and decades of experience, and fully dedicated herself to herself to the horse industry. At that point, she founded Bridge the Gap Equine, where she offers full-service boarding, training, and bodywork services at her Wrightstown facility. She holds herself to high standards as a rider, trainer, and instructor and regularly takes lessons with 5* event rider Sally Cousins and notable eventing trainers Megan Pappler and Cory O’Connor.
While Madeline prides her program its degree of excellence in all services, perhaps the standout among them is the lesson program. A naturally skilled communicator, Madeline credits her time in the Air Force with honing these abilities. She takes the time to break down concepts so each student genuinely comprehends each one, can explain the why behind it, and can replicate it on their own. Madeline is passionate about preparing students for experiences in and out of the ring, and while the program is based in eventing, show jumping, and dressage, the foundation is truly rooted in horsemanship and solid foundational riding. Led always with compassion, Madeline’s lessons instill in her students a genuine respect for horses and the partnerships we share with these remarkable animals.
Equine Bodywork
As a trainer and a horse woman constantly seeking growth, improvement, and more ways to benefit horses’ health and wellness, Madeline found her interest piqued by equine bodywork. She began her bodywork path as a Pulsed Electromagnetic Field (PEMF) practitioner, aiding in horses’ recovery and overall physical wellbeing, then branched into Myofascial Release (MFR) equine massage services.
At the beginning of 2026, Madeline was accepted into the highly respected Freely Forward Bodywork Equine Massage Certification Program, where she immersed herself in the rigorous curriculum and learned directly from Maija Liisa Luttinger, LMT and founder of Freely Forward Bodywork. Having completed her requisite externship and passed all the program’s practical exams, Madeline is in on track to graduate and become fully certified by the end of the year.