ABOUT US
At Double Take Stables we focus on building balanced and confident riders from the ground up. We strive to achieve goals and success together as a team in a safe and welcoming atmosphere.
Our facility has around 50 acres of gorgeous grass pastures, a 7 stall barn that includes a lounge, wash stall, two tack rooms, two bathrooms and indoor/ourdoor crosstie areas, 140x200 jump arena, 120x80 lit arena, footed 50' round pen and miles of trails! We offer pasture board, training board, consignment, lessons, show team and leasing.
A majority of the horses at Double Take Stables are OTTBs, we find these horses to be very athletic, willing and eager to please. We are partnered with a wonderful non profit aftercare organization called Turning for home. Turning for Home networks with trainers and racetracks to help Thoroughbreds find a career after racing. We have several horses each year come in to find their new home through our Thoroughbred aftercare program.
About the Trainer
Melissa Davis began her riding when she was 5 years old at a local lesson barn in Chapel Hill. She grew up riding many types of horses over the years and helping around the farm at any chance she could get. "Missy" was a nickname given by her first instructor, Dana, who played a huge influence in Missy's career. She became a confident and brave rider at a young age and was always determined to become a better rider each day. At age 12 she got her first horse, Twister, and worked at the barn in order to help pay for him. She spent hours taking care of the horses, assisting in lessons and always volunteering to ride any new horse or problematic horses. The barn bred Morgan horses and had anywhere from 15-25 horses so Missy gained a lot of knowledge and hands on experience handling and training young horses as well as working with vets and farriers. As Missy got older she started teaching lessons and helping back the young horses where she found her passion for teaching and training. She went on to manage a large lesson barn and summer camp before opening Double Take Stables in 2012. Missy had a late start to her show career as she enjoyed spending time with her horse and teaching more than showing. In 2008 she started competing more regularly and attended several local schooling hunter shows and low level eventing shows. In 2015 Missy started working with Worth a Shot Farm to back warmbloods, There she improved her training techniques and helped start many young horses undersaddle. Missy now has over 15 years of experience teaching lessons and training horses. Missy first started taking riders to horse shows in 2013. Several of our horses and riders have received year end placings and Missy has been trainer of the year at several local schooling shows.
When Missy opened DTS she taught just a few riders and worked with some project horses and rescues while working full time elsewhere. This later expanded to a full service barn which offered lessons, boarding, training and showing. We now focus on OTTB restart, lessons, boarding and travel to several shows throughout the year. Missy is the main caretaker for all of the horses and enjoys building a bond with each horse and rider she meets. She loves to teach riders of all ages with her main focus being to help them achieve their goals and become a balanced, confident and successful rider.
Missy got her first OTTB, Miss Talbot Road "Magic", in 2008 and that sparked an interest in Thoroughbreds. Magic was given to Missy after being on the marker for several months with no buyer. She was problematic and challenging but very sweet and athletic. Through hours of groundwork and undersaddle time the two learned about each other and started to work well together. They worked on brideless together and Magic was the first horse to bring Missy into the jumper ring. Since then, Missy has had a love for the athleticism and willingness of this breed and has retrained many off the track. Most of the horses on the farm are Thoroughbred and we have found them to be very successful in the jumper ring as well as great additions to our lesson program. In 2018 we joined Turning for Home as a partner farm and have rehomed over 90 TBs.