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Pdg
Citizen
Username: Pdg
Post Number: 312
Registered: 5-2004
| | Posted on Wednesday, January 18, 2006 - 11:42 am: | 
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My 6 yr old daughter is getting the horse bug and wants to try riding. Any suggestions for a good place? Any other tips appreciated. Thanks. |
AlisonS
Citizen
Username: Alisons
Post Number: 60
Registered: 3-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, January 18, 2006 - 1:04 pm: |
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The most common place for people to send their kids for riding lessons around here is Essex Equestrian Center in West Orange. My daughter went there for a week of summer camp ($375 for a half day). It is a very attractive facility and only about 20 minutes away. The cost is about $50 for a 1/2 hour lesson. I also hear about people taking thier kids to a stable in Watchung but I don't know anything about that one.
I take my daughter to a stable in Boonton - its about a 30 minute drive. It is caled Riverview Farms and the owner is Jody Meyer (973)299-9538. The cost is less ($35) for a lesson. She spends close to 2 and a half hours there when she has a lesson, grooming, cooling the horse down as well as a long lesson. I'm guessing that other than the long lesson, she'd be able to do this stuff at Essex Equestrian, but I don't know for sure.
Aside from the cost differential - which to us was significant - the deciding factor for me was that at Essex Equestrian the property is very small and I never saw them turning the horses out for exercize on their own. This was also told to me by another more experienced rider who switched to a different stable. My concern with that was that the horses can get a bit edgy if they don't have time to just roam freely every day. As a kid I took lessons at Essex Equestrian and was thrown from a horse for that reason (according to my instructor).
My guess is that my daughter will be thrown from a horse for some other reason somday too. So you have to take everything into consideration. But for me the two issues - cost and potential for edgy horses - made the longer trip worth it.
Hope this helps |
Pdg
Citizen
Username: Pdg
Post Number: 313
Registered: 5-2004
| | Posted on Wednesday, January 18, 2006 - 1:35 pm: |
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Thanks AlisonS! Your tips and experience are exactly what I was hoping for from the great MOL community! 
I found a "River Vu Farms" in Boonton at 88 Old Denville Road online. I guess that is the same place. |
Wendyn
Supporter
Username: Wendyn
Post Number: 2638
Registered: 9-2002
| | Posted on Wednesday, January 18, 2006 - 1:49 pm: |
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I think there is a good stable in Basking Ridge as well...I want to say Sterling Stables? |
mem
Citizen
Username: Mem
Post Number: 5661
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Wednesday, January 18, 2006 - 1:58 pm: |
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Lord Stirling - excellent stables - the horses are well taken care of. |
Virtual It Girl
Citizen
Username: Shh
Post Number: 3815
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Wednesday, January 18, 2006 - 2:04 pm: |
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Alison, do they have a website that you know of?
I have been considering it for my girls as well but the cost at Essex is kind of prohibitive for us too, plus we like to go on trail rides together, something we've done on our travels but doesn't seem to be the norm around here. |
Pdg
Citizen
Username: Pdg
Post Number: 314
Registered: 5-2004
| | Posted on Wednesday, January 18, 2006 - 9:17 pm: |
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Thanks for the Lord Stirling recommendation too. Unfortunately, their website says the min. age is 9.
(Am I nuts for starting my daughter at 6 1/2?) |
AlisonS
Citizen
Username: Alisons
Post Number: 61
Registered: 3-2003
| | Posted on Friday, January 20, 2006 - 7:51 am: |
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Riverview is in a semi rural part of Morris County. My daughter does often ride her horse on a "trail" or two at the end of the lesson. Although the area is beautiful it is not Marlboro country. I think the trails are short, established and not with a ton of variety.
I reread my earlier post and want to make a clarification. The total amount of time that my daughter spends at the stable is long because she wanders around with carrots and apples feeding the different horses and S-L-O-W-L-Y grooming the horse that she has just ridden. She is really a horse nut. Many of the other girls spend a much shorter amount of time there. It's your choice.
There are several women that I know there that do Mother/Daughter lessons. I recently talked to Jody about this and she is very accomodating to different levels of skill in one lesson if it is what you are looking for.
Jody does not have an age minimum for lessons. But she has told me adamantly that she will not do glorified pony rides. If a child is really interested she will work with them. An interesting point that she made to me is that she'd prefer to take on a new student in the spring when they are not so "bulkily" dressed (i.e. they don't have on a winter jacket). She says that so much of the early part of learning has to do with posture and positioning and when a kid is new and dressed in so many layers it is hard for her to know how they are positioned on the horse. But you should talk to her and see what she thinks.
My daughter started her lessons at age 7 (she's almost 10 now). Her cousin started at age 6. My daugher is not a great athlete (and has very little interest in sports) so this a realy nice way for her to be active. Her cousin is a terrific athlete and has been showing since the fall. I'm only saying this because you need to be prepared for an expensive little hobby if your daughter is really into it. |
AlisonS
Citizen
Username: Alisons
Post Number: 62
Registered: 3-2003
| | Posted on Friday, January 20, 2006 - 7:55 am: |
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Just re-read VIG's post: I highly doubt they have a website. Jody owns and runs the place. She's a real horsewoman, but not the best businesswoman.
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ffof
Citizen
Username: Ffof
Post Number: 4378
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Friday, January 20, 2006 - 9:02 am: |
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Watchung Stables in Watchung is another place. It is a very traditional place where the kids must wear riding pants, light blue shirt, yellow tie and the proper boots (over coats obviously permitted as the weather dictates). Lessons start at 9 yrs old, though, and are offered spring thru fall. They have tradiotional horse shows at the end of each 12 (10?)week session. |
mem
Citizen
Username: Mem
Post Number: 5677
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Friday, January 20, 2006 - 10:02 am: |
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ffof - they do not take good care of the horses at Watchung. A friend of mine reported them last year, so maybe they have improved. I won't go near that place. |
Virtual It Girl
Citizen
Username: Shh
Post Number: 3826
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Friday, January 20, 2006 - 10:04 am: |
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Thanks Alison. I will call and hope to do something in the Spring. Mother-daughter lessons sound like a lot of fun. (I just have to get over this fear of mine...) |
ffof
Citizen
Username: Ffof
Post Number: 4381
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Friday, January 20, 2006 - 10:40 am: |
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ooh, that's unfortunate . My kids haven't gone there in quite some time now. |
mem
Citizen
Username: Mem
Post Number: 5678
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Friday, January 20, 2006 - 10:48 am: |
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ffof- when they reopened again years ago they were in good shape, but since have declined. the stalls are cramped and dirty for the county owned horses, and many of them looked underfed. |
amelia
Citizen
Username: Amelia
Post Number: 27
Registered: 12-2001
| | Posted on Friday, January 20, 2006 - 7:38 pm: |
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We like Spring Valley stables in Newton, yes it is a drive but very reasonably priced, beautiful area of NJ, good instructors, friendly horses and a great tack shop. Good luck!
http://www.springvalleyequestriancenter.com/ |
tulip
Citizen
Username: Braveheart
Post Number: 3025
Registered: 3-2004
| | Posted on Friday, January 20, 2006 - 7:45 pm: |
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Seaton Hackney near Loantaka Park in Morristown is being remodeled. It was always pretty good for lessons. |
Pdg
Citizen
Username: Pdg
Post Number: 319
Registered: 5-2004
| | Posted on Sunday, January 22, 2006 - 12:28 am: |
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Thanks everyone!
AlisonS - I called and left a message several days ago and did not get a call back. Should I call again, or be more patient?
We're not dying to get her in the saddle instantly, but I do want to keep moving forward with my research for a good fit for us so it doesn't just fall to the wayside. The spring sounds like a good time to start.
(and my daughter also is less than enthusiastic about sports in general, except for swimming, so riding would be good for her if she likes it.) |
AlisonS
Citizen
Username: Alisons
Post Number: 63
Registered: 3-2003
| | Posted on Sunday, January 22, 2006 - 8:05 am: |
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I mentioned to Jody that there had been some interest on MOL about riding lessons and that I had referenced Riverview. Call again and tell her that Alison - Kate's mom - suggested that you call.
I do remember that initially she was a bit slow to get back to us. As I said before she's not the best business woman.
Good Luck!
Alison |
pag
Citizen
Username: Hueylove
Post Number: 26
Registered: 5-2004
| | Posted on Sunday, January 22, 2006 - 8:28 am: |
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my daughter takes lessons at Garret Mountain Equestrian center. The instructors are kind, the horses well kept. The fee is $40 for a 1/2 lesson |
AlisonS
Citizen
Username: Alisons
Post Number: 64
Registered: 3-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, January 25, 2006 - 7:44 am: |
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Amelia -
I checked out that link you posted last week. I've just signed my daughter's girlscout troop up for their badge program. It looks like a great time! Thanks for the info! |
amelia
Citizen
Username: Amelia
Post Number: 28
Registered: 12-2001
| | Posted on Wednesday, January 25, 2006 - 8:08 am: |
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Great News! Let us know how it goes! I should let my sister-in-law know they do this for my nieces troop. PL me if you need directions.... |
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