Amberlea Meadows

This is a good place for riders with previous experience who already know the basics. Ellen does care about safety and certainly knows alot about riding. Horses and property were great!

Regrettably the communication and clear instructions for everything related to riding: from tacking up a horse to what to do in competitions, was extremely lacking.

The culture was not very welcoming-we saw many other families leave in the three years my daughter rode here. There are definitely other lovely riding schools in the area with positive and warm teachers, lots of students and more formal riding programs to choose from-where questions are welcomed and you don't leave in tears after.

My husband and I have been taking lessons with Ellen since 2019 (minus time off due to Covid). I was very nervous initially, due to a horseback riding accident when I was young. But Ellen is great at matching individuals with an appropriate horse given their level of experience and anxiety! She pushes just enough to encourage you out of your comfort zone, but not so much that it's too scary or threatening. Her lesson horses are very well trained and cared for and lessons are challenging but fun. We are probably the oldest individuals taking lessons, but Ellen is very patient with us and always has a kind word and recognizes how difficult it can be for an adult to learn how to move their body in new ways. I leave looking forward to the next week's lesson every time!

All I can say is that horse people are the best! I brought my 90 year old mother with dementia there today - I had lots of help moving her wheelchair and then they lent her a hat since the sun was in her eyes. To top it off one horse owner brought her gelding over so that Mom could pet him and feed him carrots. I haven't seen such huge smiles on her face in years! Thank you so very much!