Pickering Horse Centre Ltd

Horrible establishment. The coaches Emily/Danielle etc.are horrible individuals with a poor attitude and focus on money. Not only have I experienced it but it is pretty widely known. Most recently, Gary's pathetic comments about keeping their business open during a pandemic was a new low.
PHC have never held any standard in cleanliness at their establishment. The tack is not cleaned daily and horses are made to wear it day in and day out. The helmets they provide are not cleaned if one has to use them and they provide boots if you don't have them which are also obviously not cleaned. They have a small office that you have to crowd into if someone else is there to look at a book for your horse assignment. How many of these things were you potentially proposing to sanitize.

In the summer the horses are sponged down with dirty sponges used on multiple different horses in murky/dirty water.
The fact that he is so vocal on his "measures" is not reality and further to that they only care about the money that they are making so hence why they feel they should be open during a pandemic.
Poor sportsmanship, horrible facility and most importantly, HORRIBLE PEOPLE. You should be ashamed of yourselves and your pathetic attempt to make a profit during a this time by endangering everyone's lives.

Ive been riding at PHC for half year now and this is the only place that I had learned a lot from. The shows, lesson, camps and other activities are superb and worth trying out.

Some people say that PHC has strict/mean coaches; that is because they want to help you improve. In fact, the coaches are not even mean, they are very enthusiastic about coaching. They try everything to help a child improve. I find it very helpful when my coach guides me through every step of the way. Each lesson, I learn something new.

All the coach that has taught me are amazing coaches. Thank you Dani, Lee Anne, Amelia, Priya for helping me improve so much through half year.

Danielle (manager) responds to all my questions through email very quickly (less than a day, sometimes within 2 hours). She is so nice to everyone and a very responsible manager.

I hope everyone looks at PHC the way I do. Maybe take a second look at this amazing facility. This is really an amazing place to learn.

Warm wishes,
Sylvia

Learn in a place where dedicated excellent and knowledge go hand and hand. Enjoy safety first fun and professional with your equestrian goals

I really enjoyed the Trillium show at the PHC this past weekend. Although our daughter is older now and no longer showing I still enjoy the atmosphere of the shows. It was nice talking to some of the parents as they shared the moments with their kids. Although very busy running the show plus coaching Gary, Danielle and Emily all had time to chat.

Looking around I couldn’t help but reflect back to when our daughter first started riding at PHC. It is hard to believe what Gary has been able to accomplish in the years from when our daughter first started to ride there in 1991 until today, growing from a small operation with one or two rings at the most to the fantastic facilities we see today. Congratulations Gary and Danielle! I would be remiss if I didn’t also say something about the impact that Gary and Danielle had on, not only our child, but also so many young kids that have passed through the riding programs. The impact Gary and Danielle had in developing them as riders and as respectful young adults cannot be understated.

I always thought of the PHC as a lovely getaway and I drop in every so often just to see what Gary’s latest project might be. So thanks for the wonderful times we shared and for always making me feel welcome, even though our daughter is no longer a customer.

It has come to our attention that Pickering Horse Centre has been targeted by false negative comments online.

We would like to take this opportunity to express our deep appreciation and gratitude for The Pickering Horse Centre's commitment to excellence in this sport. We are partners in the same industry and we will continue to move forward hand in hand with Gary, Danielle, and Emily in developing this sport in our community for many years to come.

We are honoured to call them friends and neighbours.

I started at Pickering Horse Centre as a completely beginner rider (around age 9) and the first year of my lessons there were great! Amanda was my coach for my first few months, then Emily. However, after I improved and started jumping small cross-rails I found that the teaching styles of my coaches changed. They started being a lot harsher when I did something wrong or wasn't having my best lesson, saying things like "Do you want me to move you down to the walk-trot lesson? " or "Maybe riding isn't the best sport for you if (whatever I happen to be having trouble with) " This became extremely discouraging especially for a 10 year old. I went from counting down the days until I could ride again to almost dreading my lessons and making up excuses to not go. I understand that sometimes it is necessary to be harsh to students in order for them to learn (especially if they're doing something that could be potentially dangerous to the horse or rider) but it should never be that discouraging. Another thing I noticed is when I reached a certain level, my lesson group stopped improving.since our original group was so small, riders who weren't quite the same level as us kept being put in our group and we would keep having to learn the same things again and again. This would have been fine had it only been for a short amount of time, however after about half a year of not really improving this got even more discouraging.

I was not one of the students who showed at all as I got too nervous so the people who do show regularly, lease horses and have multiple lessons a week have had different experiences. This review applies to people who are looking to improve their riding and not necessarily compete. I do think that this barn can be a great environment, I made a few good friends and learned a lot about beginner horsemanship and riding.

** Disclaimer, this is just my experience with the barn and what I think about some of their methods and this wont apply to everyone. This barn is great for some riders and not so great for others, as most barns are. I am just sharing this so people will have a better idea of what it is like and be more able to decide whether this is a good barn for them or if they should continue their search.

My daughter started out at PHC in their school barn after a two year hiatus from riding. She is now riding on the show team and has had nothing but positive experiences with the coaching staff.

I came to PHC with very low confidence in riding, jumping, and competing. Emily, Gary, and Danielle welcomed me with open arms and the past 5 months I have been gaining my confidence at my own pace with positive pushes in the right direction. My horse is always in top shape and very well cared for - the care is full service and he looks incredible. Our training program is personalized, customized, and totally works around me. They are very easy to talk to and always willing to overcome any problems I may have with me. I am very lucky to have one of the limited spots in their boarder barn! The barn staff is extremely friendly and diligent, the arenas are always groomed with show quality jumps, and there are always events going on for clients that make you feel right at home.
The horse shows are run extremely well - I love how classes are never canceled, even if there are less than 3 entries (which almost never happens!). The food booth has awesome burgers and breakfast options, the judging is fair, and the schedule always has fun speciality classes for riders of all abilities. Ribbons look incredible and there are always a lot of prizes. Stall fees and admin fees are never outrageous and the schooling circuit is run exactly like the trillium circuit, which is great practice for everyone.
Cannot rave enough about PHC!

[In response to Aaron Callet]
Hi Aaron,
I actually took a special interest in your comment, and upon clicking your profile noticed you had also left a fairly nasty review towards Lakehouse Stables as well. I have been to all (Pickering, Lakehouse, Stonewood) as well as interacted numerous times with all of the coaches at each - all are lovely facilities with caring staff. I'm surprised at these reviews, though am fairly certain I can look forward to reading a negative review from you to Stonewood in the coming weeks - as it appears to be a trend of yours. I hope you're able to find what your looking for, and hope these establishments recognize its the individual and not there business!

I started riding at Pickering Horse Centre about fifteen years ago - and theres a reason I have stayed here for so long! I have ridden with pretty well every coach that is there (or has been there at some point - again, its been a long time for me) and always felt as though my personal development was taken seriously by each coach. As a nervous rider, I know it can be difficult for coaches to find the balance between pushing so I advance, but not pushing me so far so that I become nervous and regress. A skill I truly believe each coach and instructor there has nailed down. Beyond just the coaching, they have SAFE horses ranging from beginners to advanced, all of which have helped me progress as a rider. Growing up riding all different types of horses led me to become a well experienced and effective all around rider. I can credit the coaches at PHC that led to myself becoming captain of University of Guelphs equestrian team. I have since graduated and returned to PHC to further finesse my ride. Fifteen years in, and I don't think I'll be anywhere else in the next fifteen years.

I have been coached by Gary and Emily for the last three years, and they have helped me to develop as a rider and build so much confidence in myself. They offer nothing but positive reinforcement and encouragement and make PHC truly feel like a second home.

This is my daughter's first year at PHC. PHC is one big happy family. The coaches Gary and Emily are very supportive and simply amazing. Everybody is so welcoming. I love the viewing room not only because it is very comfortable but also because parents and staff are so nice. Everybody working at PHC is not only highly professional but also kind and helpful. Thank you PHC

Horses are great.people not so much. Emily and Danielle are horrible to deal with. Gary is amazing! Emily is a coach that looks annoyed half the time, doesn't give a rider confidence and Danielle is simply put - stuck up. And their staff both present and past, often have said the same things about them.

What is amazing is that after a bad review they had all their friends write good reviews to help their ratings. Pathetic.

Do not go here if you want your child to learn to ride.

I have been riding at PIckering for 10 years now as well as worked here for 8 years. The other staff are amazing, the coaches are all amazing, and the horses are great. Emily was my first coach and she was great; always made me feel comfortable and taught me so much. Both owners Gary and Danielle are amazing and so welcoming. Overall my experience here has been great and so happy that I chose this barn to be a part of.

My daughter has been riding there for years now with Emily as her coach and she’s had the best time! I would highly recommend checking this place out.

If you have ever considered learning to ride or enrolling your children in riding lessons, the Pickering Horse Centre in Durham region is hands down the best place to be. My son started riding several years ago and once we found PHC, it was easy to see the difference between what a normal riding school is, and an excellent riding facility. Our initial impression of the Pickering Horse Centre was that it was a local family owned business (which we liked) that seemed to have a clean facility and lessons that worked with our schedule.
As we became familiar with PHC we realised that it is so much more! The coaches and instructors are all certified and highly knowledgeable. This, coupled with their apparent and unbridled (forgive the pun) passion for the sport, for their horses, and for their students are what keep us coming back. The Pickering Horse Centre is welcoming, professional, fun and family oriented, with lessons available for all age groups from tots to adults and skill levels from beginner to competition level. It’s hard not to feel like a part of a family when you spend time at the Pickering Horse Centre. We love our PHC Barn Family!

Kids loved it, the staff love their job. Stalls are clean and has beautiful surroundings. Definitely a good solution for you horse loving kids.

Love the atmosphere and the workers. Have known them for years and been riding there since I was little. 100% recommend anyone who wants to start horseback riding to go here!

Superior lessons from Ponies N Tots all the way up to Show Team level with certified coaches and owners. Knew this was our "Barn Family" from the first day we arrived!

We are new to PHC but I have a feeling we will be customers for many years to come. Starting with the Ponies and Tots program has given our children the foundation for a lifelong love of horses. We cannot wait to see their confidence grow and skills develop!

An amazing facility, staff, and equines! Had a great day at the 2018 York University Equestrian Team Ontario Collegiate Equestrian Association Central Zone horse show.

My 2 daughters attended one week summer camp and had great fun and learning experience. They enjoyed every moment of their camp! Staffs are extremely friendly, caring and supportive and made our daughters drink plenty of water during each camp day! This is a great place to learn horseback riding!

Not great. I informed them my daughter suffers from high anxiety and other mental illnesses and that she might need to be treated a bit more calmly. Yet, when in a lesson her trainer yelled at her constantly in a mean tone and was criticizing her instead of kind feedback. She told her she didn't understand why she was even trying to ride if she was this bad. My daughter was being respectful and trying her best, not even close to being a brat. I'm an equestrian myself and I knew the way she was being treated was not morally okay. We moved to a different trainer (Erin I believe) and she was absolutely amazing. Anyway I moved her to a different location due to the fact that my daughter was having panic attacks in the car because she was scared she would see the trainer again. Good place but one bad staff member.