Reviews for Saddlebrook Stables |
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| Disclaimer: The following reviews are solely the opinions and claimed experiences of the reviewers. Horse Stable Review does not endorse any of the following reviews and cannot attest to the veracity of the statements made by the reviewers. |
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Reviewed by Steph on 01/31/2011 3:34pm |
1 out of 5 people found this review helpful |
| Age: |
31 |
| Length of riding career: |
less than 1 year |
| Rider classification: |
Advanced |
| Main riding discipline: |
Hunter/Jumper, Dressage, Eventing |
| Number of horses owned: |
1-3 |
| How long at this stable: |
less than 1 year |
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What I like:
Location |
What needs improvement:
This barn leaves much to be desired. I can't count the number of times lame horses were repeatedly used in lesson after lesson. Either the instructors are blatantly ignoring the animals discomfort or are simply ignorant in judging their soundness. The owner of this farm is a bit of a scheister and the instructors who remain here (last time I checked) are incompetent to teach beyond imd. |
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Reviewed by Friend on 05/20/2010 7:11am |
2 out of 6 people found this review helpful |
| Age: |
not specified |
| Length of riding career: |
not specified |
| Rider classification: |
not specified |
| Main riding discipline: |
not specified |
| Number of horses owned: |
none |
| How long at this stable: |
less than 1 year |
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What I like:
N/A |
What needs improvement:
05/05/2010
While my knowledge of horses is limited to what my 12 year old daughter chooses to share, I grew concerned with many things at this farm which I feel the need to make other parents aware of. The trainers, all girls in their mid 20's, are all wonderful with children. They seemed happy in their jobs and made my normally shy daughter feel very at home. One of the instructors in particular though is not suitable for young children. She has exclaimed on a few occasions "jesus christ child what are you doing?!" when my daughter was struggling. This is not OK with me as I raise my children to be respectful of religion and we consider shouting 'jesus christ!' to be a swear word.
The reason we chose to leave was over a situation that happened to the grandmother of my daughter's school friend. This same instructor that shouted the Lord's name at her had taken her student(friend of my child) and the student's grandmother on a trail ride. The instructor gave the grandmother a horse with a too-big saddle, and gave her a helmet that was apparently too big for her head. On the trail ride the lady fell and hit her head, slipping into a coma and needing weeks of hospital care. I understand the liability of horses but according to the child's mother this teacher brushed it off at first, even as the woman was being transported to the hospital. I will never allow my child to ride there again, even though the other instructors seem a bit more cautious, even stern in the way things are done.I just do not feel comfortable letting my daughter ride in a place where the teacher may cut corners and cause injury to another person.
We have since found a more suitable barn which is not as fun and exciting for my girl as the teacher is an older woman, but I know that she is safe and isn't getting sworn at. |
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Reviewed by JSS83 on 03/07/2010 7:02am |
6 out of 8 people found this review helpful |
| Age: |
26 |
| Length of riding career: |
11-20 years |
| Rider classification: |
Advanced |
| Main riding discipline: |
Dressage, Eventing |
| Number of horses owned: |
1-3 |
| How long at this stable: |
less than 1 year |
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What I like:
It's potential. |
What needs improvement:
The business practices of this farm indefinitely need to be improved.
I have two encounters I would like to tell other horseman about. Both involve the manner in which horses were sold to (2) of my students while I instructed at this farm. The first one was a family of (3) looking to buy a safe novice horse for their advancing daughters. We talked specifically on the type of horse they should look into and where and who to go to - neither included shopping from this farm. The owner of this facility took the mother and daughters behind closed doors, away from the well knowing instructors, and convinced them to purchase her (the owner's) daughters aged gelding. Now the only problem is that this gelding was known by long standing instructors to have navicular-like syndrome and it is expressed by these same instructors that the horse was originally purchased by the owner of this farm with navicular changes. Of course family was also directed by the farm owner to purchase the horse without a pre-purchase exam. BUYER BEWARE! Short time later this family moved to another farm, directed to have the horse vetted and sure enough he had terribly advanced naviuclar changes in both front feet. My second story is even worse... from the dealer this farm uses for lesson horses, which typically include broken down camp horses or recirculated lesson horses, came a lovely TB gelding. I gave him a couple of training rides and had hopes to selling him to a good home. Immediately I could tell this horse suffered from some kind of serious unsoundness. One of my students fell in love with him however and I begged and pleaded her to have the horse examined before moving into the purchase. Again, behind closed doors the owner of this facility talks my student and mother out of a pre purchase exam and they buy the gelding. After moving to a competition barn the girl is instructed to have the horse examined and again - sure enough - the horse has navicular in EVERY FOOT. He was humanely euthanized shortly after.
It's difficult to understand the true crookedness of this facility until you see and hear it first hand. And anyone who settles with tolerating such horrible business practices and horsemanship is a disgrace to the horse community. |
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Reviewed by RedBook on 12/22/2009 9:12pm |
4 out of 12 people found this review helpful |
| Age: |
not specified |
| Length of riding career: |
more than 20 years |
| Rider classification: |
Advanced |
| Main riding discipline: |
Hunter/Jumper |
| Number of horses owned: |
1-3 |
| How long at this stable: |
not specified |
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| This review has been removed due to a violation of our review guidelines or terms of use. |
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Reviewed by Donnie on 12/17/2009 10:02pm |
3 out of 5 people found this review helpful |
| Age: |
37 |
| Length of riding career: |
1-5 years |
| Rider classification: |
Intermediate |
| Main riding discipline: |
Dressage |
| Number of horses owned: |
1-3 |
| How long at this stable: |
1-3 years |
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What I like:
Saddlebrook is a very friendly place. It has a great lesson program for beginners. I'm a more advanced rider but enjoy the friendly people. It's a very nice barn with
gift shop, large viewing area. The area isn't rocky and the outdoor is groomed daily. The indoor has sand footing that is
helpful for beginners if they fall. Instructors teach beyond beginners but aren't show pushy. If you want to have fun around nice people and get a start at riding, this is the place to be. Adults rider have a lot of fun riding in their adult group lessons. Saddlebrook is right next to the Perkiomen
Trail that has miles and miles of trails. |
What needs improvement:
This barn has a lot of lessons. As a boarder I ride in the outdoor or at non-peak hours. Board horses are turned out in a herd that works for my horse but wouldn't
for everyone's horse. |
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22 out of 32 people found this review helpful |
| Age: |
35 |
| Length of riding career: |
11-20 years |
| Rider classification: |
Amateur |
| Main riding discipline: |
not specified |
| Number of horses owned: |
none |
| How long at this stable: |
not specified |
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What I like:
Family oriented with discounts offered in purchasing lesson packages. |
What needs improvement:
Lessoning:
Saddlebrook stables is perfectly acceptable for the occasional rider or those wishing to "try a have at it" in the saddle. For the seasoned rider or competitor it is clear the facility is second rate. The instructors are competent for beginners to low intermediate riders and have extreme variations in their schedule availability. We were never able to schedule a similar time slot, even when taking advantage of their 5 package discount, at which point you are allowed to schedule all 5 lessons at once. There is a 25% discount on the last lesson of the 5 pack which is nice. Having been use to a professional atmosphere at prior barns, we were shocked to see students arriving for lessons in shorts and sloppy attire, almost always matching the looks of staff including the instructors. Most concerning to me was the lack of attention the instructors seem to have to the often ill fitting tack and helmets the riders wear. Having grown up in the saddle myself, I often heard obscene guidance coming from the instructors at Saddlebrook. The horses are well below any other barn's standards I have seen. Many are extremely under weight and appear to be used quite frequent. In any case, from the circulation of horses we have seen, none would be able to meet the needs of a seasoned equestrian. Overall there is a complete absence of any professional leadership in this barn.
Boarding:
Keep in mind the sheer size of this barn's lesson program and all that comes with it. Limited riding access to often poorly maintained rings (dusty, rock hard in the outdoor, too wet and deep footing in the indoor) over crowded during prime lesson hours. "Free for all" is best explained. Aisle way strewn with brushes, towels, tack, manure. There is no individual treatment to be had for these horses. All the same grain, all the same hay. Boarder horses often kept as the lesson horses, being left out if the poorest of weather conditions. There is no contract to be signed. Boarders may only use barn farrier/vet unless you can convince the owner otherwise. Horses are cattled in and out of the barn all at once, up and down a rock littered path. If you and your horse need any sort of knowledgeable and individualized care this is not the barn for you. |
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