Gateway Stables

I've been taking lessons at Gateway for about 6 months and love it there. The horses are excellent - they have horses for all levels of riding. The owner is one of the most knowledgeable horsewomen I've ever met as well as an excellent instructor. Gateway is located in the middle of beautiful countryside, and there are miles of trails through woods and grassy fields. All of the horses are well cared for, and the owner is very safety consious. There are always seminars and special workshops offered on horse care or riding technique. It is a wonderful barn, and if I was lucky enough to own a horse, he would be living there!

While I will admit that the stables were beautiful and the horses looked amazing, the owner was the rudest person I have ever met. I went there looking for a stable that could give lessons to my pre schooler and possibly a place to board a pony for her and lease a horse for myself. I inquired about leasing and was told that she requires an intense examination of my riding ability and tried to throw around words that she thought I wouldn't know. I told her that I had formal lessons for years although I never competed in a show. She then told me that I was a back yard rider and that I wasn't suitable for her horses....without ever seeing me ride. I then tried to get back on the topic of my daughter taking lesson and she seemed to talk down on my daughter for not knowing anything about horses....SHE HASN'T EVEN STARTED PRE SCHOOL YET!!! Give the kid a break. When we called she said that we would be given a tour.....well our tour consisted of a fifteen foot walk from the office to the back door of the barn. After yelling at one of her staff to clean up the isle way she then pointed and told us the riding rings were up the road and that we could drive up there ourselves and look around. That is not a tour to me. So after a half an hour of her boasting about what amazing riders her and her daughter are and how much money she makes, we got into our car and drove straight home. I will not ever be going back to her again.