Stonelea Farm

My ten year old has wanted to get serious about horses for a while and we’re finally in the states long enough for her to do so. I wish I had found Ms. Lucia and Stonelea Farm sooner! We tried a different farm for about a month which I found to be highly disorganized, unprofessional, and lacking good instructors. This is completely the opposite of Ms. Lucia and Stonelea. Ms. Lucia got right back to me to try to schedule my daughter (no small feat with all of our other commitments) and she worked around my schedule as best as she could. After the first day, I knew we were at the right place – my daughter even told me she felt so much more comfortable there. Ms. Lucia is nurturing, but also gives great direction and expects her riders to learn how to tack up and keep the barn in order. Her organization is impressive. She even labeled my daughter’s gloves when she forgot them. She even explained that my daughter was wearing her helmet incorrectly – the same one she had worn for a month at the other place! I love that Ms. Lucia is right out on the ring with the girls, and even though there are different levels at times, she manages them all and gives them direct instruction. I can’t say enough about this farm. The girls that go to the farm are so helpful and have helped my daughter every time without making her feel bad for still learning the ropes. Clearly this type of ethos and attitude at the farm is a direct result of the management and instructor. Highly recommend. Not fussy, just friendly, competent, organized horseback riding. Love it!

With one special needs child and a younger sibling who wanted to ride, we couldn’t have been in kinder, more capable hands. Fabulous experience! I recommend Stonelea Farm highly.

Miss Lucia is a talented, positive, enthusiastic instructor who provides a thorough knowledge of horsemanship — not just how to ride — in a fun way. Her teacher training combined with extensive equestrian knowledge puts her skills above others. She is always aware of the needs and activities of each student and each horse, regardless of whether they are riding or working on barn activities. In addition, she generously gives of her time and talents, rescues horses and gives them new life and purpose, and has taken on students with challenging disabilities. Lucia assures that each student is thoroughly trained in safety requirements and correct care of horses, so that when they become horse owners themselves, her students know how to properly care for their horse, not just how to ride, something that is not often taught elsewhere. You can’t ask for a more caring instructor.

My 5 ½ year old has been begging for horseback riding lessons, but I hesitated to sign her up because I didn’t think she was quite old/​strong enough to control a horse. I signed her up for a One-​day Horsemanship Camp, which was a 3 hour class that taught the basics about horseback riding and horses. The instructor, Lucia, carefully and repeatedly instructed the children on how to be safe on and around horses. I was very impressed with the emphasis on safety. We will be taking lessons here again.