Vogt Riding Academy

I happened to be looking for a new barn closer to town and unfortunately Vogt popped up. I would never consider them for any type of equestrian-​related activity and this is why:
I have lived in this neighborhood on and off for almost 30 years and have visited Vogt just to get my horsey fix… just to smell the smell… just to be around a pony. I have been polite, have introduced myself many times, and each time, I was greeted in a less-​than-​friendly manner. If I received a friendly greetings it was by a child; adults there are snobby, aloof and downright rude. And this was just going for a quick visit.
I decided, however, that maybe the reason for the frosty attitude (s) was because I wasn’t there to spend money so later I decided to give Vogt a try relative to lessons. While I have been riding as an adult for almost 16 years, I will say I am not the best rider out there but I know what I’m doing. I ride safely, and treat my mounts as if they were my treasured own. I am not a beginner, but I am not advanced either. That said, when I visited Vogt I learned that a 45-​minute lesson was $ 75.00. That was ok (just ok, a little pricey but I suppose it’s because of the location). I thought that it would be reasonable for a walk warm-​up, and a little trot and canter. My $ 75.00 lesson was simply walk and trot. Why? Because I was told unless I could canter without stirrups, they would not allow me to canter at all.
Ridiculous. If I want a trail ride, I’ll go to someplace with a trail, and not a covered arena where I will walk and trot in circles.
That’s my two cents. On another note, I saw a woman not long ago at Kroger at Sage Hill wearing paddock boots so I knew she was a fellow horsey person. I asked her where she rode, and she said she had just left Vogt where she was almost thrown off a naughty pony and this was not her first experience with this. I don’t blame the ponies… if humans caring for a barn full of horses have attitude problems, chances are this negativity is bound to rub off on our four-​legged friends. What a shame.

Our daughter has been at Vogt Riding Academy for over 6 years and has had a positive experience progressing from vaulting to private lessons, and from beginner to advanced group and semi-​private lessons. She started showing last year and thoroughly enjoys spending time with friends at the barn. There are approximately 20 horses consisting of school horses and boarders. The students (some children and some adults) are expected to become proficient at riding all of the school horses.
Expectations are high. The program emphasizes not only riding, but also the responsibilities of good horsemanship which means caring for the animals. This is not a «country club» barn. Students learn how to care for the horses which includes, tacking, feeding (hay and grain), watering, grazing, mucking and grooming.
Our daughter has found great satisfaction from this program. The responsibilities and high expectations are, in our opinion, good training for college years and beyond. Without a doubt, riding at Vogt is her favorite activity. In addition, the Emory location is quite convenient.
The owner is the second generation to run what is a family business. She is knowledgeable, opinionated and delivers results if you’re serious. In addition, the caretaker is extremely helpful and lives on the property with his family.
We’d highly recommend Vogt Riding Academy if you’re interested in dressage.

I started riding at Vogt 13 years ago in their vaulting program. As a small child, I immediately learned basic horse care and was comfortable around horses. I then moved into the group lessons. These are limited to a certain number of riders so that everyone gets equal and appropriate amounts of instruction. Group lessons put riders with other students at the same ability level so that they may further develop their dressage.
I also would help tack, un-​tack, and warm up the horses Anneliese would ride. Eventually I went to shows to groom for her and soon began competing in these shows.
Anneliese and Vogt has allowed me to successfully compete throughout the southeast and make a name for myself despite never having owned a horse.
This past summer I worked and rode for two international dressage competitors in Florida. I was successful at my job because of my time at Vogt and all Anneliese has taught me.
My experience gave me a unique work ethic and independence that has helped in other areas (such a school-​I am now in college in TN). I always know that I have a place to go home to because no matter how long its been, the people at Vogt are always happy to see me.
Vogt is a great location being in metro Atlanta. It also has the lowest board that I know of in the Atlanta, Alpharetta area. They teach from basics to FEI riders and provide equal opportunities for people to ride and compete even if you do not own a horse or plan on buying one. It also allows students to work off lessons, something that not a lot of places allow.

I boarded my horse at Vogt Riding Academy and had the worst experience I have ever had in my 24 years of owning horses. I removed my horse from her facility after just two months because I feared for the safety of my horse. After speaking to other well respected equestrians in the Atlanta area, it appears this wasn’t the first time boarders have left for similar reasons.
As for professionalism, there is none. It was not uncommon to receive text messages from her at 10pm interrogating me about what I did with MY horse over the weekends. Anneliesse leaves by noon on Friday for the lake and does not return until Monday, so any accounts she receives about what is occurring at the barn is from the children. When Anneliesse asked to meet with me, her form of meeting was berating me in the middle of a group lesson while she sat atop a horse. When I moved my horse into the stable I signed a boarding agreement outlining my monthly board rate, hours of operation (7 days a week) and turnout, however after three weeks of my horse being there I was told that Vogt is not a boarding facility but a training facility and that I needed to either take lessons daily or allow Anneliesse to ride my horse throughout the week. Anneliesse even went so far as to inform me that my horse was crazy but with her training services could be «saved». I’ve owned my horse for 10 years, if she were crazy, I would have known long ago. I was also informed that I could not ride on Sunday’s and had to be done by 5pm every day. For anyone that has a full time job, that is impossible. In the two months my horse was there she didn’t get turned out once. In fact, I NEVER saw a single horse turned out the entire time I was there. Horses by nature are grazing animals and need to graze for digestive purposes!
There is very much a «mean girl» culture at the barn. The older teenage girls treat the younger as if they are their own personal barn help, which is of course reinforced by the nature and disrespectful tone in which Anneliesse barks orders to the children and barn staff. The whole barn is in disarray as there are children running, screaming, arguing and crying everywhere while «caring» for the horses, doing barn work and attending to the every need of the hierarchy. I too was appalled by the extremely strict rules that have absolutely no consideration for the safety of one’s horse child or self.
For someone who owns their own horse and rides either for pleasure or competition, then the lessons aren’t even worth the time you spent tacking up your horse. Group lessons are a joke, as I spent 45 minutes in a tiny ring of 15 horses with practically no room to move. Her privates are more of a psychological beating then they are encouraging or promote any kind of learning and development. Anneliesse is very whip happy which has caused many of the horses to turn sour and resistant.
Put simply, Anneliesse is a narcissist with only one priority and that’s money. I would highly suggest eliminating this barn from your consideration immediately and driving 25 minutes north to Alpharetta or even South of the city where civilized horsemen do business.

Pros:
Great location
Beautiful piece of property
Cons:
Terrible customer service
Dangerous working/​riding conditions
Poor operation of facility
Children running everywhere
Not professional at all
Expensive to excess
The price is not worth the product, regardless of location. I don’t mind spending a lot of money on lessons when they are of a high quality. Wow, no one else has had a bad experience? There are no reviews on here. I’m not a fan of the children running the farm, and running all over the farm. The inane strict rules don’t really do much for safety with all the other problems going on everywhere. The cancellation policy is more like that found at a ritzy spa rather than an equestrian center. The lessons are typical of what you would find at a «lesson farm» barn, no pun intended. Quantity is stressed over quality. Great location, but terrible service, difficult policies and outrageous prices.
You’re better off driving a half hour out of town for quality instruction.
Very unprofessional manner of doing business; trainer just asked for cash or check at the end of the lesson, made out to her, not Vogt. When I arrived for my first lesson no one was there to help or tell me where to go– and then they acted like I was supposed to know what I was doing.
I’m used to stables being run like a business with a statement sent each month and a professional manager/​trainer who takes care of everything and makes all policies and payment policies very clear. I guess they can sacrifice professionalism for their location that no doubt keeps bringing customers in on a continuous basis.
They expected me to pay them for lessons I didn’t show up to after I cancelled the next one. It’s hard to take them seriously, especially when they are asking for money, when they don’t take their own operation seriously.
When I called to ask about boarding, it was a ridiculously high price, and the head instructor said she has to ride your horse once a week, and you must pay her to do so. Additionally, there is practically zero turnout. Sunday turns into self care board day. Maybe some of the policies have changed from this ridiculousness.
I can’t get over the kids running around and running everything. It seems like a huge liability issue! It’s really a shame that Vogt is taking advantage of their location rather than their product quality because they really have potential to become a great stable.
The whole operation is run like they are doing you a favor, and it is very patronizing and uncomfortable.
Beautiful farm, especially considering the urbanization of the area around it.