Stanhope Stables

The rats are bigger than the cats. I kept my horse there for a little over a year, and put my trust in the owner to find me a responsible rider to half lease my horse. I wanted the horse to get out more and share the expense. I was promised the girl was responsible and she would be under adult training supervision. Lessons only. Well the poor horse was pushed to the limit and pulled a suspensory ligament and was on stall rest for 6 months after that. I was promised the horse wouldn’t be jumped, but there is no way that injury gave from normal ground work. I then wound up paying the full board and all the vet bills because of some little idiot and her irresponsible trainer. It’s like grand central station there and there are more rats there than any place I have ever seen. I would come after work and turn the barn light on only to be greeted by several very huge rats, not mice. Evening was the only time I could ride because of my job. They wouldn’t even scatter when I stomped my feet so I could walk past them. My locker had rat poop all of the time, it was disgusting. Find another barn. Oh and even if you leave on «good terms» you’re not allowed back. Really? How stupid is that?

Be careful what you say and do at this barn. The owner is always watching and always listening. You, as a client, are expected to always adhere to the strict rules. However, the staff can pretty much do what they want (ie. not give medication and supplements as instructed, turn your horse out when you’ve requested no turn-​out, not clean stalls, not fill water buckets, throw your equipment around or leave wraps and blankets in the dirt, etc). As a client who pays for quality service, you get little and are looked at with glares of disapproval when you bring issues to the owner’s attention.
When they began renovations on the facility, it was the boarders who coughed up the money with rising rates but all the renovations were done in a separate barn, rented out by another stable — you’re welcome, Sagamore Hill, enjoy your fancy barn while my horse’s stall door falls off.
As an incoming boarder, I was able to hold an empty stall for $ 100/​month. As an outgoing boarder, you can only give notice on the first or last of a month. Unfortunately, life doesn’t work so neatly so I asked for pro-​rated board being that I was moving out of state. They said I’d have to pay for the whole month. So I said, OK, then I’ll bust my butt and get my horse out at the end of the month so you don’t have an awkward half-​board situation and neither of us lose money. I was told that I couldn’t pay the same $ 100 for an empty stall that I did when I was moving in. I was told that, even though my horse and all my belongings were going to be gone (and two days before the new month), that I had to pay FULL board for the month after my horse left despite the fact that they have a waiting list for incoming boarders. When I asked for a compromise, I was met with nasty emails. Aside from the condescending emails the owner also called a friend of mine to get my trainer’s phone number and then threatened my trainer, saying that she would be held responsible if I didn’t pay full board for an empty stall. It didn’t stop there. The owner called around to find out what shipper I was using to move my horse and told her not to pick up my horse unless she was given the OK (meaning that I had paid). After finding out about the threatening phone calls, several people warned me that I should just bite the bullet and pay or my horses’ well-​being might be in jeopardy. I wasn’t 100% convinced this barn would stoop to such a level but, none-​the-​less, I wasn’t going to take chances based on the crazy that I had recently encountered, so I paid…
Being nasty to me is one thing, but being nasty to my horse took it too far. The warnings I had been given were, unfortunately, legitimate. I had asked for no turn-​out for my guy as he was lame. His usual turn-​out time is 12pm-​3pm. The day before he was to leave, I found out they had turned him out with the morning shift (6am-​9am) so that when I got there, it would look like he had been on stall rest. Further to that, I found out they aggravated him while out so he was galloping in the tiny, rock-​laden «pasture,» really good for a horse with an abscess! Then the day he left, he had three huge bites on his neck. He was clearly put in a dangerous situation that night. For a horse that was to be on stall rest, how could he have gotten three huge bites? Unbelievable.
The only positive thing that used to be true about this barn is the ample riding area. They have an indoor and three outdoor rings. However, with recent addition of Sagamore Hill and the owner turing the facility over to her son and daughter-​in-​law, good luck with all the traffic. You’ll get yelled at if you interrupt their lessons or work… they also have a grassy hill you can ride on, maybe that’ll be an option for you?
Oh, and just be aware that board rates have gone up twice in the past year. You’ll also be expected to pay for grooms Thanksgiving and holiday dinners (despite their shitty and sloppy work). Make sure you check out all other options before committing yourself and your horse to this facility. It’s viewed, strictly, as business. Care of the animals and customer service are at the bottom of their priority list.
How could I forget, a horse on the waiting list was in my stall at the beginning of the month I paid for so the owner cleaned up with double board.

*Really nice school horses, well behaved yet responsive;
*Beautiful stable in beautiful surrounding;
*Very clean barn;
*Nice indoor and outdoor arenas;
*Full dressage ring;
*Impeccable Classic teaching style (to include de Nemethy method from the very beginning);
*Excellent instructor (or may be I just got lucky);
*Friendly, prompt and very efficient staff; And,
*Possibly the most accommodating stable owner in the whole NY State.
Even if you live in the city this riding school is worth trying. 45 minutes from Penn Station to Cold Spring Harbor and a short taxi ride is the only thing that separate us from this amazing place.