Peck Farm

I visited Peck Farm a couple of times. Once to meet the barn owner/​trainer and see the place to see if this would be a good fit for me and a potential horse purchase later on down the line. I took a lesson the following week.
From my first impressions of this barn as a customer & as a fellow business owner, taking the time to review is important both for the potential customer and the business to grow and thrive.
I spoke with the business owner over the phone before meeting and found her to be VERY knowledgeable of the horse world all around. She is honest, up front, will tell you pros and cons, and tell you financially just how much a horse and the horse world will be as well as the time and the training you may need, etc. That part about her was very pleasant. She has a light and funny sense of humor and is a REAL person. I was excited to meet her.
When I visited the farm, we had a scheduled appointment time for 10:30am. I didn’t see anyone at the farm for a half and hour after that time. I waited and then was greeted. The meeting was fine and we scheduled a lesson.
Arriving for my lesson, there were people at the barn that morning. No one said hello. No one was friendly, they just kept to themselves.
I went to meet the barn owner and she was yelling at the horse she was lunging with a not so pleasant tone. I understand that there is a level of sterness you need with an animal, but being in the horse world for 20 years, I have seen all kinds of treatment and this wasn’t what I would call good. I gave the benefit of the doubt though. We all have ways of handling and I didn’t know the horse or morning she had so moving on.
She did introduce me to the couple owners that were there, that was fine and they were nice. They said the horse care here is great and they never have to worry.
My lesson was a half and hour to 40 minutes later. For a single person with no responsibilities that would have been fine, but I had my little one being watched and I felt terrible for how long it took.
The lesson was good. We didn’t jump. She is big on equitation and safety first. Good. She wants to get to know the rider before anything else, totally fine. Her tone was good with me, but I felt like everything I had ever learned was torn down and instead of it being a good time, I felt more and more anxious. I learned a lot from her knowledge, but I think there are ways to deliver that knowledge that could have been better and more encouraging. There were a few times I almost got off and walked to my car and after the lesson I wanted to cry. Haven’t felt that way with a trainer in YEARS.
She uses a lot of examples and similarities to other things to make it easier for people to understand, she stands behind her training, she follows George Morris, and she is very serious in safety it seems. I would be too if I was running my own show too! She does it all!
Now with that being said, running your own show is a LOT of responsibility. It gave me a perspective of the horse world to look at. A lot of responsibility can mean a lot of stress too. She has a few ranch hands, but everything else is all her. My husband and I own a business so I can understand that stress.
I do believe though that there is a way to conduct yourself and your business that is professional and kind and that I did not see at this barn. When she wasn’t stressed and just talking on the phone, lovely, but under the working circumstances, not relaxing and not enjoyable.
We do this sport and throw our money into this «land pit» to enjoy, to relax, to learn to be better riders, and to love horses and I did not feel that at this barn.
As much as I would have loved to learn from her knowledge because that she has indeed, I kept thinking life is too short and I need this to be positive.
I thank her for the time and wish her and her business the best!

I strongly agree with Jess R’s review. Nance should not be allowed to work with children. She does not run a safe program. She does not work well with people.

Nance Tapley Peck is an honest, caring and compassionate person. She loves her horses, is an accomplished rider herself and really knows her stuff. Safety is her first priority, but she makes it fun for the kids and very educational. My daughter has learned so much from her — about horses, horse care, riding, as well as responsibility and self-​esteem. My 7-​year old gets her own pony, puts her halter on, leads her to the cross ties, brushes her, picks her hooves, washes her face, tacks her up, all by herself before her lesson. It is amazing how far she has progressed. She’s loving every minute of it! I was looking to find a comfortable, down-​to-​earth, wonderful equine experience for her and I’m so glad we found Peck Farm — Nance’s a gem!!!

My daughter has been riding at Peck Farm for about three years now and Nance has basically become family. The dozens of equine-​related licenses and certifications she holds shows through in her work. Not to mention the wall full of show ribbons my daughter has thanks to Nance. And safety is always number one; something you don’t always see at those «fast food-​style chain operations» that are solely interested in horse-​leasing scams and getting you off the horse as quickly as possible. We «shopped around» before choosing Nance and got over a dozen recommendations from friends in the industry and Nance’s name was a recurrent theme. She’s been riding and caring for horses all her life. Her rates are reasonable and you actually get far more than your monies worth. Give her a call and tell her Robert sent you.