Big Oak Ranch

Wonderful place to be! I had not been to Big Oak for about 6 years and popped up with a friend who is taking lessons there to see if they had any boarding available and all I can say is WOW what an improvement!!! The horses were well cared for, both trainers on site were very informative and gave us a lot options. So many things to do at the ranch now, Rhonda was out with a group of beginners that were at various levels and it was fun to watch her interaction not only was it positive for the new riders but her students that show also interacted and made everyone feel welcome. This is THE PLACE TO BE!

I’m sure glad I didn’t read some of these reviews before I started out at Big Oak or I might not have gone! My daughter has been riding there for 2 years now and has grown so much in her riding. I think one needs to keep in mind that a horse stable is an ever changing venue on a daily basis. These are living beings that bring with them issues that occur without notice on a daily basis. For instance, you can’t help if a vet has to come up during your lesson time or the hay delivery guy is 2 hours later than he told you. When you have clients who travel 45 mins to an hour, sometimes they are late due to traffic, so they may be having a lesson the same time as you are. It’s just the nature of the beast. It’s an eb and flow. Sometimes, you’ll have a whole hour with her to make up for lost time or in my case, a whole day at a show one on one. Also, someone mentioned the horses below being neglected and those up top not. Like any stable, there are horses whose owners pay for them to be ridden every day and trained every day regardless if they are there or not and those who pay for board only and never come visit their horse to groom or ride them. Some of them are riding out their last years there. From an insurance liability standpoint, she is only allowed to do what is contracted of her. But they are all fed every day, checked on every day and if there is an issue, Rhonda notifies the owner. If you are capable of grooming and tacking your own horse and know the essential warmup (which takes 10 – 15 mins) why would she nned to stick around to watch that? A stable with 25+ horses is an ever moving/​changing thing. Rhonda is well respected in the horse training world. This is our first show season with her and being out and about watching how her riders do, what people have to say about her training is all amazing. I would encourage you to come on out and see if its for you.

My 9 year-​old daughter had her first horse back riding lesson last week and she enjoyed every minute of it from beginning to end. We just looked her up in this website and I was a bit skeptical as this sport can be dangerous. The horse is very kid friendly and the place and drive is great. She is a very pleasant lady and very professional. Kudos and we will be back again for subsequent lessons.

Bleacgh. Awful. Impersonal. Rude. «Instruction» given in between her cell phone calls, training other horses, and chatting with her friends on the benches, when a paying client’s presence should register more than a blip on the radar. Questions answered with the barest of information or interest. Feedback poor, and apathetic. Perhaps experiences vary? You can risk it. Would not recommend, except to steer clear.

Both my husband and I started taking lessons in the fall, and couldn’t be happier!
Rhonda (the owner & instuctor) is amazing! She breaks down each movement clearly, so whether you are just starting or working on more advanced maneuvers, she passes on her considerable knowledge in a way you’ll understand!
She teaches adult and kids alike, both English & western disciplines, and even preps students for local shows!
I also like that she tailors lessons to each individual … My husband and I ride during the same time, and she has me focussing on collection & bending, while he is working on his posting trot & his seat at the lope.
It’s nice that she doesn’t overload us during our lesson, too. She’ll give us something to work on, explain it & answer questions, and then let us do our thing.
(I have had other instructors in the past who barely let me accustomed to a new concept before briskly moving onto the next. I found it hard to build muscle memory or fully grasp what they were teaching.)
I felt so at home here, that when I bought my first horse in October, I decided to board him at Big Oak. My little arab is currently in training with Rhonda, and he is shaping up to be a wonderful mount for me! She has taken an introverted, easily spooked, green-​ish gelding & given him confidence through training to simply blossom!
Now, even with all those evil shiny tarps or scary tumbleweeds, he doesn’t bat an eye and keeps focussed on what we’re doing! He even moves off my leg now, collects nicely, and keeps a nice head position despite all those scary distractions ;)

If you’re looking for lessons, training, or horse boarding get out here. It’s a lovely area, Rhonda Heiner is the trainer and instructor and this woman is great. I’ve been taking lessons here for about three years now and when I finally get my own beastie I’ll make the 20 min drive out there. It’s a beautiful area, very woody and clean looking. The people up here are great fun and very friendly and they have a nice range of lesson horses for people from «I’ve never seen a horse in person» to «I ride championship» So if you’re thinking about a lesson or anything take the trip out here, but be sure to call ahead and get the gate code. The property owners aren’t happy when they get calls to the house from Rhonda’s people.