Apple Tree Farm in Hollis is a terrific facility for learning to ride up to already experienced riders to learn and train in the sport of eventing, which is comprised of 3 phases -dressage, cross country and stadium jumping. I have ridden with Alison Eastman-Lawler for nearly 15 years. I joined her/Apple Tree Farm in my mid-late 30's (I just turned 50). Previously, I had done hunter/jumper riding since I was 8 years old, and had a little exposure to dressage. So when I started up with Apple Tree Farm, I was an experienced rider. Picking up dressage put a lot of things I learned over the years together and made sense, and, well, jumping cross country is just a blast! If you've love stadium jumping, you'll love cross country! Apple Tree Farm's facility grew a few years ago when the barn was rebuilt from a 3 stall barn to, well, it must be a 20 stall barn now (I'm not certain). School horses are mainly kept in outdoor paddocks with sheds behind the house and along the path to the outdoor arena, while most boarding horses are kept in the newly built barn. The outdoor riding arena has terrific footing and is quite large. It is used for flat lessons and stadium jumping lessons. The mini cross country course is situated alongside the outdoor arena. It has a bank, two ditches, variation in terrain and a small variation of cross country jumps (logs, coops, etc.) to practice over. There are even jumps on two sides of the arena to jump back and forth from the arena to the cross country field and back. Very clever!
I rode school horses early on with Apple Tree farm, but then purchased my own horse. The school horses are all good for the very timid rider up to the experienced rider. I have kept my horse at home, though on occasion I have boarded for short periods of time with Apple Tree. The care is good. The core people working with Apple Tree are good. Vets, farriers, dentists, saddle fitters, chiropractors, massage therapists, etc., are all a phone call away. There is always someone at the facility.
Apple Tree Farm hosts a variety of clinics with big names every winter when they move to their indoor facility for the cold months. The indoor is on Blood Road. A VERY big barn with decent footing in the indoor arena. Parts of the facility need updating, but it is a nice barn overall.
For those wanting a change of scenery, Apple Tree Farm South is down in Aiken, SC. Alison goes south from January thru mid-April. She hosts a kids camp and an adult camp each time she's in Aiken. The camps are fun and educational and she tries to organize the camps so that you can enter a school or USEA recognized show during your stay.
Being a long time rider with Apple Tree, I only have positive things to say about the people and the facility. read more