I can't say enough good things about this barn & the lady that owns I!…read more Christine is all about the horses. She is very knowledgeable about Equine nutrition & supplements. The property is clean & well maintained inside & outside. My 2 horses are very happy and have never looked better. My horses are turned out every day, all day. The stalls are large & clean. The staff is friendly and very helpful. The riding is awesome! You can ride around the property as well as the Forest Preserve that is across the street. They also have a big indoor arena as well as a round pen & outdoor arena. All things considered I would call this "Horse Heaven".

Get a new manager. She is a pathological liar, creates a toxic environment and has a horrible…read morereputation. I know the farm is being torn down in 2027 which will be a huge loss for the horse community as there are fewer and fewer good barns that are affordable any longer

I cannot recommend Freedom Woods, nor my instructor, Steven, highly enough!!…read more I had limited opportunities to ride over my lifetime, but at 51, a couple of months ago, I signed up for formal lessons under Steven's tutelage. He is an incredible instructor, who rightly places the horses's welfare and comfort level, and the rider's safety, above all else. He clearly factors in my (in) experience and age as well as the various horses' ages, temperaments, personal quirks, and any extreme seasonal weather, to make sure both myself and the horse are safe, comfortable, relaxed, and having fun - and every ride has demonstrated that, crystal clear. He will not hesitate to point out any mistakes I am making, especially when they may impact the horse's comfort level - which is exactly what should happen. He then gives very concise and clear explanation of the mistake, as well as what the correct approach should be, and often circles back later to make sure the correct approach was understood or to verbally let me know I properly understood and implemented it. The horses I have ridden so far are honestly perfect - I call one the Cadillac of horses haha - so any issues with my rides are entirely on me not communicating properly to my horse or following Steven's directions properly. I am old enough to muddle things up in my mind when I'm trying to think, ride, and listen all at once these days, but I can see he is factoring that in as well constantly, and he works piecemeal on specific aspects of riding so I get repetition and practice...and hopefully something sticks to the flypaper in my brain! I also feel like every single lesson offers the chance for improvements, however small - small not because of the stellar horses or teaching haha but because this student has so far to go and isn't the fastest learner!! Even so, it is awesome and empowering to feel I'm maybe a teeny tiny bit of a better rider in some way, every time I dismount after a lesson here. I tell Steven the same thing every week because it is my heartfelt truth - this is the best part of my week! What a joy!! I cannot recommend Freedom Woods highly enough!

Ive been riding every day since summer and have completely transformed not just as a person, but as…read morea rider. Everyone is so kind and welcoming. I was very anxious due to my high stakes tech job and this stable healed me. I volunteer in their hippotherapy program which has done wonders for the children that need it. Thank you to the family of Freedom Woods :)

Daughter still rides here... and I still spend 2 to 3 hours a week hanging out talking to animals…read morewhile she does her thing. (Not sure who enjoys the time more - her, or me?) Still a really friendly business - including owner, staff and boarders. Overall cleanliness of the barn (it's all relative, right?) is great - everything is ship shape and tidy - and there are always little things that show continuous effort to keep everything orderly. Horses get fantastic care, boarders are happy. All in all - a good business.

This facility goes above and beyond when it comes to meeting your expectations. Wether you want to…read morego in to a competitive sport, buy/sell a horse, english, western, or just because you love horses, then this is the barn for not only you; but everyone. It is the most gorgeous, and quite place. Everyone is family and there is new opportunities to exceed everyday, not only while working with the horses, but yourself. They have the best most experienced trainers and facility. Their horses are top notch, and willing to make you too. This is a relaxed environment specializing in many disciplines of the equine. I bored my horse here, am on their competitive hunter jumper team, and I would never imagine leaving. I've meet so many people, and willing to call all of them my family and best friends. I find myself wanting to go to Cross Winds more than going home. I consider this my 2nd home.

I have been at McCrae Farm for the past 4 years with my horse and as a student of Jill's. Could…read morenot be happier with my experience here. Not only is Jill a great trainer but she is very understanding of rider's and their horses. I can not imagine having a better group of boarders at a barn and we all have so much fun together. Jill has managed to craft a very unique experience at McCrae Farm with amazing people and horses. Cannot recommend McCrae Farm enough for anyone looking to board their horse or take lessons. Jill specializes in French Classical dressage but we also have clinics on Quadrille riding, Working Equitation and Liberty.

I cannot thank Jeff (owner) enough for creating such a memorable first time riding experience for…read moremy 6 year old niece! He matched her with the sweetest trainer Kelli who took the time to decorate the, already beautiful, horse's mane with roses and put a unicorn horn on his bridle. Kelli engaged my niece throughout the entire 45 min lesson with different games. The lesson ended with the horse "taking a bow." After the lesson we sipped on hot chocolate and Kelli took us on a tour of the beautiful property to see the other horses, goats and chickens. It was a magical experience, and one Jessie will remember forever!

This is a beautiful and well kept facility. My only complaint is not unique to this facility but is…read moredirected at the people responsible for competition format. There is no apparent schedule and thus you have no idea when your child (or in our case, your grandchild) will compete. Consequently we sat in the heat and humidity all day just waiting for her to be called to the ring.

A good quality hunter jumper barn if you are in the area! Hosts great quality horseshows and Anita…read moreis super helpful and friendly

Walk On provides adaptive horseback riding to people with all kinds of disabilities, from very…read moreyoung kids to senior citizens. I cannot say enough positive things about Walk On, its staff, and volunteers. I wish I had found adaptive horseback riding sooner. I tried to when I was younger, but I couldn't find a place that would let me with my physical disability, even through my special recreation program. I heard horseback riding is beneficial for people with Cerebral Palsy and other disabilities. I have chronic pain in my neck, shoulders, and back from sitting in my wheelchair for long periods of time. Riding definitely helps relieve my pain for several hours at a time. Mary Illing is Walk On's Program Director and President. Mary is a Licensed Occupational Therapist, PATH Certified Master Level Instructor, Certified Carriage Driving Instructor and Meredith Manor Horsemanship Certificate holder. She is very nice. She's a knowledgeable and involved instructor. Mary oversees all of the lessons and the initial evaluation, at least she did for me. You're in good hands with Mary. Mary will assess your ability to ride and your unique the level of assistance you need while riding. For me, I usually need three people assisting me; one person walking the horse and two people (one on either side) holding my thighs and/or leg. I feel totally secure and haven't fallen (knock on wood). I'm not the most graceful mounting the horse. They have a ramp so that you can take your wheelchair or mobility device and be high enough to mount the horse. I'm able to mount with two people assisting me walking on both sides of my waist; I swing one of my legs over and then sit down. They also have a lift that goes around the shoulders and picks you up if you can't do it manually. The dismount is easier. It involves me putting one arm around Mary while someone else is on the other side of me and then swinging my leg over and jumping off to a standing position. The following is an e-mail from Mary. It's from the spring of 2015, so keep in mind the prices may change. I'm sharing this just to give you an idea of the price: "Here are our fees. We require an OT evaluation which costs $150. We offer 1/2 hour semi-private (2 riders) at a cost of $35 per lesson. We offer 4 sessions winter spring summer and fall. Sessions are between 8-14 lessons depending on the session. You sign up for a session. If you sign up in the middle of a session then we prorate the session cost. There is an administration fee of $25 per session. Those are all the fees. We encourage you to come out and see the facility and meet us. There are extensive forms to fill out before we can start riding. I hope this helps. If you need more information please e-mail me or call 847-381-4231." You can do more than 30 minute sessions here: semi-private 45 minute sessions are $53 each and semi-private hour sessions are $60. If you do the math, the 45 minute session is the least cost effective, but only by a few cents per hour. The riding fee seems more affordable than the other adaptive horseback riding organizations in the area (https://www.rush.edu/health-wellness/autism-resource-center/child-adolescent-services/recreational-events-and-programs-0), although I can't speak to the other organization's evaluation fees. There was confusion on how to get the application form. Mary initially said I could come in to get the forms, but there wasn't any when I went in. They were able to e-mail me the forms. Risa is the Office Manager and is usually the person responding to e-mails. Their e-mail address is walkonfarm@comcast.net. There is a medical authorization form your doctor needs to sign. I enjoy the social component of horseback riding; getting to know the staff and volunteers, who put up with my uncontrollable laughter. My session is at the end of the day, so Mary sometimes lets me feed Taco, the horse I ride, snacks from a big bin from my lap. I enjoy this time with Taco as much as riding. Everything is wheelchair accessible. They have a big accessible restroom with low grab bars, probably for the children. They have a spacious parking lot with accessible spaces. My iPhone Maps doesn't recognize this address, but it can find N Hart Rd and W Cuba Rd, Barrington, IL. Walkonfarm.org says: "Walk On's mission is dedicated to providing equine assisted activities to people with physical, cognitive, social and emotional disabilities. Equine assisted activities provide motivational, educational and recreational benefits that enhance the quality of life through interaction with the horse. The goal of Walk On is to partner with the horses to inspire the participants to reach their highest potential. While riding a horse, students are given the opportunity to feel freedom and power through movement..." I realize that horseback riding isn't for everyone. I recommend checking it out if you are interested. It seems beneficial for people with all kinds of disabilities.

I don't understand why they don't help financially if you can't afford the entire fee for riding…read more My son has Down Syndrome and has rode since he was 3 yrs old in different states who always had open arms and a big heart! This place won't ever call me back because I have asked them to reduce what I would have to pay as always been done at his other stables as a non profit organization.

Somerset is my second home. Everyone is super nice and supportive! This is the only place I'd board…read moremy horse! She came in not ideal condition and now she's thriving all thanks to somerset. They take great care of the barn and just built a new outdoor! They have a great lesson and boarding program. 100% Recommend to everyone!

I do not recommend this barn. My daughter went there a couple years and rode on their IEA team…read more Overall I found it poorly managed and unprofessional. They do not invest in their facility and it shows. Bad roof leaks. Questionable electric. A bathroom that never worked in the 2+ years we were there. They do have a year round porta john. Promises to create an outdoor arena that never happened while we were there. They had some great lesson horses but they were overworked. Anyone who raised concerns about this was immediately shut down. The horses very, very rarely went outside. They're either in the arena or in stalls. I once heard the owner say "our horses don't like to be outside." Huh?? I saw a stall in back the size of a dog kennel that a medium sized pony lived in for months. They openly bad-mouth people (kids!) who leave the barn. I watched several families leave and soon figured out why. It's just not a good environment or well-run business. You can find a much better place to spend your money and time.

Wonderful riding facility, great lessons, full service. The trainers are top notch. You truly get…read moreyour moneys worth. Great care of the horses.