I had bought a horse from an auction, it wasn't until I brought him home that I found out he had…read morebeen drugged and was not a beginner horse like he had been portrayed to be. I discovered that he had been mistreated and had poor experiences in being ridden. When Jenny began to work with him, he slowly started to open up to us. His trust was brought back after being worked with in groundwork and liberty. He accepted Jenny to sit and ride on him bareback or in a saddle, and without a bit after months of not being ridden. His personality has become friendly and calm, through our gentle and slow journey. Overall I would like to say that Jenny is talented, patient, and respects both the horses and their owners. She is open-minded, and is always trying to learn more and gain more experiences through clinics and research. She works with every horse differently to line up with their needs and strengths/weaknesses.

My teenage daughter and I both ride at Brackenhollow and absolutely love the community there. We…read moretransitioned from another barn where we felt the 'horse management' side of things was missing. At Brackenhollow, we've found exactly what we were looking for: real experiences with horsemanship and people who are happy to share their knowledge. A major highlight for my daughter is the Brackenhollow Pony Club, which offers an incredible extra curriculum. It covers everything from unmounted horse care and bandaging to rally prep, providing the deep technical knowledge that is so hard to find elsewhere. Not only have our riding skills improved under the guidance of incredibly kind and knowledgeable instructors, but we've also deepened our hands-on experience by working at the barn. The best part is that you get out what you put in - whether you want to be deeply involved in the 'gross and glorious' side of horse care or just enjoy your weekly ride, there's a place for you. You can be as involved as you want to be. The instructors are amazing, the students are supportive, and it is completely down-to-earth rather than overly competitive while also offering competition experience if desired (my daughter just started showing in jumper events last summer). We are so happy we found our home here!

Riding at Brackenhollow is a like a mini-vacation which clears my mind of all my cares every time I…read moream there. Really! Joanna and Duschka have had an immense amount of training from international experts and have impressive competition experience but are not pretentious. They give lessons to everyone from beginners to advanced competitors. They own a variety of horses of different sizes, colors, and breeds covering every level. Riders can also bring their own horse in for lessons. Before and after lessons, riders are taught how to groom, tack up and untack, and check their horse. Joanna and Duschka teach dressage, jumping, cross-country and eventing skills including training for competition and pony club ratings. I have been riding and taking lessons for over 10 years with Joanna and Duschka. I started as an adult having never really ridden as a kid and being a bit scared of horses. Starting with private lunge lessons I learned to balance properly enough to ride in group lessons. Soon I ended up taking riding twice a week and attended weeklong adult summer camp. Now I lease a horse at a neighboring barn and have weekly lessons at Brackenhollow. Lessons are not cheap but are great exercise that is well worth the money and much cheaper than having your own horse. I have seen many riders at Brackenhollow go from being timid or shy to become confident riders or competitors able to manage their horses even in difficult situations. Brackenhollow may not appear to be a fancy barn like others in the area but is a gem of a find near the Emerald City!

This is an amazing, under-appreciated asset for the Mercer Island community…read more You don't have to be a horse owner to enjoy this -- you can take lessons, send your kid to one of the summer camps, rent or lease a part-interest in a horse if you get more serious, or just hang out on the bleachers and watch people ride. Our child started riding here as a little girl and it's a very safe, fun and pleasant place to spend time. It's run as a co-op, meaning that horse owners are responsible for the care, exercise, and maintenance of their horse (and stall). That keeps costs down, and also gives kids who aren't horse owners a chance to participate (exercising horses, getting part time jobs cleaning stalls, etc.). You'll know your kid is serious when she's standing in the rain on a winter night scooping up horse poop as part of the "deal" to keep taking riding lessons. The only real downside of this place is there is a l-o-n-g waiting list to get a stall in the barn. (Think years, not months). Through lessons, borrowing and leasing horses part time there are plenty of chances to ride...but actually securing a place to keep a horse if you own one requires lots of patience.

The Mercer Island Saddle club is a wonderful place. My 10 year old daughter has been welcomed by…read moreeveryone, and the leadership has made an effort to include her in everything that happens at the barn. Pony club classes are offered there, and they have made an effort for girls who do not own horses to be included every step of the way. The leadership, the barn manager, and the barn president holds a tremendous amount of integrity in all they do, and I am grateful they are there.

I have been boarding my horse with Black Forest stables for the last year and couldn't be happier…read more So happy to finally find a perfect fit for my gelding. Nancy and Vic are great and take great care of all the horses. They treat their boarders as if they were their own horses. The facilities are well maintained and remarkably mud free, even last winter during the rainiest year on record! I really appreciate that they put horses out in groups - slowly at first to acclimate a new horse- but eventually working up to herd because the horses are so much happier that way. They have a nice covered arena as well as round pen and best of all- miles of trails right out the back pasture! Horses have access to covered areas no matter what field they are in and of course free access to water and great grass in the spring and summer. They feed high quality hay as well. They are always quick to let me know if my horse needs anything and always responsive if I need something from them. Rates are fair and reasonable and overall a great barn. I've added some picture of the trails, fields and arena.

I feel so lucky to have my horse at Greenlight Farms. Of course it is absolutely beautiful but…read moreeven more importantly, I know my horse is in the best hands. Gabrielle and her team ensure that every detail to the horses physical and mental safety is looked after. The stalls are beautiful , the footing in the ring is perfectly maintained, and there is plenty of all year turn-out. The outdoor arena is brand new! Happy horses and happy owners. I cannot recommend this farm enough.

Flicka Farm in Bridle trails is the barn for a person who wants to learn the full circle of horse…read moreownership. It is a combination of youth lesson barn and horse owners from all ages. The number one thing is the Flicka Family. It is a true community feeling at the barn and the age bracket among the riders are all from young beginners to riders up in their 70s. Recently more and more men have showed up for beginner lessons. The instructors teaches both western and English riding. I would highly recommend learning western at this barn. It is fairly easy to find instructors for English riding. Proper western riding is harder to find, unless you There are few lesson barns that are not show-barns that give such an in depth education in western riding. If you are looking for a hard core competition barn, this is not the place for you. If you on the other hand want a thorough education in how to take care of and keep your horse as safe as possible, maybe attend a couple of shows a year, just for fun, this is your place. The barn is in direct access to all the wonderful trails of Bridle trails and lessons are provided to teach appropriate and safe trail-riding.

I found Meghann after a 10+ year break from any formal lesson program. She was able to take me from…read morenoodle legs and panting after two laps around the ring to confidently cantering small courses within a month. I've been around competitive show barns for almost 20 years and I was so happy riding at Hunter's Run. The lesson horses are sturdy, reliable, and FUN. The staff and boarders are welcoming, friendly, and knowledgeable. The facility is beautiful, her ring has great footing, and the covered area is a godsend with the Washington weather. I personally took lessons with Meghann. She was fantastic to work with. She was easy to communicate with. She listened to me and was able to quickly cater to my learning style. It's been a long time since I've been so confident on a horse and it's absolutely from her guidance (and awesome lesson horses.) Hunter's run quickly became my happy place and I had a huge smile on my face the entire time I was there. Unfortunately, I'm moving out of the area or I would be a lifer here. Can't recommend this facility enough!

Yay! I love Hunter's Run!read more

Though I haven't been able to start riding lessons at Sage Meadows with Corinne, she has been so…read morevery accommodating with me regarding setting up a schedule. After this experience, I would highly recommend this barn! Her ability to be flexible is very appreciated.