Emeri Kitchell of Ijula Equestrian has set up an outstanding riding program at Jaz Creek in Petaluma, CA! Emeri is such a knowledgeable instructor who knows horses and how to get the most of your time riding them. She does this with a gifted understanding of how to feel your way through to communicating gently, but clearly, with your horse. She has an extensive set of tools that bring horse and rider enjoying their time together. The skills that Emeri brings to Ijula Equestrian combine with her wonderful eye in her horse and pony selection. Each of them is a good-natured, hard-working, and comfortable ride. The horses seem to really want to work with the rider. I credit this to the environment and training regimen that Emeri has created at Ijula Equestrian. Besides being an articulate instructor who explains recommendations well to her clients, she is so warm and friendly all while being a consummately caring professional with a great sense of humor. In addition to the wonderful combination of Emeri Kitchel and the horses she has selected for us to enjoy, Ijula Equestrian at Jaz Creek offers outstanding facilities. My favorites are these: 1. Enormous indoor arena with exceptional footing 2. Large outdoor arena with a great variety of ground poles and jumps to match all levels with a variety of patterns, routines, and courses that allow Emeri to offer a tremendous variety in our lessons' activities. 3. Tack-up area indoors right next to the tack room with full supplies for grooming your horse or pony. Combining the qualities of this instructor, her horses, and Jaz Creek's facilities all under Emeri Kitchell's leadership, I cannot recommend Ijula Equestrian highly enough. It is for all these reasons that I always leave there feeling happy and energized. read more