My sister has Spina Bifida, and her physical therapist recommended horseback riding to help build…read moreher core strength. So, we rode at Hoof Prints (or "Four Steps and Hoof Prints", as it was called then) for about 18 months.
First and foremost, I want to say that this is where I gained a love of horses, as well as the core knowledge of how to ride, groom, tack, feed, etc., which I've now gone on to use at my job. And I greatly appreciated the modifications Ms. Sandy and her team made for my sister (letting her mount from the back deck for example), as well as Ms. Sandy letting my brother and I ride with my sister (which we weren't originally going to do).
The overall environment, however, was extremely negative.
At the time, I was 7-8, my sister was a year younger, and my 2 brothers were a few years younger than that.
But that didn't seem to matter to Ms. Sandy, who yelled at us for just about everything. (we weren't fast enough, strong enough, etc.)
She yelled at her staff for tiny things, yet didn't correct them for larger ones (example: she once had my brother and I ride double, but the helper neglected to check and tighten the girth. As a result, the saddle dumped us, but Ms. Sandy yelled at us and didn't say anything to the aid.)
Her expectations were unrealistically high given how young we were, how little experience we had (which was absolutely none), and the limitations my sister has.
The horses regularly escaped, but she never figured out how they were escaping.
Eventually, my mom felt it was unsafe to continue riding there, and so we left. However, I have maintained contact with some of the staff there (who had become friends) and they've said that all of this has not changed since I was there.
Overall, I would have to say that I do not recommend this facility to anyone.
