I've been riding at Rose Gate Farm for over 8 years. I've never left a review before because it's…read moreso hard to fully give justice to how incredible my experience has been, but I think that makes it even more important to try to share it.
On my first visit to Rose Gate, I was searching for a barn that was right for me and after a few failed attempts, I realized that you can tell a lot about a horse facility (as with many things), by paying attention to where the time and money are focused. My first impression of Rose Gate was that it's a modest facility, certainly there are flashier ones out there. Then I went into the barn to see the horses. All of them looked fantastic- they were clearly expensive, well cared for horses. At a closer look, their feet were trimmed (I always look at that specifically because I've found that barns trying to save money often go too long between trims), their coats were shiny, they had water in clean buckets; they looked healthy and happy... And then I found a hole in the tack room floor, and I knew then that the majority of the time, money, and attention here was going to the care of the horses. I thought perhaps this could be the barn for me, but I was curious how the lesson would go because I'd never had a riding instructor quite like Pete.
During my first lesson, I was struck by how intuitively Pete gave direction and how quickly I could feel the difference in my riding. I'd never had an instructor point out a seemingly minor form adjustment- I think it had something to do with my elbow sticking out too far or being bent too much- and when he told me how to correct it, suddenly I could feel that I had a better line of communication with the horse. Something I was doing was disrupting my signals to the horse through the bit, and I'd never had an instructor who could notice and articulate something like that before and help me fix it. I'd been riding since I was 8 years old and that day I began to realize how much more there was to learn. I had found the right barn for me and I'm so glad I did. I've learned so much at Rose Gate, have ridden many amazing horses, and have met some wonderful people along the way. My experience there has truly been one of the most meaningful ones in my life and every time I visit, I feel so lucky to be there and so thankful to be able to learn about riding and caring for horses from someone who has so much to teach. If you really want to learn about horsemanship, you're willing to put in the hard work that entails, and you're humble enough to listen to feedback and hold yourself accountable, this is the best place to do that.
In case you're wondering about the hole in the tack room floor, yes, it was repaired before my next visit the following week. But I'm certain all the horses were fed, watered, and had clean stalls before that happened, and I have all the respect in the world for that. Some places were built for the money they can generate, but it seems to me that Rose Gate Farm exists for the horses and the pursuit of learning how to get along with them, which is something that's surprisingly hard to find.
