Horse Country Farm

Wow, some of the feedback below is a bit harsh. My daughter, who is 8 now, has done three camps at HCF, she loves it. If the ladies are a little crumpy, she doesn't seem to mind. As for the bridge, it is part of the adventure and charm! The horse that is blind in one eye was not blinded there and in fact many horses that are not used for the camps are rescues. They are keeping it real at HCF, they are country people and maybe this camp won't appeal to some gentrified folks, but we really like it, and we are city people.\r more

Last year, August 2010, my 6 year old went to 'cowboy camp' for 10 days. At the end of his time there he , all 60 pounds of him, was able to confidently and skillfully manuvere a 500 pound horse! We were very impressed! (OK - I'm not very calibrated about horse weight - but it was a small adult horse),\r He went for 10 days and not once did he protest about going, whine, resist or whimper. His only complaint was that there weren't many boys in his class and he wished there were more boys.\r We will be returning, because he wants to. This is very important, that he wants to, because he had a good experience.\r My son has a developmental delay - ODD- oppositional defiance diisorder. Following directions, obeying commands, is almost impossible for him. ""Come sit down and we can read a story' - this is almost impossible for him. \r If he had had any negative experiences at HC there is no way he would have continued to attend. NONE.\r But he had a good time - we will be returning this year. Hopefully more boys will be going this year too! more

I checked out the reviews for this place and decided that even though they weren't so great I'd go anyways. When my husband and I got there they were really nice and were cotinually nice to the paying customers BUT they were very inconsiderate of the children who volunteer there. The lady who owns the place and her daughter both have been in the military and yell at the kids a lot and I mean A LOT. It was really awkward most of the time and there was a lot of tension. The daughter of the owner criticizes the kids on EVERYTHING that they do by yelling at them in front of the customers. Needless to say it was a very uncomfortable experience. One good thing is the horses seem really happy but that doesn't really make up for how the kids are treated in my opinion. It seems like the only positive reviews on here are from people who lease horses there. I won't go here again. more

First of all like another review said, the bridge is not safe at all!!!! When you do arive its muddy. I understand its a horse stable and I'm not a girly girl but this was rediculous there was no piece of solid ground anywhere! Then the first person we talk to is an 8 year old about our trail ride. The owner is no where to be found and we wait for about 15 minutes until two 14 year old girls come and help us. they show us the barn which is filthy and falling apart. One horse has no eye because it poked it out on a nail..... poor thing. Another horse had a hurt foot had a grocery bag around it with ducktape over that.... They are like a back yard breeder for horses. One hourse seems to father like 10 horses there.\r \r The girl has no idea what horse I am suppose to ride. The horses are left with saddles on which I do not think is appropriate. Finally we get on horses and do a training course where the owner finally appears. All she does is yell at the kids for doing things wrong. \r \r Now we finally get to go do what we came to do, go on a nice trail ride on a beautiful day. The ""trail ride"" was no joke a small figure 8 that we did over and over again. After about 20 minutes of our ""trail ride"" we heard back to the barn....the problem? We signed up for an hour long trail ride......When we are done she asked whos money is she taking? We pay the 35 dollars each for hour HOUR trail ride costing us 70 dollars!!!!! \r \r Rip off of your money and I feel guilty that I am helping that place stay in buissness. more

I have been leasing here for over 4 years. Why? I love this place. I love my teachers, I love my friends, and most of all, I love the horses! The teachers here are excellent and they will teach you, not just how to ride, but how to take care of a horse, groom/saddle your horse, clean stalls, and many other things like what things are poisonous to horses and what can make your relationship better with them. They teach you how to be strong and fend for yourself, and in the long run it does make you a stronger person. I love the teachers here. The horses are all so sweet. All they are looking for is love in return! Which is what they get, every day. I know the owners love their horses, as well as me and the other leasors. Horse Country Farm is amazing(: more

I have worked for Horse Country for a little over 6 months now. I have to admit I was intimidated for a second by the bridge but it really is nothing to be worried about that bridge is safe. The people that look at it and say it isnt are the same people that would have complained at the other bridge which when the water came to flooding stage the water would come rushing at the base of the bridge and had no room for debree floating down river to pass. I started off working just sundays. I was taught the proper and safe way to do things with the horses before being able to do things on my own.(groom, tack, walk, ride, clean stalls, feed, everything.)The interactions and the things you get to do at Horse Country everytime your there is everything you would need to do if you owned the horse. I loved Horse country so much that I started working some Saturdays as well I now work all Sundays and 2 Saturdays a month. The owners of this farm are great they will teach you many things and if you ask questions you can expect to get the honest true answer. I have learned soooo much working at Horse Country it seems that every time I'm there something else pops in my mind to ask Shannon and Colleen and they are more then willing to share the answers and go indept with the answer not just the answer of because which I have gotten at other places. Shannon and Colleen care about their animals and their customers They do everything for your saftey and the horses saftey. We have many different horses and they all get fed according to their needs different horses go to fields for the night time and others go up on the mountain for the night however when it's really rainy, snowy, icy, etc., they're in the barns. Of course, during the summer it's a different story. When the horses are out at night they get to play with the other horses as a herd which they need because they are social animals and have a herd mentality. At Horse Country the Leasers, Volunteers, Students, and Owners are all like one big Horse Country ""Family"" If you really want to learn the way to ride and have the passion for horses the way that the horse country ""Family"" does then come and visit horse coutnry is the place for you. However if you want everything handed to you and expect the horse to do the work for you then Horse Country is NOT for you for the simple fact that at horse country The Horse MUST enjoy the ride as much as the rider.\r \r \r more

I've been a volunteer/leaser/student for SIX years. Why do I keep coming back? keep reading! If you're looking for a sterile fancy pants place to ride without learning, keep walking, this is not your place. If you're looking to LEARN what a real farm is about, how to actually RIDE-instead of just sit on-a horse this IS your place! If you're just looking for a trail ride, or riding lesson, they definitely offer that (with a groomed,tacked horse, ready to go), but there is just SO MUCH MORE. You can still have a great time on a trail ride or lesson, BUT you won't be able to go above your proficiency level. Understand that is for your safety & the horses, you'll STILL have FUN! Are the horses ""too tired"" to respond? Not at all. If you know how to ride, they respond nicely, if you're challenged, they will baby sit you instead, not move too quickly, the horses DO know the difference. Everything at the farm is safety first. The bridge from the parking lot to the farm is a SAFE adventure. If you're scared of that first step, you probably shouldn't be riding, either. Horses don't come with padding & safety net attached. The horses are well cared for, but we live in the PacNW here-it rains! The owners are two of the most genuine, caring people I know, if you take the time to find out. You can learn a whole lot from them. Colleen is a Horsewoman who has vast knowledge of horses & a farm. Her teaching style is caring & she explains the 'why' that goes along with her instruction. Shannon is a published Writer/School Teacher whose style is ""fork your own broncs"" (that's an old west term for ""take care of your own stuff""!). She teaches you to be independent. The horses being mistreated, beaten or things thrown at actual PEOPLE by the owners??! Completely fabricated lies. Do the horses get disciplined? Absolutely, if needed. Dominance is a part of horse training-read up! If you ""baby"" a horse, or ignore indiscretions (can you imagine doing that with your kids?), you'll get nowhere fast. It is only done when needed, NEVER as a beating. Love, Language & Leadership-all in equal doses. You may outgrow HCF in skill and ability. They expect this. They will give you, or your children, an excellent foundation. For many of us, it's our HOME & we're happy where we are! more

I took lessons at Horse Country Farm and worked for the owner along with some other kids. It was a horrible experience. \r Firstly, it is unsafe. The ""bridge"" you have to cross to get to the farm is extremely dangerous, and one slip can cause you to fall headfirst into the river below. Also, it is impossible to walk past the horses' stalls. All of them stick out their heads and bite whoever walks by. \r Second, the place is, literally, falling apart. Some of the horses' stalls are so muddy and broken up, and the ceilings are so low, that the poor creatures can neither stand straight nor have any room to lay down. \r The owner may seem nice at first, but once you sign a contract to come there and work and take lessons, she's an entirely different person. The owner is very mean to the kids and horses. She yells, swears, and sometimes throws things (i.e. rakes, pitchforks, buckets) at the children. The horses are also abused. If they don't listen, she screams at them, kicks them, or whips their bodies, and faces. (I was a witness to this). During the winter, the horses' water buckets are frozen solid. Nobody changes the water. They wait until somewhere to mid-day for it to melt. I'm no expert, but I think even I know that horses shouldn't drink ice cold water. \r The tack and equipment are not cared for. They are filthy and some lay around on the floor. \r \r I cannot say that I didn't learn anything there, but I believe I could have learned MUCH more during that period of time in a different place. \r I do not recommend this place to anyone who cares about horses our their children's well-being. Personally, it is extremely stressful seeing such wonderful creatures in such drastic conditions. These horses deserve a better place to live, with a nice caring home and an owner that loves them. Pros: There are horses Cons: they are mistreated, its an unsafe place, rude owner more