Perkins Farm

This facility is no longer Perkins Farm. The Perkins family has moved to Florida and the farm is being leased by a couple under the name Shadowfax Farm. They have changed some things a great deal. For instance, the pastures and the arena are groomed regularly and the fencing and other provisions are being repaired. Still, when the facility was still under Mrs. Perkins' care, the arena and stalls were never full of manure. Although, the Perkins may not have always used the most extravagant, state-of-the-art methods, the animals were always well-cared for and well-fed (if not overfed) and Mrs. Perkins always tried to make time for her students, even when she had very little time available. The facility now only offers boarding and use of the arena--no lessons, at present--and the horses are still very well-cared for and very content. These negative reviews sound a little trite and unfounded, and it's a pity that some people feel the need to express such sour opinions. more

Perkins is not a bad farm but I would not go there. I used to be one of the kids that worked there and I also got my first horse from(which I still have), but it is or used to be run by kids, the arena is full of poop and people tried to clean it up she dumped it back in, the pastures are a mess and the shelters are run down. They do not feed the horses unless they are brought in, and the stalls are never cleaned. She just keeps putting hay or shavings over everything. But they do have nice trails there. more

I 'm alking from an opinion of a person who has been going there for 5 years. I have great times there and i have allways been. The instructor ( Trisha Perkins ) is an awesome person and trainer and is the best i haev ever had she teaches really well and you feel like you have learned what you should learnn in one year but in one lesson. I also Have been soo happy with the horses and people there. Pros: Big arean and padicks, good horses and trainers, fun people Cons: Nothin more

We had a birthday party at Perkins Farm with 15 children ages 2 to 7.We had a Great time!The girls leading the horses were young,but attentive.Before we went in the arena area everyone was giving safety instructions and what not to do and what to be careful of.As far as stables there 7 inside arena but more outside.Four of the children were my grandchildren and they had a ball.Where planing on going back. Pros: Best in area more

As someone who used to ride at Perkins Farm, I can say that this facility is very unsafe. The summer camp is chaos, and the barn is run by childeren and teenagers. The pastures are not well cared for, and some horses are only fed if they are ridden. Tricias training methods are also very questionable. I have seen Tricia leave a lesson to go to the bathroom and never come back, leaving me to cover for her. I have also seen childeren get hurt as well as horses. When I was leasing a horse, Tricia told me I had to stop leasing the horse because someone else wanted to lease him (she had more money) even though I had given hundreds of lessons to pay to lease the horse. I was heartbroken. I really do not recommend it, and there are many more riding facilities that are safer. more

Perkins Farm is not a recomended place for your children to go for summer camp. That is where I first learned to ride. The horses there are nice, but they could be treated better. There are only about 7 stalls for a large amount of horses. Kids are giving lessons, and they could be from 9 and up. Tricia is not normally around shes inside the house. Recently her horses have been dying, from things that can be fixed. Tricia traded with the kids she worked with for leasing a horse, or tack. When you call to set up a lesson almost too often no one picks up the phone. \r THIS PLACE IS DANGEROUS. more

I really wouldn't recommend going to Perkins Farm. I don't think that the horses are abused or anything, but I really do think it is a waste of money. When I took lessons there before the barn burned down, most of the time I was being taught by 13-15 yr olds, and paying 40 dollars a lesson. I had to ask to be taught by Tricia, the owner. I know of one girl who had taken one lesson, then Tricia being shorthanded at the time, had the girl teach a lesson to someone else! After having ONE lesson! I personally would not want to be taught by an instructor who had less experience than I did! And it's true, during summer camp Tricia is rarely around. The teenage instructors pretty much run the camp, which is not professional and Not safe. When I was at camp one week I remember there were 3 or 4 accidents. In ONE week. And the facility really isn't big enough for all the horses they have. They DO have nice trails and a friendly atmosphere though, which is about all I can say for it. Sorry. Pros: Nice Trails, Nice area, Nice atmosphere Cons: Instruction, Safety more

Okay, I am one of those teenagers that used to work at Perkins Farm. There are only about 7 stalls for about 27 horses, and it is not a good place. It is run by kids, summer lessons for camp are sometimes instucted by 9 or 10 year olds. I was the second oldest instructer from Summer camp 2007 to March of this year when i quit, and I was 14 then.\r People are always getting injured and there are only a few adults that work there, off the top of my head i can think of about 4, and two of those are only there because of the cheap rates.\r So how did the farm go from being burnt down to being bigger and better? tricia perkins does not pay anyone that works there, it is basically volunteer work in exchange for lessons or lease on a horse, and, besides being a drunk, tricia does not do much of the work herself yet people pay her cash for lessons and to board horses.\r Please don't bring your children there. more

Perkins farm does NOT abuse the animals, they take very good care of them. The barn is NOT run by teenagers, there are always adults in it. The teenagers that do help out there are responsible not wild. The horses do NOT stand in manure and urine 24/7 they have clean stalls, and the field is always taken care of.Once again, do not pay attention to the other comment! Pros: high quality lessons at reasonable costs more

Never go here, they abuse the animals, and teenagers run the barn, and the horses stand 24/7 in manure and urine. more