My 8 year-old daughter has taken lessons from Hillary at Glen Grove for a few months, now. Prior to that, she took lessons at Freedom Woods. I think both stables are great, but we continue to prefer Glen Grove for a few reasons. First, her trainer really does a great job of instructing her in a positive way and also just letting her ride. During my daughter's half-hour lesson, she spent the majority of the time actually trotting/cantering/jumping, while at the same time, working on technique. At Freedom Woods, it seems more time is spent honing technique and less time actually riding. Second, the school horses she's ridden (Terra, Simon, Lily, Tweety) are really great. They trot or canter continuously, as opposed to the horses at Freedom Woods (CJ, Princess, Eli) who tend to be more stubborn and rarely make it around the entire ring before stopping. Third, the instructors and front desk folks are really nice. I always feel welcome at Glen Grove. In truth, though, I would say the same about Freedom Woods, too. Last, Glen Grove is a little less expensive (lessons are $40 for private, $35 for a half hour group - compared to $45 for a private at Freedom Woods). I would highly recommend Glen Grove!
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