Saddle Lake Loveland

My daughters and I were having an adventurous day. We drove by Saddle Lake and saw the Cincinnati Beracats sign and had to pull in. My girls are 8 and 5, don't ride horses but love new things. I asked them if they wanted to see some horses and they yelled YES. So, I walked around briefly, stumbled on some amazing f young lady that didn't hesitate to answer my request if my two girls could see some horses. She showed us over to the stalls and introduced us to 5 different beautiful horses. Thanks for allowing us in to see your beautiful facility, great people and wonderful animals. Maybe we'll be back someday for a more serious walk around or a camp over the summer.

Cheers.

**The first part of this review is background info and involves a different barn/owner/instructor that we ultimately left and was before we found Saddle Lake. To skip the intro, go to the part where Saddle Lake is in capital letters. It’s long, but I feel it’s important, and worth the read especially if you have kids looking to get into riding, or find a new barn you will love!**

Our daughter has been begging for a horse and for riding lessons since she could talk. The only toys she ever asked for (even now at nearly 8 years old) were for horses and horse things! She was/is obsessed!! I promised she could ride last summer, and it was already approaching August! It was then we started the process of finding a place for her to ride. We live in Anderson township and we also have 3 boys who have lots of activities, we were so relieved to have found a barn within minutes of home. We called, immediately we were booked for a 4 session beginners “package”. Our 1st lesson there was awful! The owner/instructor did nothing but scream at/belittle all the kids/parents for any slight infraction. We continued for another lesson the next week, assuming she had a bad day. That decision will live forever as one of the BIGGEST mistakes of my life! The 2nd lesson was worse. The owner/instructor asked my 7 y/o (who was in the second hour of ever having been on a horse) how to dismount. She was confused, took the wrong foot out of her stirrup, and that’s all it took to send this woman into a fit of rage! She grabbed my daughter by the legs and yanked her down to the ground! She was hurt, sad, angry, embarrassed and confused. I texted to tell her we wouldn’t be back and asked for a refund given the situation. She said no, and told us we needed thicker skin.That’s when I decided to do more in depth research, realizing not all barns/instructors/owners were created equally! This is when we found:

Missy Jo and SADDLE LAKE!
Even from the very start, things were so very different! I sent an email inquiry to Missy Jo to tell her we had to find a new barn and wondered if they had availability for our then 7 year old. I figured I would reply with more questions, as all of my dealings at the old barn were via text/email as the other owner suggested she didn’t have time to talk on the phone. Missy Jo responded immediately to my email with the request to call her anytime that night after the sun went down. So I did. I immediately felt a sense of calm come over me when I realized Missy Jo was so kind and welcoming, and didn’t rush me off the phone (even after talking to her for over an HOUR) when I’m sure she had plenty to do! She answered every question I had, and more! As a newbie to the sport, I knew nothing, and she didn’t care! She was still willing to spend the time explaining everything! They were fully booked, it was summer time. I was ok with a waiting list, but Missy Jo was so empathetic to our story, and so heartbroken that our child was put through such a terribly introduction to the equestrian world, that she created a slot for us! Everything is so organized, grounds are clean and nice, horses happy and well cared for, and the staff is next to none! Our instructors have been so patient, kind, understanding, empathetic, caring and beyond! They are excellent teachers, and understand how to interact with kids, and how to effectively communicate instructions. Saddle Lake is our home, indefinitely! They feel like family! Missy Jo has always been available, and great at communicating when we needed to make changes. She is always as accommodating as possible. I would recommend this barn/owner/staff to anyone interested in riding! Our main instructor Heidi is way over qualified, but truly has an amazing ability to connect, inspire, and teach. We are so grateful for the opportunity for her to pass down her knowledge, skill, and passion to our daughter!

Great place and friendly horse loving folks. Wonderfully maintained and safe

Saddle Lake Loveland is a fantastic facility with a wonderful and attentive staff. The indoor, and two outdoor arenas are well cared for and are great to ride in. The owner, Missy Jo Hollingsworth, goes above and beyond to make sure every horse and person is happy and well attended to.
I personally lease a horse, take lessons and horse show through Saddle lake and it’s been one of the best experiences I’ve ever had.
I highly recommend.

Saddlelake Loveland is a beautiful 17 acre facility with wonderful horses and staff. Barn owner, Missy Jo, goes above and beyond to make sure the farm, horses, and clients have the best possible care we can give. I would recommend saddlelake loveland to anyone looking to come for lessons from beginner to advanced rider, someone looking for a new barn to board their horse at or join the wonderful show team. Missy Jo and Saddlelake Loveland can make it all happen with succes!