TESTIMONIALS
“I began taking lessons at Morning Mist when my family moved to Virginia in 2002. I'd taken lessons previously in New York, but I didn't experience the independence and responsibility that Nancy allowed me to take on with the horses at MMF. I'd never heard of dressage, either, which I came to really appreciate in my lessons. I absolutely love the ponies, and Nancy is the greatest! I wish I were able to get out to Berryville more often!"
Kristen Berg, rider
“My younger sister just began to go to Ms. Nancy's for lessons this summer. She has had the best summer of her life. She gets to help out with the horses and take lessons. Ms. Nancy has been a terrific trainer for her and has become more of a friend to her and our family. The horses on the farm are also wonderful to work with. It is very clear that they are a priority for Ms. Nancy and she takes such good care of them. The farm is always clean and the well kept. My sister has had 5 lessons and competed in her first competition this weekend. She did outstanding! She earned 6 ribbons and a trophy all thanks to Ms. Nancy's effort and hard work to train her properly. Overall, the Morning Mist Farm and the people and animals associated with it have made a great impact on our daily life. It's great to see my sister enjoy something so much, and greater to see her succeed in it. Thanks to you Ms. Nancy.
Michelle Sieminski, Sister to rider
"I boarded my three horses at Morning Mist Farm for eight years. They were always well cared for and the barn is run exactly how I would run one myself. I also took riding lessons from Nancy and she helped me to advance. As an adult learner, she was a colleague-teacher, and never made me feel stupid or not at ease during the learnin process. She had a way of explaining things that made me able to do them."
Jennifer Esler, Former Boarder
"Nancy runs an incredible barn. Her horses are friendly and make learning to ride a breeze. She's easy to work with and is always willing to work around a busy students schedule. I started out having never been on a horse before really, but really wanted to. In no time, Nancy had me riding with confidence and I had started learning to jump as well. Morning Mist is definitely a great place to learn whether you have no experience riding or a lot. The experience will be fun and unforgettable."
Logan Jarrett, Student
Jan 30, 2015
When my husband and I wanted to treat the grandkids to a beginners' riding lesson I went looking online for a stable in our small community and stumbled across Morning Mist Farm. I was impressed by the certification of Ms. Stewart from Morven Park's equestrian center, which is well known in our area. I also liked the look of the website which stresses the range of services available.
I thought that for a first time introduction to horse care, this might be the place. Talking to Miss Nancy on the phone, she asked quite a bit about the grandkids and their interests and when we arrived for the lesson, she knew their names and remembered what I'd told her about them. I was a bit worried that two kids might be a lot for one instructor to handle in a two hour lesson but Miss Nancy arranged to have an assistant so that each child had one-on-one help. She and Rachel switched off so that each one had information from both people on the areas they were learning, which ranged from how to act around a horse, how to put on a saddle and bridle correctly, how to groom a horse properly and how to get on and off safely. Helmets were provided that fit both kids and safety was emphasized in each aspect of their lesson. They both learned how to sit properly on a horse, the right position for their feet in the stirrips and how to turn their horse during their session on horseback. After a stroll around the ring, the kids practiced balance on horseback by tossing their water bottles around, followed by more riding to insure that they were both comfortable on a horse's back. Then it was time for a leisurely walk on horseback around the pond, an instructor right next to each child and their pony. The final part of the lesson was removing the saddle and bridle once their horse was back in their stall, how to curry the horse after exercise and how to clean the stall after a pony potty break. We did not cover cleaning tack as so much was covered in one lesson. Maybe next time....
The ponys were incredibly well behaved and trained. They were affectionate with the kids and the onlookers, too. Each child had a lot of individual attention and encouragement, although Miss Nancy was quick to correct bad habits in a kind way. She even did a little extra with our older grandchild who is in a pre-vet program to show her how to examine a horse's mouth properly. I was really impressed by the thoroughness of the lesson and how organized Miss Nancy is. If our grandkids lived in the area, I'd sign them up for a series of lessons, just to broaden their appreciation of horses and how much fun (and how much work) they are.
Thanks for all your assistance! The grandkids loved the lesson. I knew Hannah would but we were a little unsure whether Aiden would actually want to ride a horse. Living in Miami as they do, the opportunity to learn a bit about horses doesn't come around often but they both are still talking about the horses and the things they learned. Thank you so much for giving them such a great introduction to horses.
And my friends who ride say your stable is one of the cleanest they've ever seen when I showed off pictures. They are all eager to move in with me to come visit.
Jane Wood
July 2016
