I have been a boarder with Hamilton Stables for several years now; nearly a decade. The Hamiltons are a great family who are steeped in decades of horse experience, lessons, breeding and instructing. Ashton is a very competent and professional horse trainer and lesson provider. Vonda, her mom, has been involved in the horse industry for decades, and renders truthful advice, instruction and experience to her credit. Both ladies are exceedingly well-versed in their craft. The quality of stock produced at this facility is superior to most other facilities I have been to. The board fees are well worth the price; it includes worming, trims, feed, supplements and around-the-clock observation. One is hard-pressed to find that kind of price for board, including all the extras! I paid over $500 a month per horse in Colorado Springs, CO and $400 a month in Puyallup, WA. Neither location included worming, trims or additional feed. Vonda has personally designed a variety of feed for the horses that includes all the necessary ingredients needed for all horses on the property. She regularly requests composition tests to ensure the proper nutrients are measured and added into the feed she offers. There are trail rides every weekend when the weather is good. There are also plenty of arenas in which to ride. The boarders are all friendly and treated like family, often we celebrate the holidays as an extended family. Contrary to another review, the training offered at Hamilton Stables for horses is done to the desired end results requested by the horses' owners. I have NEVER seen a horse abused on the property. If a horse in training is behaving in such a way as to endanger the rider, then the crop is applied at the appropriate time. When training foals to lead, yes, they rear, sit and lie down; they don't always go willingly. It's similar to teaching a puppy how to walk on a leash, only on a much larger scale. Having taught my own to lead, I can tell you it is no easy task. I have helped and witnessed several weanlings go through lead rope training; no foal has been injured learning to lead. This is a great facility, run by caring and experienced people, who love horses and open their home to their boarders. I highly recommend them to anyone looking for a great place to trust with their horses. read more

I tend to be skeptical when meeting new professionals, and Vonda Hamilton is that...a professional. It seems like everyone in any business wants to tout their credentials. In my professional life as a military pilot and civilian engineer paper (degrees/certifications) hasn't always been a good indicator of knowledge level or capability. Vonda has the paper and the experience though you would have to research that as she won't mention it. After knowing Vonda for several years I can say without reservation that she is the most knowledgeable and forthright person I have ever met in the horse business. If she says something it is a considered statement based and her education and vast experience. Her advice has yet to lead me astray. I am very happy we are able to board our horses at Hamilton stables as they did not always take on boarders. I know our horses will always receive the best of care there, from day to day feeding and supplements, to worming, farrier services, and even minor veterinary care Vonda and her staff are always there 24/7. When I am in town we often go on trail rides from the stables to the Cape Fear or Black rivers. Training is available for both horse and rider and Vonda's breeding program has produced many champions...if you want to talk lines and genetics she can go there. read more

I just don't how everything is half truths when you read about their stables online or when you visit in person. I was under the impression the person with the "renowned" riding experience taught lessons, nope ! It is the teenage daughter. When you look at the things they post it says you are taught by someone with all this experience. Just because you have been riding doesn't mean you know the proper to do things. The girl doesn't even know what the correct diagonal is when posting, or which canter lead is the correct one! That being said, you mostly walk or rack around the ring anyway beginner or advanced, unless you are on a trotting horse then you will trot. All the horses are fed the same amount of feed, (except for the mares who have already foaled). No matter their size/weight they all get the same amount of feed. Some of the pastures (many) have a lot of horses in them , which has developed in some food aggression issues. Also, you might want to check out their feed. They have been feeding this feed for years and years as they tell it and haven't had a problem, however when you go check out the barn you are under the impression it is a great food formulated for horses. Not! It is stock feed, and on the label it says it is for cows sheep and goats, also it is okay for MATURE lightly worked horses. It then goes on to say if you are feeding anything other than sheep, a copper supplement is highly recommended. And they do not give a copper supplement. Also, many of the horses there are not old enough to be considered mature, they have weanlings and yearlings , two - four year olds . Yes, they have older horses, but these younger horses are by no means mature. Copper deficiency can be big problem with horses, resulting in sluggish behavior and/or growth problems. 30 years experience, it says! In what? The owner her self is only like 42, and I am sure she has not been running a barn since she was 12! If she is going to put 30 years experience on the web page, she needs to specify in what, as this can be quite deceptive! Board is 300/mth, which I don't believe is worth the price. This is for pasture board, and stock feed. The horses do get free choice hay, but is that worth the 300 a month you are paying. They say wormer and farrier work is included in the monthly bill, BUT unless you remind them every 8 weeks to trim your horse, it will not be done. Their stud horse Magics Golden Flash, "World Champion" is not all they make him up to be. He is a well behaved and pretty horse but those aren't that hard to come by. He has only been in one horse show and it was a local show at Lumber River Camp Ground with no more than 8 competitors. Also the show was lead by none other than, YOU GUESSED IT, Vonda Hamilton of Hamilton Stables who is also owner of CHBOA horse registry!. No, she was not the judge, but one of her boarders was the judge. Flash won the Champion title and has been "retired" from the show circuit that way he will retire a winner. TRAINING: Majority of the training is also done by the teenage daughter who has little to no patience. If you don't mind your horse being repeatedly punched, hit with crops and lunge whips then you may not care. Crops have been broken , horses were hit so much and so hard. I would prefer my horse be trained by someone who has some patience and is willing to let the horse think a little or go about another way of doing things. Yes, force is needed sometimes but some of the things done there is a bit much. Good horses, calm and willing have reared up and flipped over do to the amount of stress/pressure put on them by these intense situations.They post videos on YouTube of "horse training" but they cut out the parts where horses are being beat, or sitting down or rearing from stress. None of these things I am saying are things I have heard from others, all things I have witnessed with my own eyes. read more