I've been riding at Rose Gate Farm for over 8 years. I've never left a review before because it's…read moreso hard to fully give justice to how incredible my experience has been, but I think that makes it even more important to try to share it. On my first visit to Rose Gate, I was searching for a barn that was right for me and after a few failed attempts, I realized that you can tell a lot about a horse facility (as with many things), by paying attention to where the time and money are focused. My first impression of Rose Gate was that it's a modest facility, certainly there are flashier ones out there. Then I went into the barn to see the horses. All of them looked fantastic- they were clearly expensive, well cared for horses. At a closer look, their feet were trimmed (I always look at that specifically because I've found that barns trying to save money often go too long between trims), their coats were shiny, they had water in clean buckets; they looked healthy and happy... And then I found a hole in the tack room floor, and I knew then that the majority of the time, money, and attention here was going to the care of the horses. I thought perhaps this could be the barn for me, but I was curious how the lesson would go because I'd never had a riding instructor quite like Pete. During my first lesson, I was struck by how intuitively Pete gave direction and how quickly I could feel the difference in my riding. I'd never had an instructor point out a seemingly minor form adjustment- I think it had something to do with my elbow sticking out too far or being bent too much- and when he told me how to correct it, suddenly I could feel that I had a better line of communication with the horse. Something I was doing was disrupting my signals to the horse through the bit, and I'd never had an instructor who could notice and articulate something like that before and help me fix it. I'd been riding since I was 8 years old and that day I began to realize how much more there was to learn. I had found the right barn for me and I'm so glad I did. I've learned so much at Rose Gate, have ridden many amazing horses, and have met some wonderful people along the way. My experience there has truly been one of the most meaningful ones in my life and every time I visit, I feel so lucky to be there and so thankful to be able to learn about riding and caring for horses from someone who has so much to teach. If you really want to learn about horsemanship, you're willing to put in the hard work that entails, and you're humble enough to listen to feedback and hold yourself accountable, this is the best place to do that. In case you're wondering about the hole in the tack room floor, yes, it was repaired before my next visit the following week. But I'm certain all the horses were fed, watered, and had clean stalls before that happened, and I have all the respect in the world for that. Some places were built for the money they can generate, but it seems to me that Rose Gate Farm exists for the horses and the pursuit of learning how to get along with them, which is something that's surprisingly hard to find.

My horse tragically died at Rose Gate Farm on 7/29. Some of the events that happened need to be…read morequestioned! First is the way this man has treated me and my family. It was pretty obvious that I personally did something to Pete to make him hate me. And for whatever reason that is, it was poorly and childishly handled. And for the record, I am sorry for whatever I did to him. I cherished our friendship and it broke my heart on the way I have been treated the last couple of months. He came to my house for Thanksgiving for God's sake! We had every intention of leaving. But unfortunately we were in a contract that we could not financially afford to leave early. In retrospect we should have left early! Second is the way this extremely emergent and fatal event was handled. When I first got the phone call, I was there within 15 minutes. When I pulled up, Pete was having a lovely conversation with a friend in the front and not caring for my dying horse. When I got to my horse, it was obvious that something terrible was happening. No sympathy or comfort from Pete. Just stone cold. Then he left!! He left before veterinary care arrived. The comment was made that a vet tech was there but I was not a vet tech, I was a horrified owner trying to comprehend what was happening to my beloved family member. Third was the absolute most horrifying thing. He made the comment that my horse was not going to make it and he does not want a dead horse on the property. So instead of making the hard decision to euthanize my horse in a peaceful manner, we had to scramble on trying to figure out where to euthanize her to appease his demands. Because of this, my poor horse was in an unbearable amount of pain longer than she needed to be. She did not deserve that. And I will always regret the fact she suffered longer than she needed to. The vet finally made the decision to drop her because I don't think that he could watch her suffer anymore. Moments after she was gone, he demanded us to remove her from his property. No time for grieving. No time for comforting my 8 year old daughter who just witnessed a terrifying event. No offer to help move a 1000lb animal! His comment was, he had people coming and he didn't want any of the children to see a dead horse. Absolutely understandable! WHAT ABOUT MY CHILD?? Did he even think about the terrifying events that she just went through? Lastly is the awful accusations against me. He is blaming this entire event on me. Again, no sympathy and no accountability on his part. He claims that I rode her right after eating and that's what caused the colic. Unfortunately HE WASN'T THERE so let me clear some things up. When he told me not to ride before she was done eating, I listened. I have made the effort to not be there before 8am. I have also been keeping a close eye on the weather to make sure it is not above 90 when I'm out there. So your comment of how ungodly hot it was...that's why I ride in the morning! Your "rule" of not riding on Sundays or Mondays...those are my days off and I will ride my horse whenever I want to. And it should not matter what days I ride. Didn't you say "we are always open! Come anytime!" when we first came to your facility? What happened to that? To clear up the events of the day of the colic. Yes, we were out there that morning. The horse did eat and was in the walker when we arrived. I DID NOT RIDE! My daughter rode. Which means we saddled her, walked around for 20 minutes and was done. No more strenuous than what she would have gotten in the walker. His ranch hand even said that she was fine after my daughter rode. On a side note: thank you to his ranch hand! He stuck with us, helped with the vet, and tried his best to make my horse comfortable in her final moments. That is a good person! And I will be forever grateful to him! The timeline of when we left from my daughter riding and when I got the phone call that she was in colic have yet to be answered. I would like answers on what happened between 9-2 that day. If he truly feels like he did nothing wrong, then why can't he tell me what happened between 9-2? Pete is accusing me of bad mouthing him. I have not said anything that has been untrue. I am making an effort to get my story heard! Which is my right! I want Pete to know I am not blaming him for my horse going into a fatal colic. I am simply saying that his actions were cold, hurtful, down right cruel, unprofessional and unacceptable.