The stable was average when I moved here a year ago. However a family feud caused owners to move off the property without even telling the borders. Care of the horses was left to Individuals that could not understand verbal or written instructions. I would not put a horse here without someone living on the property, unless you want to go there one or two times daily to ensure that your horse is fed and watered. Forget about any supplements or medication because that is also inadequate. The owner is also nasty and abusive. read more

Silver Fern Stables - Horseback Riding Near Me - Woodstock, Illinois

Excellent! Open 24 hours a day with ample lighting, riding space, and attentive care. Family owned and operated since 2000. Indoor and outdoor boarding, indoor and outdoor arena, connected to conversation area trailheads read more

This barn looked nice when we first got there but after a few months, we knew we wanted out! Horses were kept in muddy paddocks with no hay or grass all day. Water buckets and troughs were empty many times even though we had 2 buckets in our stall. Paddocks were full of ruts and rocks. Was charged extra every month for bedding and hay even though horse was kept outside many nights and there was no outside hay. If you want to leave you have to give notice before 1st of month or be prepared to pay an additional month board. Was told there was access to trails but so overgrown with weeds there is no way to get through! read more

Greatly enjoying having an excellent trainer and her clients added to the mix at SFS! With the new expansion in good company and revamped viewing room, I can honestly say that I greatly enjoy the time I get to spend there. And, more importantly, my horses remain happy and healthy. Come and visit us - see for yourself! Oh, and just for the record, I don't give 5 star reviews on general principle - nowhere is perfect. ;-) read more

The owner (Keith) is known around the area (neighbors) as the neighborhood drunk. He is verbally abusive to his daughter in front of borders which demonstrates his unprofessionalism. He has been trying to sell his facility for a while so I would suggest not boarding with him so that you can avoid any inconvenience when he gives up and drops his asking price to a reasonable amount and actually dumps the place. read more

The worst owner any horse owner can deal with. The place has gone down hill in customer service and care as of late. I boarded my horse almost a year here and when I went to take them to for health checks I wasn't able to. I never missed a payment they have always gotten paid. The had issue with their payment account. Refused to take a check. Called the police on me. The broke their own contract and charge me two extra months for boarding for nothing. I gave them 30 days notice as per the contract and was kicked out early without giving me time to find another place to board my horses. The are a bunch of scammers. I hope they close this place down. read more

Silver Fern Stables is a backyard operation run on the side by a family. Two young teenage daughters (who are not riders themselves) do most of the horse care. Supplements and meds get overlooked, and often, when accidents happened, they either don't notice or don't bother to call the owner. I recently left Silver Fern Stables after boarding there for six years. The care - while never stellar - went south recently and I decided to make the move. The boarding contract is unlike any I've ever seen from any other barn, and is stacked against the boarder (and the horse.) SFS requires 30 days' notice (as most barns do) BUT they also require that you give notice on the first day of the month. If you fail to do so, you are bound to pay the next months' board, even if you move out immediately. Case in point. I moved out on December 6th, having paid my December board in full. Because I didn't give notice on Dec. first, I had to pay January board, in addition to forfeiting what I had paid for December. The boarding contract is also very cleverly worded in the descriptions of how much SFS will feed your horse. The terms state they will feed "up to" a certain amount of grain and hay. However, the contract states no minimum. Technically, they could feed your horse nothing and not be in violation of their own terms. Contract tips: Before you sign the contract, do the following: 1) strike the sentence about notice to be given on the first of the month only; and 2) write in amounts of hay and grain (in pounds, noting exactly which grain is to be fed. Other notes: Water: Horses have one water bucket in their stalls, and these are often dry overnight. Feed: Silver Fern feeds very low quality grain - a cheapo sweet feed and Kent Equestrian's Choice 12% pellets. My horse was on the pellets, with instructions to not feed sweet feed. Shortly before I left, the barn ran out of the pellets and the grain bins were empty for four days. I don't know what they fed my horse but I suspect it was sweet feed, and was unusually spooky and during this period. (Now that he's back on a lower starch concentrate, he's not put a foot wrong, despite being in new environments.) The hay varies wildly in quality (beyond what you expect to see between different cuttings) and in the quantity fed. Some of the hay is nice and leafy, but a recent load was brown, stringy and unappealing to the horses. We also had a lot of dusty hay, and some mold. I used a scale to weigh my horse's hay, and instead of the 8-10 lbs per feeding he was supposed to get, it was not uncommon to see servings of 5-6 lbs. The barn owner told me to feel free to grab an extra flake if the feeding felt light. They could not commit to feeding my horse properly or consistently - I needed to continually police his feeding. Turn-out: The turnouts are more spacious than many farms and the fencing is four-board fencing topped with hot wire. Most have no shelter or shade, and all get very muddy when it rains. Your horse will be standing up to its fetlocks in mud in the spring and fall. My farrier suggested more than once the recurring abscesses and pulled shoes my horse had were a result of his hooves getting wet and soft due to the muddy paddocks. Summary: When you visit, the barn will look great. Eight horses just moved out and they need to fill those stalls. If you move in, things will be okay for a while. However, as noted earlier, this is a side business, not a professional operation. Care and conditions will slide. You get what you pay for, and this is one of the cheapest boarding barns in the area. read more

This week we will be celebrating our 5 year anniversary as a boarder at Silver Fern Stables (SFS). I think it is about time to share what our experience has been at this Woodstock Illinois based horse barn. This barn is a family operation where the care of the horse comes first. The collective knowledge of horse care at SFS is well in excess of 50 years. The family has several award winning horses and riders. Their expertise has been in the Hunter Jumper discipline but also includes participation over multiple years with the MidWest Renegades Equestrian Drill Team. The owners live on site and care for the property and horses as a family operation. In addition to the family experience, a hired hand supports the operation. When we have gone on vacation, we have asked the owner's daughters (both Seniors in high school) to give our horse some "lovin". While on vacation, we would get pictures of his antics and upon our return, found him to be cleaner than he was when we left. There aren't two harder working high school age girls than the two that work at SFS. Each horse has daily turnout and during the warmer months, the horses are out overnight. Our horse has a bit of arthritis and the ability to move around day and night outside is a huge benefit when compared to being kept inside at night. SFS has nine large pastures. Each pasture has its own heated water trough. With the owners living on the property, they have the opportunity to observe all the horses, assess their individual needs and match up "herds" (horses in each respective pasture) so that there are very few "personality" problems. They are able to match up horses based on age, gender and activity level so that each pasture has 4-5 horses that get along. SFS has both an indoor (un-heated) and outdoor arena. Both arenas have standards and poles so the rider can set up jumping courses for training / practice. The indoor arena is attached to the main indoor stalls, also there are 7 stalls that are attached to the side of the arena. Neither boarding area is heated. The main stall area is essentially in the shape of an H with the cross-bar of the H housing the tack and saddles. There is an indoor wash rack with both hot and cold water. The warming room has a window for viewers to watch riders in the indoor arena. The warming room has a refrigerator, microwave, water cooler and soda machine. The stalls are cleaned each day. The horses are hand walked to the respective paddock for the day early each morning following their morning feeding. They get an ample supply of hay in their paddock each morning. Wood shavings are refreshed each day. Water buckets are also cleaned each morning and then refilled with fresh water when the horses are brought in for their evening grain. During the late spring, summer and fall, the horses are again taken out to their paddocks for the night. They get their evening hay outside. For those boarders that are interested, the operators apply fly spray to each horse each evening they are outside to protect them from insects. While SFS operations, care and feeding is in my opinion excellent. One of the best things we like about SFS is the "community" that has developed amongst the boarders. Everybody is helpful and friendly. Real friendships have developed as a result of this environment. As horse owners, we are all aware of signs of a horse in distress and can contact the owner(s) so that everything is taken care of. On the other hand, many of the owners happen to be witness to some really fun antics that these animals have, they take pictures and share them. Several of the other boarders have been at SFS for significantly longer than we have been here and we know why. All riding disciplines are encouraged at SFS which is different from other barns we are familiar with. Unlike many barns we have had experience with, boarders are able to bring in their own trainer, vet, farrier and / or equine dentist. If you have scheduled your horse to get shots, shoes or any other treatment, SFS will happily leave your animal in their stall. If you're a trail rider, you are in luck! There are trails that connect to the McHenry County Conservation District trail system by just opening the gate on the backside of the property. Looking at the past 5 years, we remember our first day. The owner said "all we ask is that you treat our place as you would treat your own place". We have respected these words over the years. SFS is in a way our place too. Our family member lives there and we respect his home as if it was our own. As long as we own a horse, it will be at SFS. They are a top notch operation at a VERY affordable rate. Many Barns might offer additional amenities but those things come with a significant increase in costs. If you are considering coming to SFS, ask the owner to give you my number so I can answer directly any questions you might have. read more

First thing I have to say is this facility IS NOT closed!!! I have been boarding most of my horses my whole life ( since the 3rd grade ) and this facility is a slice of heaven. I have been at many different barns and I have never experienced such an amazing feeling of security in knowing my horse will be safe and well cared for when I am not there!! But beyond that, moving my horse to this facility was the best decision I made for my horse, this facility has changed my horse completely, she is not the horse she was at our last barn, she is calm, confident and it has completely changed her mind set!! And it's all do to the environment and the knowledge of the family that runs this slice of heaven hidden in Woodstock!! This is a facility that anyone wanting to board should be looking at if they want their horse happy and healthy ( both physically and mentally ). This AMAZING family is an incredible example of what true stewards of animals under their care should be!! And anyone looking for a barn should look no further!! The property is pristine, not once have I ever walked into the barn and found anything out of place or a stall not clean or a water bucket empty or dirty!! And the hay is the best I have ever seen at any barn and they provide an ample amount of hay for each horse!! The indoor is always groomed and the grounds are beautiful!! And the other boarders I have met are considerate and don't try to tell you how you should be doing things ( one of my biggest pet peeves ). Bring in your own vet, farrier, trainer or you can just ask and they will provide you with names and phone numbers for all of the aforementioned. This affordable barn is so much more then just a place to board your horse, this is a place where you can see your horse grow and change their frame of mind. Having to Move my horse under stressful situation with only a few days notice, Silverfern Stables came to the rescue and picked up my horse and she has flourished ever since. Thank you Silverfern Stables for giving me a great home for my beloved girl!!!! read more