This woman takes advantage of you. Stealing your time, money, and possessions so watch out she will hold your child back. TIME: First off she rarely holds a lesson on time and does not value your time at all. She will allow lessons to bleed into each other ranging from children just learning to ride and adults on young, dangerous horses. If you ride with her expect to be at the barn for hours either helping her out for free (because she won't spend money to hire help and instead relies on free parental help) or being stuck in a lesson riding around in circles while she occasionally shouts things like "close your hand" or "put her on the bit" without ever instructing you how to do so. You will see little progression when riding with Jaimi and it will likely take your child years to learn even basic skills. MONEY: Never buy a horse with Jaimi. First, she will find a horse in a location convenient to her and her travel wishes! Whether that be Florida or Europe, wherever she can go on your wallet suits her and she will bring you back an average horse at best. Once the horse is at the barn she will sell you a "training" package. On days you cannot come to the barn your paying for her to ride your horse and school it. When in actuality, when you don't come to the barn she sells lessons to other children on your horse and considers this training, gaining herself a 2 for 1 deal, your money and this other parents money. Eventually after about a year you will realize your horse has developed a few bad habits, this is due to the horse never being taught what to do. These bad habits will continue to grow and will never be addressed. You and your horse will loose many skills when riding with Jaimi. POSSESSIONS: Like with the horse, Jaimi is using things without your knowledge. Do not leave your tack at her barn. She will use it with her lesson kids. whether it be your girth, bridle, that nice Antares saddle you just bought, or even your horse, don't be surprised when you come back to it dirtier than when you left it. Point is, only ride with Jaimi if you're a lesson child without a horse, that way you reap all the benefits the other horse owners pay for. If you would like to get serious, progress, and own a horse ... look for a different barn. read more

We have been with Skye Valley Training for 2+ years, through ups and downs, with good clients and not-so-great clients. Through all of that, I've seen the hardships they've endured (COVID, those tricky clients, lifelong horse pass of old age, etc.) Yet, they've handled it all with grace and professionalism. I've spent the last few minutes reading through the reviews below. There cannot be a more false representation of the business and ethics of Jaimi and Skye Valley overall - conjecture at best. Those who have given the retaliatory reviews below are doing so based on their inability to handle situations like adults through conversation. As a result, the reviews are based on a. childish retaliation, b. a hunger for drama c. to feel better about themselves by harming others. Jaimi and Ainsley (now Dr. Faraday) are some of the most selfless and loving people I have ever met. Do they run late sometimes, yes? Does your pediatrician run an hour late when you have a sick kid? Also, yes. Under Jaimi and Ainsley's care and coaching, we saw our daughter go from anxious, stressed, and sometimes sad to the confident, capable, and frankly excellent rider she is today (placed at Nationals - woot!). She has flourished in life, and I attribute a huge chunk of that to these women at the barn. She has ADHD and can be perceived as a LOT by some people. But, Jaimi and Ainsley always met her with grace, patience, and understanding. Most importantly, when she was off track, they would refocus her without shame and in a positive way - that's more than I can say for myself, and I'm her mom. Do you know what you want from trainers? Someone who is so safety conscious will reject a horse you have on trial because they don't trust it. No matter what. No, it didn't do anything awful during the trial, but she knew, and even I did. Jaimi and Ainsley had the care to tell a little girl that the pony she thought she was in love with wasn't the safest option and that she had to say goodbye. We now have what I consider one of the safest horses money could buy. As for the stealing accusation, bogus, stealing is willingly taking dozens of additional lessons from your "friend" and never paying for them. Everyone has terrible reviews sometimes. Everyone has bad days. But sometimes, you have to consider the source. Ask yourself, what kind of review would you leave if you were kicked out of a barn for bullying a tween, attempting to steal clients, and talking poorly about your 'best friend/trainer'? And then sign yourself up at Skye Valley, where you know you will be SAFE and cared for. Yes, you might even progress a little slower, but ONLY because it's the absolute fundamentals that will save your life when you move to the next step. Enough said. read more

My family rode with Jaimi and Ainsley for many, many years. We have 4 horses in retirement now that we found with her and successfully showed with her and team. The most fabulous pony on earth was found in her program and gave my kids and I the best start and the confidence to continue on to ride the other 4 horses we ended up buying with her. Most of the horses came from her connections locally but one special one came to us from the UK so our purchase experience was one of patience and timing. It takes a long time to find a good equine partner so take the time and do it right and you will have that horse for life. One thing I have learned as an adult amateur and mom of kids learning to ride is it is a long long journey. You cannot rush to the good stuff as there is a long process of developing the foundation both on the horse and yourself as a rider to be able to achieve all of these hopes and goals that you want. The process is long but it is safe. All three of us have had successful riding careers, never got seriously injured and were able to retire all 5 of our horses into pasture to enjoy the ends of their days. Jaimi was our guide and friend along the way. Her attention to detail, determination to keep riders and horses safe and create a welcoming, loving and friendly barn family are all part of what makes Skye Valley Training so special. Horses are special beings and we should strive to find a training program who cares about the longterm outcome for their clients and horses. There are many trainers out there who will give you everything you want and take you along a journey that is more about instant gratification or giving their clients everything they want even if it is not the right thing for them. If you care more about winning or jumping everyday or just wanting to be sure you get your money's worth out of that horse investment then this program is not for you. Jaimi is uncompromising and that means not everyone is happy all of the time but you have moments of pure joy that have been earned through hard work and dedication to learning and achieving the foundation skills. There are many programs out there that will give you what you want so if you are not happy with something all you need to do is change your trainer. No need to destroy someone's reputation because you are mad or they didn't let you jump your horse when perhaps you were not ready too. There is the right program for everyone. As a parent of kids who learned to ride it was more important to find a program who would keep your kids and horse safe. Who didn't make risky decisions just to please the parent or kid. A trainer who was willing to say no you are not ready so you would not risk your life or your horse. I have seen enough of those rides and have always felt lucky that I could trust Jaimi's judgement and know we were doing what was appropriate for our level of ability. If you are looking for someone who will work hard to find you a life partner that will give you life experiences that are earned then SVT is the program for you. Along the way if everything works out you may get to do some horse shows and win some pretty ribbons but that isn't really what it is all about is it? SVT, Jaimi, Ainsley and Chuy have integrity and take care of the horse and client in a safe and supportive environment. If you want someone who will be there with you on your horse journey through the good and the bad this is the program for you. My daughter took her experiences with Jaimi and her program and ended up in Europe during Covid working with horses all because of her time with Jaimi and what she learned along the way with SVT. We couldn't be more lucky to have had the privilege of being able to work with them and have had so many fantastic opportunities as a result. read more

Skye valley training is by far the best training facility around. Jaimi is super patient with kids and young adults alike. Basics are really hammered in from a young age. Her staff is also super kind and helpful. 100% recommend her training. read more

Skye Valley is an excellent program for beginner riders. They emphasize safety so you know your rider is well-cared for and is learning how to do things right. However, once you have the basics down your progress plateaus. If you want to compete beyond a beginner level you may need to go elsewhere. We were with Skye Valley for several years (5 years) and enjoyed Jaimi and Ainsley. We moved on due to their location change-it was a very long drive for us and lessons were never on time. We felt like our time was not valued which was frustrating. With our new program, we can see the difference in time management and the benefit of being more challenged. We got a lot of great experience and knowledge from Jaimi but it was time to move on when we felt she didn't care about us, our time, and the sacrifices we made to follow her to her new location. If you are a beginner rider and don't mind chronic tardiness you will be very happy with Skye Valley. read more

Coming from Germany and staying in San Francisco for several months I was looking for a barn with excellent trainers, great school horses, and a nice atmosphere! I had high expectations and was looking at pretty much ever place I could find within a 1h radius of San Francisco and Skye Valley just turned out to be the perfect fit! THE TRAINERS AND LESSONS ...are awesome!!! I used to ride 2nd and 3rd level dressage in Germany and own two horses so my expectations were quite high - but all trainers here have lived up to them so far! I'm riding several times per week and every single lesson I can feel how much I improve! Everybody is nice and lessons are held in a relaxed atmosphere, no screaming or shouting, new exercises are well-explained, and every lesson is more demanding than the previous one. The training focuses on achieving HARMONY between the horse and rider, getting the horse to be round, supple and over the back in all gates and exercises (no curling or "rollkur"), and developing a well-balenced, independent seat for the rider. THE HORSES... ... are great!!! The one I ride the most is THE PERFECT SCHOOLHORSE! He's safe and forgiving for beginners yet challenging and well-trained for advanced riders. In the beginning I had problems getting my gelding round and supple but after working on my seat and improving my aids he feels absolutely AMAZING! He really FORCED me to sit+ride correctly which is the best thing a school horse can do! Now that I "figured out how to work him" I can do sooo many fun things with him that are 2nd and 3rd level like simple changes, counter canter, half passes, renvers, travers, extensions, etc and it just feels really good... TO PUT IT IN A NUTSHELL: Skye Valley Training is the perfect facility for beginners as well as for advanced riders!!! Every lesson is tailored to the students' needs and in contrast to the great majority of schooling barns, the horses here are fun to ride AND are happy with their lives! I feel so happy in this barn and I'm SO SO sad to leave when my stay here in San Francisco is over! read more

I have been riding with Jaimi for over 4 years and she is fantastic and so is Dr Ainsley. Both are very knowledgeable, kind, experienced and can teach all ages and levels. I have ridden for over 35 years and in my Younger years up to 2* XC and 1.30 meters in SJ. I've have had lessons with many trainers and no one comes close to how Jaimi picks up the slightest incorrect body movement. I've had some injuries over the years ironically not from horses. That left me really crooked in the saddle, Jaimi has fixed me. I'm not sure who Alexandra or Samatha are as I've never heard of either of them since I've ridden with Skye Valley. I completely disagree with both of them, Jaimi is very cautious and safety is a priority. She also takes great care to put the right ponies/horses with her students however some students think they know better and when it goes wrong guess who they blame? I highly recommend this riding school if you want to learn to ride correctly and safely. read more

This riding school is so incredible. I've taken my kids to a couple of different locations and this is far above the rest. The attention they put into keeping the kids safe was so reassuring for me because horses are BIG! And my kids are small. They have the sweetest school horses and the staff are so friendly and helpful. It was obvious that they wanted to see my kids to have a positive experience and develop a love for horses too. They recently changed barns and the new location is beautiful. Highly recommend this riding school! read more

The best horse trainer I've ever worked with. Really knowledgeable about horses and loves to teach the kids to ride.

Skye Valley has a lot to recommend it. The barns are clean and well-maintained. The horses are treated like royalty and have round-the-clock care designed to accommodate all kinds of feeding challenges. The farrier, veterinarian, and even the chiropractor make regular appearances. The basic items are all checked off the list--turnout, exercise, water. The barns are safe places to leave your kids or your wallets unattended. Jaimi genuinely loves horses, and that shows in how the horses under her care are treated. At the time that I rode from her, I was young and idealistic, perhaps too sycophantic. I wasn't concerned that the horses in training with Jaimi were exercised for perhaps 15 minutes each riding day, though the owners thought they were paying for much more. I didn't recognize that the barn suffered from the same syndrome that afflicts so many dressage-centered barns, where the students are taught to ride front to back instead of back to front. I learned to toss around phrases like "in a frame" or "collected" like a champ, without the most basic idea of what these words meant or how to achieve them without limiting the horses' natural movement. I thought I knew what I was doing, because I thought that my trainers knew what they were doing. There were moments when these problems became starker. Every thoroughbred lesson horse in the barn, like clockwork, developed behavioral issues (bucking, rearing) that eventually made them dangerous to ride. I went in to feed one of these thoroughbreds one night, with a minimal kind of "be careful" warning from Jaimi; once I was in his stall, the horse reared up at my head, pinning me to the stall door. This horse who had been a complete gentleman the last time I'd ridden him, only a year before that night, was now entirely unmanageable. Accidents can happen and these situations are not always the fault of poor training methods. Yet every barn I've been to since Skye Valley has shocked me with its utter lack of drama. Turns out that in much of the civilized world, "training" does not send horses into bucking and rearing fits. Elsewhere, fireworks" are not typical, because the goal is to work with the horse rather than to overwhelm the horse until he panics and violently resists his rider. Yes, a young and untried student might make a mistake with a horse that causes this kind of reaction, but the trainers of a barn of 20-head do not use methods that invoke this reaction because they have learned how to train a horse correctly. This kind of ill-conceived training can turn a decent horse into a resistant, frothy and slow starter; this kind of training can, and did, turn very sensitive, often also very talented, horses into inconsistent and sometimes dangerous basket cases. In addition to the impact on horses of this insensitive, impatient, demanding and often cruel attitude, was the impact on humans. The assistant trainer at the time had me trot a horse at a fence with no warm-up; when both the horse and I landed jarringly, this trainer screeched at me that I'd ridden it terribly and the horse had every right to dump me. It is one of my life's regrets that I did not screech back: jumping a horse with no warm-up is dangerous for horse and rider, and if an accident had occurred it would have been due to her poor methods. I assumed then, and I suppose I assume now, that these training methods got results with some horses. Many students at this barn have been very successful, if inconsistent. I on the other hand, well...when I came to Skye Valley, I was jumping 2'9" consistently and smoothly. When I left, I was jumping 2'3" consistently and smoothly. By the end, I assumed that I was simply not talented, not built for it, not good enough. Indeed, some of the aspects of riding that came most naturally to me, like having light and gentle hands and an intuitive sense for the horse's rhythm, had been basically stampeded out of me; instead, I'd learned to ride in that way dressage students learn, all hand and very little seat, resisting the horse' natural way of motion. The horses I rode, too, had started to have "episodes" in which they resisted the work in the ring by bolting or bucking. There are elements I will feel guilty about for a long time, and have. I should never have tried to take a Paint mare built for Western Pleasure and make her into a hunter/jumper horse. She hated every second of it, and she was never a safe or happy jumper. There is a photo of me kicking her over a fence cowboy-style and I was applauded for that moment in the barn later on, but I never wanted to be the kind of rider who demands a horse do something she is fundamentally unsuited for and then punishes her when she tells me no. That might be good riding, in some people's minds, but it is terrible horsemanship. That is what I learned here: I learned to assume that the horse is always wrong, and my will is divine and dominant. Now I am unlearning that cruelty. read more

I've been bringing my boys to Skye Valley's summer camps for a few years now. They LOVE it and I can't say enough wonderful things about the camp, the staff, and Jaimi. Watching them in their element is amazing. The way they build a child's love for horses while maintaining the highest levels of safety is completely inspiring. I personally am not a "horse person", but my kids tell me they dream about Cody (the white pony) every night. The new facility is beautiful. It's a little further drive for us, but completely worth it. The quality of horses and the care that they receive with Skye Valley is top notch. I'm so glad that I had a friend refer me and I'd highly recommend to people who are looking for a fantastic and safe horse experience. read more

I have trained with Sky Valley for many years. The atmosphere at the barn is very positive and nurturing. Trainers and other clients have always been very willing to help me. Safety is foremost and the clients span all ages. Jaimi Martin is a very experienced and knowledgeable trainer and works well with all ages. My horse has been wonderfully cared for by the trainers and groom. read more

Amazing fun family barn, but high level of training and showing. Great people, great horses, great facility! Positive learning environment for all levels of riding whether, pleasure, dressage, hunter/jumping, 3 day eventing. Four great trainers. read more