I've ridden at Somerset for over five years, and let me tell you, it's an amazing stable. The instructors are knowledgeable , understanding, and great teachers as well as horsemen. They treat all of the horses and riders at Somerset with respect and kindness. Although all three instructors have different teaching styles and may disagree on each others methods from time to time, they are overall great teachers. Somerset is a family run business, owned by Sandy Walker, and her two daughters, Tiffany Walker and Tammy McConnell. One major focus that all three instructors focus on is posture and form. Unlike other nearby stables, the three instructors make sure you know how to do basic stuff correctly before you get to jump. Although this may be frustrating as a student at times, it's a very good way to go about teaching, as you get the basic moves concreted in your head before moving on to complicated stuff. The horses are not million dollar, Olympic winning horses. They are older, and cannot jump as high is you are a more experienced rider (probably about 3' is their max for the majority of lesson horses), but they are valuable and teach good lessons to both new riders and advanced riders. They all have their own quirks that make them unique, and all of them behave differently. No two horse is exactly the same, especially at Somerset. The stable itself is much smaller than other stables, especially within the arena. But the smaller arena teaches riders how to use all the given space possible. They also have a decent sized outdoor arena that they use during the summer, and decent sized pastures for the horses. The grooms are extremely nice and willing to help- especially the girl that the instructors have taken under their wing, Ava. The price of lessons is fair, and cheaper than other stables in the area. It's $40 per half hour lesson, but once you're advanced enough to be jumping with a group of kids, it usually takes anywhere between half an hour to an hour. The riders at Somerset are all welcoming and inviting, and always willing to lend a hand or a few minutes of their time for you. Somerset is an amazing barn to be at, whether you're completely new to riding, or a more advanced rider. Somerset is like a community with open arms. read more

I do not recommend this barn. My daughter went there a couple years and rode on their IEA team. Overall I found it poorly managed and unprofessional. They do not invest in their facility and it shows. Bad roof leaks. Questionable electric. A bathroom that never worked in the 2+ years we were there. They do have a year round porta john. Promises to create an outdoor arena that never happened while we were there. They had some great lesson horses but they were overworked. Anyone who raised concerns about this was immediately shut down. The horses very, very rarely went outside. They're either in the arena or in stalls. I once heard the owner say "our horses don't like to be outside." Huh?? I saw a stall in back the size of a dog kennel that a medium sized pony lived in for months. They openly bad-mouth people (kids!) who leave the barn. I watched several families leave and soon figured out why. It's just not a good environment or well-run business. You can find a much better place to spend your money and time. read more

I have ridden at somerset for over 12 years now and it is like my home. I adore the trainers here and love everything they taught me from sitting on a horse for the first time, to jumping 3'3 at NHS and JHF. They have given me nothing but love inside and outside of the barn, coming to some of my events such as my middle school graduation and all my birthday dinners. I have never met such amazing people in my life. They always make sure I have a smile on my face even if my ride is the worst thing they have ever seen. Both me and my mare adore the facility and I personally love all of our lesson horses. They are all such a staple in my riding career. I love this place like no other! read more

Somerset is my daughter's "new" barn home. She has made so many good friends here and has really enjoyed being part of the IEA team and even participating in an ISC show. She loves her trainer and the horses here! read more

My daughter has ridden with Team Somerset for around 8 years now. They have done an outstanding job teaching my daughters and caring for their ponies. Their IEA Team has an amazing bond and are consistently in the top ranks. From their first lesson to competing at Pony Finals, the trainers have been nothing less of supportive! We have come to think of the people at the barn as family. We have had nothing but positive experiences with Somerset and highly recommend trying it out. We love somerset and plan on spending many more years with them. read more

Somerset Sporthorse - Somerset's IEA team!! - Horseback Riding Near Me - West Dundee, Illinois

I've ridden at Somerset for over five years, and let me tell you, it's an amazing stable. The instructors are knowledgeable , understanding, and great teachers as well as horsemen. They treat all of the horses and riders at Somerset with respect and kindness. Although all three instructors have different teaching styles and may disagree on each others methods from time to time, they are overall great teachers. Somerset is a family run business, owned by Sandy Walker, and her two daughters, Tiffany Walker and Tammy McConnell. One major focus that all three instructors focus on is posture and form. Unlike other nearby stables, the three instructors make sure you know how to do basic stuff correctly before you get to jump. Although this may be frustrating as a student at times, it's a very good way to go about teaching, as you get the basic moves concreted in your head before moving on to complicated stuff. The horses are not million dollar, Olympic winning horses. They are older, and cannot jump as high is you are a more experienced rider (probably about 3' is their max for the majority of lesson horses), but they are valuable and teach good lessons to both new riders and advanced riders. They all have their own quirks that make them unique, and all of them behave differently. No two horse is exactly the same, especially at Somerset. The stable itself is much smaller than other stables, especially within the arena. But the smaller arena teaches riders how to use all the given space possible. They also have a decent sized outdoor arena that they use during the summer, and decent sized pastures for the horses. The grooms are extremely nice and willing to help- especially the girl that the instructors have taken under their wing, Ava. The price of lessons is fair, and cheaper than other stables in the area. It's $40 per half hour lesson, but once you're advanced enough to be jumping with a group of kids, it usually takes anywhere between half an hour to an hour. The riders at Somerset are all welcoming and inviting, and always willing to lend a hand or a few minutes of their time for you. Somerset is an amazing barn to be at, whether you're completely new to riding, or a more advanced rider. Somerset is like a community with open arms. read more

I was at Somerset for roughly a year. I had bought my first horse within months of being there, worst mistake of my life. They would not tell us where she was from, would not let me bring in my own vet, and lied to me about her having papers. Moreover, my horse had barely any amount of turnout. One of the trainers said, "Our horses don't like turnout. They prefer to be inside." When I heard this, my reaction was what the hell are you on. What horse doesn't want to be outside? I will admit the training is fairly good, but if only their horsemanship teachings were the same. When I had finally moved my mare out of there, I had realized we did not have a strong relationship. At Somerset, I was never allowed to lunge my horse, nor really had the time to spend with her. On the weekends, you had to be out of the barn by 3, or you would be disliked and frowned upon, or sometimes yelled at. One time, my mother showed up during the week while I was in school & after grooming my mare, one of the trainers came up and said 'You can put her in the stall when you're finished.' The lighting was awful, while my horse was there, the only thing she had learned was to hate other creatures. She would stand in the corner of her stall and when you would walk in, she would pin her ears back and not even come to you. Weeks after moving her, I had seen a whole new personality to her. Leaving Somerset was the best thing I have ever done for her and me. read more