Top 5 Fort Collins Riding Stables
The 5 Best Places for You and Your Family to Get Involved in the Equestrian Community
Beyond Downtown, just outside the bustle of Fort Collins, thundering hooves, lush pastures, and shouts of encouragement and congratulations resound for new riding students, seasoned horsemen, and mountain riders alike. Located just outside Downtown Fort Collins, five stables offer lessons, camps, and specialized experiences that tailor to every rider’s dreams and meet every skill’s demands. Whether you are an experienced rider hoping to return to the equestrian world, are in search of a rewarding community that teaches life skills, or are looking for a camp or lessons program for your child, Fort Collins has a rich equestrian community and no barn is located more than 18 minutes from Downtown. From child friendly pony lessons to competitive show teams, Fort Collins hosts a vast, family-friendly equestrian community beyond compare.
1. Laughing Buck Farm
Laughing Buck Farm, located just 10 minutes from Downtown Fort Collins, offers beginner and intermediate lessons for riders five years and older. While Western lessons are priced at $30 an hour, pony lessons for the kids are only $20 per session. For those who want more ranch experience, Laughing Buck offers a one-of-a-kind Farm School, open year round to local children, where experience with gardens, pigs, and chickens are added to riding lessons. With so many programs and trainers geared towards educating children about agriculture, it’s no surprise that riding lessons focus on safety and natural horsemanship.
Visit Laughing Buck Farm for information about their horses, Farm School, and lessons.
2. Complete Equestrian
Located 11 minutes from Downtown Fort Collins, Complete Equestrian offers many unique opportunities for new riders. Instructors teach beginner to advanced levels, along with programs for special needs and at-risk youth. Trainers offer personalized experiences in Western riding including reining, cowhorse, and pleasure, as well as English with jumping, dressage, and hunter lessons available. With so many disciplines and choices to select from, Complete Equestrian is the ideal place to take your riding experience in the direction you desire. Youth camps, offered throughout the summer, are an excellent way for children to spend time outside, learn a new life skill, and try new riding techniques. Lessons are $40 an hour, pony lessons are $12, but package rates and select scholarships are available. Unique to Complete Equestrian, gymnastic vaulting lessons are available from beginning levels to competitive teams, offering a realm of horsemanship that few stables in Colorado can boast.
More information about Complete Equestrian can be found at their website and information about their competitive vaulting team can be reached here. To learn more about the sport of vaulting, visit the American Vaulting Association.
3. Lynchland Stables
The trainers and riders at Lynchland Stables focus on improving riding skills, ranging from beginner to advanced levels, through access to advanced courses and riding journals. Located 18 minutes outside of Downtown Fort Collins, Lynchland boasts English-based training, including hunter jumper, dressage, and cross country, as well as Western disciplines. With a vast facility that includes indoor and outdoor arenas, a lit jumping arena, and a cross country and galloping track, students who wish to focus on horsemanship can personalize and expand on their experiences. One-hour lessons are $45, but Lynchland offers a work exchange program, creating a community of horsemen that feed and care for horses and the facility in exchange for lessons or board.
For more information about Lynchland Stables, their lesson program, or their community, visit their website here.
4. Windfall Equestrian
Based out of Lynchland’s facilities, trainer Andrea Throckmorton works independently to specialize in training English disciplines such as hunter, jumper, and equitation. With access to extensive facilities, riders interested in these disciplines can search out individualized training experiences with Windfall. Training is geared towards riders who wish to compete individually, expanding upon their horsemanship to include show ring skills and experiences.
For more information about Andrea Throckmorton, Windfall Equestrian, and their lessons, visit their website.
5. Oasis Equestrian Center
While Oasis Equestrian Center also caters to English disciplines, young riders interested in competition will find a unique opportunity to advance their skills at the center. Located 8 minutes outside Downtown Fort Collins, Oasis offers lessons to beginner, intermediate, and advanced riders for basic English and hunter jumper riders. Lessons are $45 an hour, but summer camps offered June through August are an ideal way to start at the facility. Camps can be attended weekly or daily, depending on the desires of the riders. Even if riders do not have their own horses, Oasis offers the unique opportunity for middle and high school riders to compete on an Interscholastic hunt seat team. This allows riders to compete against schools and teams through the Interscholastic Equestrian Association, where they may compete against local, statewide, and national riders in sanctioned competitions.
Visit Oasis Equestrian online, as well as The Interscholastic Equestrian Association, to learn more about the competitive hunt seat team.
With so many opportunities to find a place in the equestrian community, regardless of skill, age, or interests, Fort Collins has a riding stable for you and your family. For a comprehensive list of equestrian sports, and to find a discipline you are interested in, explore Discover Horse’s educational page, and talk to your trainer about trying a riding style that suits you. The friendly trainers, horses, and stables in Fort Collins offer something for everyone, and eagerly await new and reinvigorated riders into the community.
