Shiloh Farms Equestrian Trnng

Shiloh is a great place to ride. The horses and ponies are very well cared for and are not over worked. The owner/instructor is very knowledgeable both on and off of the horse. We have been a client for several year and have greatly enjoyed our experience. more

Shiloh Farms is NOT a good place to take riding lessons or board your horses. Their website claims to have 40+ acres, yet the horses live in tiny paddocks filled with mud and feces with little grass. Horses are turned out with their halters on, which has cause a few to of them to be severely injured.The owner Tam Hall has awful communications skills and may possibly have personality issues. She has a horrible temper and she is extremely rude to her staff & clients. She even has a bad reputation at the NC state fairgrounds, so don't hold your breath if you want to show there. Tam's instruction is mediocre at best. She is more focused on making sure the saddle fits the horse, when most importantly the saddle should also fit the rider for equitation. Tam does have a ""really nice"" informative 4th level Dressage instructor named Christa. Christa is a wonderful instructor with tons of experience, but Shiloh farms school horses are NOT dressage horses. They barely do lower level movements, and they are not on the bit! If you want to excel in dressage or go to A rated shows, you'll have to go to a different stable. Do not ride at this farm. more

For people schooling, this barn may pull you in with the large number of well trained schooling horses and frequent appearances on the unrated show circuit. For boarders, it's often the lower price of board. I can at the very least say, people who grow up riding with Tam sure do tend to learn how to stay on a horse. That said, people learn to ride well in plenty of other places. Tam is a very unpleasant person to work with and as mentioned by other commenters, can be VERY cruel to both horses and riders. I recall many times in which she made the horse I rode stay in his bridle overnight for picking his head up, which caused sores on his mouth where the bit (a rather sharp double twisted snaffle) had cut into his mouth. Naturally, after the sores were there, he would REALLY pick his head up when anything pulled on his mouth when he wasn't expecting (you know, because he had open sores and was in pain). Her response was to keep the bridle on longer and make him run in the round pin. Not the sort of logic horses understand. more

I have heard sooooo much bad crap about this farm.. Dont even think about boaring ur horse there or riding there... My friend use to board her horse there and she would get tam to do training rides on him and tam would beat him SO much with the crop that now 15 years later he is STILL deathly afraid of crops... And i heard one time they tied a horse to a bail of hay in the field but he was scared of them and the horse freaking out flipped and when trying to get up got the bailing twine that he was tied to the bail with wrapped around his leg and broke his leg... DONT go there.. If u want to go to a farm in the triangle area go to Macnairs Country Acres in raleigh... more

I took lessons at shiloh farms for around 6 years before i left to pursue jumpers on the A circuit. I believe that Tam Hall owns a fine facility and she gave me the best start i could have hoped for! I had the opportunity to ride many well trained horses, the opportunity to handle babies and break and train 2 year olds (i still fondly remember leasing one of the nicest horses i have ever ridden for 6 months and bringing him from his first day under saddle to his first show!), i also got to ride and compete in multiple disciplines. Tam helped me find my pony and with him i rode and competed in hunters, jumpers, 3-phase events, dressage, and gaming. It was a blast! The family atmosphere of the barn is outstanding, everybody shares a close bond. I have been gone for about 3 years and when i returned to pay thanks to Tam after receiving my ARIA trainer certification, i felt as welcome there as i had years before! I strongly believe that Tam was largely responsible for my performance on my trainer test, as I had participated in her 4-H program, which meant years in horse bowl and hippology, and the opportunity to travel to regional and national level competitions. Tam also gave me a wonderful start in riding, she took me from a little kid who was afraid to canter a horse (she got on the horse with me to help me out), to training a cantankerous pony and jumping 2'9"" 3' fences. She helped me to develop a strong seat and the ability to stay on through almost anything. Well I may not agree with everything she does, i feel it is that way with anybody you will ever meet. I would recommend Tam and Shiloh Farms to anyone looking for a great start or just a fun environment. My reason for leaving was to ride jumpers on the A circuit, i didn't leave due to any ill will toward Tam or the Farm. It is a great farm with quality instruction and expert care. more

I have been riding at Shiloh Farms since the farm?s development in 1999 (conveniently located near Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill and Cary) and have been riding under the instruction of the owner for close to 15 years. The farm is extremely well maintained and the horses receive the best of care. The facility features three different arena?s for riding: a large covered arena, an outdoor jumping arena, and a dressage square equipped with quality lettering. Other amenities include: a spacious Barnmaster 36 stall barn, tackroom with monitored alarm system, lounge with windows overlooking the covered arena, and more. The owner emphasizes the importance of safety, responsibility, and general care of the horses. Her well mannered horses are a product of her hard work and dedication to the animals and her farm. I continue to take lessons with the owner and am constantly learning and growing as a rider and as a person under her instruction. Group lessons are extremely enjoyable as new techniques and exercises are incorporated in each lesson. Private lessons are also available upon request. There are a wide array of lessons and level of riders, so, there is a place at Shiloh Farms for every type of rider from beginner to advanced. I would highly recommend Shiloh Farms if you are looking for a safe and supportive environment in which to learn more about riding and the care of horses. more

Tam Hall is a highly knowledgeable horsewoman and riding instructor, as is Crista Gardener the dressage instructor. The school horses are safe for riding and well-trained. The pros of this barn include the indoor riding arena and the expertise of the owner and dressage instructor in their riding instructions. For borders, the cons include the muddy paddocks without grass; the owner's occasional abuse of the horses, insults to clients and riders, and general negativity. I once boarded my horse at this barn and would not recommend it to others. Pros: EQUESTRIAN TRAINING CENTER more

Shiloh Farms ETC is easily accessible to Northern Wake Co, Durham and Wake Forest. The farm is well maintained, barns are clean and the horses are very fit and obviously well cared for.The indoor arena is a major plus and makes riding possible year round regardless of weather. Lessons are offered in balanced hunt seat and dressage. I had looked at a number of other barns and was impressed with Shiloh's emphasis on safety, for both horse and rider. It was the only barn I visited where safety vests are required for riders under 18 from beginner to advanced and older riders are encouraged to wear safety vests in class or riding on their own. Riders are paired with an appropriate horse and it's been great to watch the walk-trot kids advance their skills under the guidance of very patient and talented instructors. I like the fact that all the horses have exceptional ground manners and good temperaments; riders are trained in understanding horse behavior as well as horsemanship. As a ""returning to riding"" adult, I'm delighted that there are so many riders at Shiloh Farms who are in the 50's, 60's and 70's: we may not be in the jumping ring sailing over 3' fences but we have a ball! The only drawback I can see is that there are sensible safety rules and some youngsters may chafe at these. The barn is very family oriented and everyone is courteous and friendly. It's a fun place to ride. Pros: outstanding instruction, fit and talented horses, friendly & family oriented more

Driving up the drive way the farm looks beautiful, but thing quickly change once you reach the owner's house. It becomes apparent that there is little to no grass on the farm. Manure is spread in the fields which creates an over abundance of muck in the fields. The owner acts sweet at first but soon starts yelling at both children and adults. She is rude to people and mean and forceful with the horses. If they make any sounds at all during feeding time they are not feed at all. If they do not immediately come up to the gate to come in from the field she leaves them out in the heat and cold. The lessons tend to be diverse as far as skill level of the riders and little individual attention is given. Some of the lesson horse are old and they all tend to have feet problems most likely due to the amount of mud in the fields. The horses are required to wear solid nylon halters and not allowed to wear safety halters. This wouldn't be a problem if there weren't round hay bale feeders in the fields with exposed bolts. I have seen a horse panic, flip herself, break her neck from getting her halter caught on the exposed bolts. The owner had another horse die because of the feeder but told the students and parents that she did not know why or how the horse died even though in reality she found him with his head stuck in the feeder. Please save yourself the money and time and find another better farm to ride at. Pros: some decent horses and the opportunity to be in 4H Cons: no grass, constant yelling, over abundance of rules, old injured horses more