Teesdale Equestrian Centre Ltd. - Foothills County, Alberta

Tracey B.

I have been riding at Teesdale for almost a year now. It took me 12 years (on and off of looking) to find a place like this.
I’ve been to a LOT of barns through trying to find somewhere to have lessons and through working in the industry and I’m just disappointed it took me so long to find this place!

The lesson horses are wonderful. Such a variety from really big, to small! I love them all!
It is easily the most welcoming English barn I have been to.
Full of all age groups, and all experience levels, everyone is helpful and friendly.
I’m 38 and am often asking the teens that are around for help finding things. They are more than happy to assist!

I ride with Julianne but have had lessons with other knowledgeable and skilled coaches too.
The “horse comes first” attitude is embraced by all and is expected of the riders coming for lessons as well. Proper grooming, proper tacking up, post-ride care (cooling off, baths, blanketing etc), taking care of equipment is taught to all.

Lessons involve a proper riding program that teaches you how to actually ride, lots of groundwork and exercises go along with the jumping.
The first I have witnessed in any jumping barn I have been to or heard of in my time in the Calgary area.

Julianne is the best teacher I have had in a lifetime of riding. Her patience and ability to explain the “why” behind everything we do while riding and educating us on how to become better riders, really is wonderful. She also makes it super fun!
My weekly lessons and evening at the barn are the best part of my week.

The upgrades that have been added in the short time I’ve been riding there are really great too.

The staff work incredibly hard.
Communication is always clear.
The property is immaculate.
Great affordable pricing.
Options for leasing and showing.

Highly highly recommend Teesdale. Especially if you want to (or want your children to), learn the right way horses should be cared for and the right way to ride.

lea A.

My daughter started learning to ride at Teesdale in February 2020 at 8yrs old. We really appreciate the consistency offered, she rides the same lesson horse (both Secret and Merry have been wonderful), and has the same instructor / classmates. Marissa has been great for our daughter, and she makes herself available to talk the few times we've needed clarity on something. The kids learn to tack up their horses independently, my daughter enjoys the time in the barn with the horses almost as much as riding itself. The staff that work in the barn are friendly which makes me confident that there's always someone around to help her if she needs. Even through covid shutdowns, lessons were consistent, we have always been charged appropriately. The horses are all very well taken care of at Teesdale and that was a very important factor for us.

Jessica T.

I’ve been a member of the Teesdale community for nearly 18 years. I started riding there at 10 years old on some of the same ponies that are still there. (The ever lovely merry!) I was able to progress with a multitude of exceptional trainers, and I loved every moment, horse and person I had the opportunity to meet. I recently came back to train with Christine after taking many years off for school, and it feels like coming home. I cannot say enough amazing things about this place, the owner and the company they keep.

Soraya E.

Kinda clean, some staff are nice. My trainer Lindsay was not super nice, neither is the owner.

Example 1: She never ever texted me before a lesson and said, "see you at 10:30!" However this one day at the end of my lesson, she said "next week you're lesson will be at 9:30, so be here at 9." and I said "Oh, how come the change?" She said that the girl riding before me would be on vacation, so I could start riding earlier. The day comes and I'm arriving at the barn at 9:00am (to tack up my horse half an hour early). First time ever, my trainer texts me, "See you for your lesson at 10:30!" Which means she knew she made a mistake, which is why she texted me. I was annoyed because I live a half hour away. When I started riding at 10:30, I said to her, "yeah so I came when you told me to, at 9:00 for my 9:30 lesson today. I've actually been here for a while haha." and she said, "Oh I never told you that." I said, "last week you did." and she said to me, "why would I tell you that when I'm busy with someone else at that time?". She tried making me feel like an idiot for a mistake that she made. I didn't say anything else to her about that.
But instead of owning up to what she said, she claimed I had misheard her.

Example 2: I asked my trainer a question about whether i should perform a move a certain way to get my horse to canter. She looked at me and said "uhhh yeah." In a demeaning tone, which she does a lot.
I have not been riding my whole life. Only a few years on and off, mostly off.
She again, made me feel dumb and actually made me feel bad for asking her a genuine question.

Example 3:
When I sleep, I have my phone on "Do not disturb" and "airplane mode". Meaning, I don't receive notifications even when those are turned off. I walked into the barn and asked my trainer what horse I'd be riding because my horse had gotten an operation done, and on her stall door it said, "Do not ride Elsa. Speak to your instructor." So I did as the note said and spoke to my instructor, not knowing she texted me. She said, "I texted you this morning Soraya." Once again, in a very abrupt and rude tone. I said, "oh okay, I'll go check my phone in my car, sorry!" Then she said, "you'll be riding Elsa today" in an annoyed manner.
She could have just said, "that's okay i texted you earlier, maybe you didn't see it. You'll be riding Elsa today."

Owner, Christine (I think her name is): Christine called me, after my dad had his credit card removed from their system. There kept being shut downs, thus there being false charges to his credit card which would result in makeup lessons. The owner called me and said they needed to have a card on file from me or she will replace me with someone else who wants to ride there.
She threatened to kick me out when I'M paying them (don't know how that makes sense) because I choose to pay each time I ride instead of my dads decision to take HIS OWN credit card off file.

There are so many other instances, but there wouldn't be enough room to fit them all.
Not a professional facility.
Perhaps I am mistreated because I am young. However, that is not a reason for them to mistreat me.

The other riders at Teesdale are super sweet, and the young female workers are really nice too.

Lindsay was nice most of the time, but out of nowhere, if I asked her a (genuine) question, or if she made a mistake with timing/location (which happened a few times) she would blame me and claimed I misheard her.

I am not a mean person. I have never showed Teesdale any disrespect, I follow the rules, I pay them on time, and I have ridden at other barns before with no issues. BUT, this is the only barn I've ridden at where I am mistreated a lot of the time.
Amazing trainer, bad attitude.

Anna S.

Clean, horses are well taken care of.
I do not recommend to very young riders as you going to learn on a pony, which are bad choice, they never listen for rider's instructions. It makes it very frustrating..

Soraya E.

To add onto my other review. The owner came out when I went to the barn and argued with me over why I wrote that review. She (Christine) was telling me I was "not allowed" to write bad reviews about her barn. Then in the end of the conversation, she said "I'm not saying you can't have an opinion, I was meaning, you can't write a bad review about us, then come and ride here." And I agreed with her. I said that was more than okay and fair. I said, "that's what you should have said in the beginning, you should not have attacked me, and gone on a tangent about how I am not allowed to write reviews about you." (I'm quote unquote wrong for experiences I experienced by myself.) I told her I experienced poor treatment from herself (Christine) and Lindsay, and I have not received an apology yet. I told her a reason why I said on my other review that this place was not professional, she was showing it to me right now. Instead of apologizing (which she did not), she said, "you are not allowed to write bad reviews", and I told her, a professional business, would have said, "I am sorry that you had a bad experience, hopefully your next visit will be more pleasant."
She did not do that, she argued with me over why I wrote the review, and that I shouldn't have.

Joana T.

My daugher started riding at Teesdale a bit over a year ago. Beautiful place, well taken care of horses, and she absolutely loves being trained by Kelsey, who's amazing!

Heather B.

Beautiful barn and great coaching. Top of the line schooling horses, you couldn’t get better horses to start on.