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Aiken County, with an assortment of top-flight equestrian facilities, is home base for hundreds of competitive riders who travel around the country and beyond, and local acreage also includes a few places where prospective riders can get a feel for the basics of horsemanship. 

One of the newest options is Chesley Brook Stables, on Wagener Road. “My youngest student currently is 4 years old,” said owner/instructor Brittany Jamison, who pointed out that she deals mainly with dressage and also handles some eventing. 

Jamison’s operation, previously based in New Hampshire, moved to Aiken in 2018 and serves students of various backgrounds. “For kids, I typically say, ‘Just come by and see if they like the horses.’ That’s the first step.”

Adults, by comparison, already have set a goal for themselves, in terms of horsemanship or focal points. “You have to set your own goals, and I’m happy to work with the goals that people set for themselves,” she added.

God It Made Ranch, on New Holland Road, has been in operation locally for five years. Brittany Wyatt, the barn manager, said the focus is mainly on younger children, but teenagers can also be part of the mix, and emphasis is on keeping things relatively affordable, she added. 

“We try to focus on the basic riding skills. We’re kind of more of an English barn, but we can do some Western as well,” Wyatt said, pointing out that the basic concepts of how to care for a horse are also taught.

A code of conduct is part of the God It Made’s day-to-day operations, in keeping with its religious nature, and emphasis is on a family-friendly atmosphere, said Jan White, the owner. Summer camps are also part of the package from year to year.

Wyatt, commenting on the benefits of riding lessons, said the experience can help a child become more well-rounded and develop traits such as patience, in learning to take care of an animal and strive for long-term goals. 

“It takes time and dedication, and they have to really … want to do it. That’s why people pay to come take lessons. They want to get better and connect with an animal – something that a lot of kids don’t get to do,” she said. 

Seeing a student get such “quality time” and improving in riding skills is enjoyable to watch, she added. She also noted that “some kids come from bad homes, and they have other issues that they’re struggling with sometimes, and animals can speak to them better than a person can.” 

A few miles farther from Aiken is Hope for Hooves Rescue, on the Edgefield side of North Augusta. As a rescue operation, the facility offers instruction for two- and four-legged clients alike, with some of the horses being prepared for adoption. 

“We offer riding lessons from ages 4 to adult – private or group lessons,” said Regan Fanning, the instructor.  

“I focus on a balanced rider,” she said. “We don’t have a particular discipline that we focus on, like barrel racing. I focus on the pleasure rider … like trail riding or just being safe on the horse.” 

She said her operation was established in August 2020, and includes clientele from as far afield as New Ellenton and Grovetown, Georgia. 

Michelle Derrick, the owner, made similar comments, emphasizing “balance and horsemanship” as key concepts, with horses in a variety of sizes to help accommodate riders’ dimensions and skills. Highlights from day to day, she said, include such things as having a student progress from one level of riding to another, as in going from a walk to a trot. 

Fanning laid out the basics, noting, “I start everybody with a meet-and-greet, so they’ll come and visit the farm, meet the animals, and if it’s a good fit for them, then we sign waivers and all the legal stuff, and then we schedule the first lessons. We do either individual or they can pay for a package of lessons.”

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