Hillside Meadows Equestrian Center - Grafton, Massachusetts

Janine S.

My 12 year old daughter rides at Hillside-Meadows and absolutely loves it! Sheila is a great trainer and has influenced her riding in such a positive way! The group of girls who ride are all very nice and helpful to one another. She has developed great friendships and has greatly improved her riding skills in a short time. The facilities are wonderful, clean and organized. We love Hillside Meadows!

Christina R.

Both my daughter and I ride and we looked a quite a few barns before deciding on Hillside Meadows. I have been impressed by the quality of the facility and how well the horses are taken care of. My daughter has grown as a rider under Sheila's guidance and showed at some A rated shows this past season. We even leased a pony this year - which is a big step for us! Needelss to say, we would recommend Hillside to anyone who wants a great riding experience.

Martina A.

My 7 year old daughter and I are both new to the equestrian world, and she started riding in March 2012 at Hillside Meadows. Sheila, the new manager and also a trainer, has brought my daughter from crying on the back of a pony to entering her first schooling show in December 2012. Her patience and ability to adapt to the needs of her students while at the same time pushing them is a pleasure to behold.

One of the things I love about Hillside Meadows is the community. I am thrilled that my daughter can hang around young (mostly) women, who work hard, muck stalls, and handle half ton animals. They are also very kind to her, mentoring her as she learns the ropes.

The horses and ponies are all very well cared for, the facilities are clean and organized, and the owners are continuing renovations, like a bathroom in the upper barn.

Though my daughter is a beginner, it is nice to know that if she sticks with this, there are instructors and schooling ponies/horses who can be there for each level - even if she switches disciplies. A new collaboration with Grazing Fields Farm in Buzzards Bay also opens new opportunities for students and boarders.

So, bottom line, no matter what your level, Hillside Meadows is worth a look. It has had new life breathed into it over the past year and a half, and even makes newbies like us feel welcome.

Derpicorn

I've been riding at Hillside meadows since the beginning of the summer of 2012. It's a great place to ride, and has gone through a lot of changes!

I have two lessons a week, and have come a long ways in such a short time with the guidance of good trainers, and amazing lesson horses. The lesson horses are patient, quiet, and make it easy to learn on from young to old!

If you are looking for a place for your kid to ride, are looking to ride again after years of not riding, or are just looking for a place to get better at riding, this is the place for you! I highly recommend it.

Carla W.

My experience so far at Hillside Meadows has been awesome! I decided to get back into riding in the Fall of 2011, after having been away from the sport for 23 years! My instructor, Sheila Brady, has been a joy to work with. She's patient and takes the time to explain things to me. They have a wide variety of horses for the beginner to advanced riders, children to adult, and the instructors seem to be very good at matching the appropriate horse to the rider based on their skill level. They have a beautiful barn for the boarders, attached to a very large, well lit indoor arena, as well as several very large outdoor rings. I feel that this has been the friendliest barn that I have ever riden at. I also like that they hold onsite winter and summer shows for those of us that wish to gain some show experience, without all the craziness and expensiveness of an offsite show. I would highly recommend checking this barn out if you are looking to learn to ride, continue riding or get back into riding.

Madeleine G.

What an amazing time my son had! It was clean (as a stable could be lol), the horses all were well cared for. Everyone was friendly. It was a great environment to be in.
Sheila Dunham was AMAZING! She took so much care with my son who tends to be a bit skittish. At a different place we were unsuccessful getting him on a horse but at Hillside my son was up on that horse and rode around happily! He cannot wait to go back! And we will!
Not only did he have a ball that day but all he talked about after was how he wanted to go again. Just after that one day I noticed such a change in him. He was more confident and he was actually doing other things which he previous was frightened of. I don't know if it was all that one ride but I definitely think it helped helped him not be so fearful.
Cannot recommend this place enough.

Caralinn R.

This facility has become a wonderful facility over the past year, you can tell that the owner has put a great amount of consideration into his new staff, specifically the coaching and training staff. The coaches are wonderful, very positive and motivating, always with an eye to the horse and rider ensuring that all are happy, healthy and safe.
As someone who has been to many different facilities and seen many differnt trainers, specifically working with childern and young adults, this facility is perfect for the young rider as well as the more mature rider.
The horses are all in great condition, showing attention to care.
The programs run are for multiple disciplines , there are shows and clinics held to help inform and educate all.
Definetly a barn I will stay with as well as promote to others.

Mina B.

The people here are great. I took my daughter for one lesson and she learned so much. The teacher is so patient, encouraging and passionate. I would go back for lessons. They have multiple indoor and outdoor rings