Shiloh Farms Equestrian Training

DO NOT listen to all the awful words people say about Shiloh Farms or Tam Hall. I have been with Shiloh Farms for almost 20 years. She takes Superb care of her horses. she feeds them the finest grains and supplements that are catered to the individual horse's needs. Her horses live to be way over the average life expectancy and they all are happy. She RESCUES horses and brings them back to life and gives them purpose. She teaches THERAPEUTIC RIDING to give people who have disabilities a chance to be around horses. In regards to how she is towards her students- she is family to me. I grew up with her and she has taught me life lessons and how to be a good person and respect horses. I HIGHLY recommend Shiloh Farms. Tam Hall's number one priority is the safety of her riders and the safety of her horses.

I've been riding with the owner, Tam, since 2005. I started with summer camps and was eventually able to start weekly lessons. She truly cares about all of her students and works hard to make sure they are confident riders that grow into confident people. She also expects you to take care of your horse properly. I used to be an extremely timid rider, but Tam helped match me with a rescued horse that matches me perfectly. Several of her horses have been raised on the farm, but many are rescues. It has been amazing to watch them go from timid, green horses to confident and suitable for beginners. Shiloh Farms not only teaches you how to ride, but how to become a well-rounded individual and horse person.

The horses are very well cared for. Tam, the owner puts safety of people and horses at a top priority. As a parent I value her expertise and knowledge of horsemanship as well as the barn rules that need to be followed to maintain safety for all. The 4-H club is fun and well run.

I've been riding at Shiloh for several years now. This facility is by far the best I've ever been to. Everyone is family here and we work together as a team. The owner is one of the most knowledgable and dedicated horse people I've ever had the privilege of knowing. Not everyone will agree with her methods, but they also don't know the reasons behind them. Everything she does is for the betterment of her horses and the safety of her clients. She has 45+ years of experience in perfecting her techniques. The way she trains her horses may be different than other trainers, but her horses are the most well-behaved I've seen and they LOVE their job. And thats because they are fed properly, not overworked, and most importantly, they are loved unconditionally. Most of the horses born on the farm have lived well into their 30's! I would absolutely recommend this barn to anyone who wants to learn how to ride in a family oriented, drama-free atmosphere. If you have any doubt in how wonderful this barn is, I suggest you come experience it for yourself.



And for those who complain about the pasture situation, take time and do research on why the owner may be doing what she is. Some reasons feed hay instead of grass include: less risk of obesity, lower parasite infection rates, lower risk of laminitis from overgrazing, less tetanus infections, less mycotoxicosis from fungi that grow on grass, no poisonous weeds, and many more. Yes, horses need forage, but they can come from hay or grass, and there are pros and cons to feeding each. Simply because you do not think it is the right thing to do, does not make you correct.

Obviously the people that wrote the positive posts have no knowledge of how horses should be treated. Animal control has been called on Tam multiple times. SEVERAL horses have died because of her neglect. The owner claims to be all about safety but is really all about convenience. I rode there for years and it got nothing but worse. The trainer has two favorite girls and those are the only people at the barn she is nice to. She yells at everyone, she doesnt have a calm polite voice. The horses are only ridden once a day and maybe only four times a week but when the barn had more students those poor horses were worked much more often. Half of the school horses are lame. The school horses are either so old they can barely get around the ring without falling or way to young for inexperienced riders to safely ride them. The horses need to be removed and taken to a place where they will at least be fed all of their meals because that doesnt happen at this place. I helped feed for a whole summer and was instructed that a horse so much as nickered to not give them their grain. One time my horse pooped in her food bucket and Tam poured her food right on top saying that it was my horse's fault fo pooping there. I dont think whipping horses senseless and making them stay in the fields with chains in their mouths is humane. This place needs to be shut down.

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.