THE GUIDES AND HANDLERS
Our friendly guides and trainers are chosen for their depth of equestrian experience and professional commitment to customer service. Their priority is to ensure the clients safety and enjoyment - and the wellbeing of the horses.
Samantha - As a young girl back in South Africa, Sam "ate, slept and thought" only horses. At the age of seventeen she "upped" and flew to the UK to work on a horse-farm. Up before dawn to exercise racehorses on the track, she has come full circle, now assisting others, whilst also attending not only to her "barn" family, but also guests in the adjoining Inn. Married to Louis, their mission is to turn the Stables and the adjoining Inn into a real destination experience.
Brittany has been riding and working with horses since she was thirteen. A true "find" and a natural with horses she, as with Samantha, is infatuated with all things "horsey". Literally arriving on our doorstep offering her services in exchange for just being around horses, she has proved to be a "gem!" Her gentle yet firm demeanour with the horses AND the foals, has proved invaluable in the day-to-day operation of the barn.
Kizzie, Rookie and Kokie are all trained by Judy. She has generously donated her time and vast experience to the Black Locust Stables project and continues to assist and advise not only in the introduction of newbies to horseriding, but also in the training of the Black Locust foals. Judy is currently also training her personal Morgan foals at the Snowdrop Farm which she and and her husband Randy, own and operate.
In addition to training, pleasure riding and showing, Randy has also driven single and pairs, including tandem, for fun, showing and for commercial events. Randy and Judy each have over 40 years of experience in riding and driving horses, and raise and train sport ponies and Morgan horses for pleasure driving and riding.
As an aside from their new "Shaffer Sausage" business venture, Randy will be overseeing and training Bingo with the new "Victoria" carriage.
Founder of the "Breakaway Adventure Club" in Africa, Louis enabled visitors from around the world the opportunity to experience that which they had previously only dreamed about. And included in the many varied activites was viewing game on horse-back. Samantha regularly regales the guests with her "Louis and the rhino" story. Whilst he cannot transport his guests to Africa, Louis has every intention of importing some of the "Out of Africa" experiences to New York.