Rah-Sadj Ranch Equestrian Center

Whether you are a beginner or advanced rider--Frankie has something to offer you! Her warm, caring and fun personality make lessons enjoyable and you always come away with something to practice and to look forward to coming back to! I have referred many people to Frankie for lessons and even boarding. One of my friends is taking lessons from her now and is having the time of her life! Another friend is just getting started. Our 4-H group had a clinic there today -fun, FUN, FUN--and now one of them is going to take lessons too. Pros: Frankie runs a top notch equestrian facility. more

I have been riding with Frankie Timmerman for about a year and a half, and have owned and been around horses for over 20 years. Frankie is the most kind and fun woman you will ever meet, and takes a huge amount of dedication and pride in her barn... The horses are really her life. She is down at 5:30 am feeding, and feeds 4-5 times throughout the day just to keep the horses happy that are inside. She turns them out regularly, knows their personalities to match the right herds, and hoses their feet and will do whatever you need her to.... tend to a wound, change a blanket etc. Her barn is spotless; there is always staff there to help out, and the stable, for its age, is in impeccable condition. The barn is somewhere that you can go to at the end of a hard days work and relax, clear your mind, and enjoy your time with your horse. She also will haul for you to trails and shows if you need her to, which is hard to find at times! Pros: 2 arenas, large turnout, great care, fun environment more

I've been taking lessons at Rah Sadj for almost 8 years, and boarded my beloved horse there for 5. My daughter took lessons there from the time she was about 8 until she got ready to leave for college. I can't say enough good things about the facility and the owner/trainer. The barn is clean, the horses lovingly cared for and, most of all, it is a super-safe place for both riders and horses. I was stunned to see the negative review...it's like the writer was talking about a different facility. It is certainly NOT the case that Rah Sadj can't handle large horses (there are several there well over 16 hands); it is the case that dangerous, out-of-control or agressive horses are not welcome there. That is a good thing! We were asked to find a different home for our first horse because he was agressive, could not safely be put out in the pasture with other horses (he kicked, bit and bullied) and was agressive with other horses in the arena. In other words, he was a safety and liability risk, and we whole-heartedly agreed with the owner/trainer that he needed another home. Our second horse, a very frightened rescue horse, was welcomed to the barn, cared for with great patience and understanding, and eventually became a wonderful horse that my daughter and I shared until she left for college and we found him a new home. The owner/trainer and her employees (both the stable man and the trainers she had working with the horse) worked very hard with us and our horse to make his time at Rah Sadj happy and successful, which was definitely not an easy task in the beginning. These are wonderful people who truly love horses and care about making riding both safe and enjoyable. Whether you're 5 or 55 (or more!), this is a wonderful place to ride, board and train! more

I started riding at Rah Sadj Ranch seven years ago. To this day, I remember how kind Frankie was towards me during my first lessons, teaching me how to properly ride and handle a horse. Since then, I have brought many friends to ride at the barn who have had just as great of a time as I always have. All of the people there, except for the person who wrote the first bad review above, have been extremely nice. The person who wrote that review most likely made the remarks that she did due to the fact that Frankie had to have the woman's horse no long be boarded at Rah Sadj due to its behavior. I witnessed this horse's frightening behavior, as well as the rider's inability to manage her horse in the presence of other riders. Frankie made the right call, as she always does, making sure to put the safety of all of the riders in her barn first. more

Thankfully we were only there a month. Despite its appearance this is a hateful place. The stories of verbal abuse by the owner and her husband are common around the barn. The place is not equipped to handle larger horses, the feed is minimal, fencing falling down, the barn leaks and arena cramped. But worst they seem unable to handle the horses, after just two weeks my horse was skittish and for some reason she was head shy. This was a bad experience. Stay away! more

I used to have two horses and ra-sadj. I remember trading barn work for lessons with frankie. I would come around 5:00-6:00 am and sleep in the hay area or with my horses. My friend and i would get our horses out and ride around in the arena, learning dressage and jumping little poles. I miss it there so much. I plan to go back and start riding again if frankie is still up for it. I'd have to say that rah-sadj is one of the best horse boarding ranch's. My family was very close to frankie. I miss it more

I began riding with Frankie at the age of 6 and became one of her assistant trainers 7 years later at the age of 13. I continued to train for and with her on into high school and throughout my college years. I owe many of my most memorable moments and learning experiences to the time I spent at Rah Sadj Ranch. Frankie is one of the few remaining tried and true horse women who teaches the fundamentals of horsemanship from the ground up. Not only does she carefully instruct and encourage students to safely, consciously and comfortably work around horses, she emphasizes the importance of building a relationship with and truly understanding the animals -- an absolute necessity in the equestrian education process. Furthermore, Frankie's lesson program educates children and adults alike about the essential responsibilities of horse care and management. By encouraging all of her students to participate in every aspect of the process, from the grooming, to the riding to the cleaning of stalls and polishing tack, she provides the basis for not only a safe, solid and enjoyable future with horses but also teaches the importance of responsibility, compassion, integrity and last but certainly not least, that the rewards gained from their hard work will be experiences that follow them for the rest of their lives. more

I would like to comment that the previous review is out of line and completely unjust. I am a staff member at Rah Sadj Ranch and grew up riding there before I became a trainer there and I have to say that there was never any racial remarks made nor have I ever heard of Frankie or her husband making racial slurs toward any customer, boarder or rider at her barn. From a first hand account of what was said, I can say that the previous review was made from an unhappy woman looking for any excuse to make a big deal out of nothing and not following barn rules that are enforced to all who ride there. I would highly recommend Rah Sadj Ranch to any one interested in taking lessons, whether you are black, white, or any other race. There are a large number of different nationalities that ride there and not once have I heard anyone complain of racism. more