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February 2023 by Christina Merkel
UPDATE 2/10/23: Still 5 star'sIt's now been 3 years from my first review and my daughter is still going to Kathy at Rusty Bar Ranch for horse lessons. Kathy has done amazing events with her students with agility, horse first aid, summer fun, get all the lesson kids together for holiday fun. We now own a horse and she boarded with them and everything is layed out in all the paperwork, questions just ask. Kathy is also very big in helping, and so is the rest of the staff. Fun, safety learning environment for everyone at all times at the ranch.Safety is #1 ALWAYS, and Kathy will always end a lesson on a good note, which builds confidence in the rider.-----------------Original postgreat place. My daughter started lessons at the ranch a month ago, and she has done great and picked up on so much stuff. great people and great horses, & great lessons. my daughter is always learning something new about the horses, from taken care of them, getting them out to take them to the round pen, how they are trained, she knows the story of the horses she works and so much more. All the horses are great and so very well trained and taken care of. the ranch is a great loving and caring place for all the horses, staff, and riders. The ranch & animals are so well taken care of and so loved by all.
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December 2022 by Kareena Corrow
I decided a year ago that it was very important to get my then 5 year old daughter out of the house and into something that would help build her confidence and self esteem. We decided to start equine lessons at Rusy Bar Ranch. My daughter who is hearing impaired and wears hearing aids started with horse agility first to help build the knowledge and foundation on good horsemanship. She advanced to be able to start riding now. My daughter has come so far in her abilities within this last year and I am extremely proud of her. This was all due to the patience and understanding of the owner and instructor Kathy!! She will never put my daughter in an unsafe situation and teaches all of her students that safety is number one. She also teaches respect for the horses. She will always make sure that my daughter is able to handle any new skill that is being taught and will not teach a student anything that they are not ready to learn because learning horsemanship takes time, patience and one step at a time. I trust Kathy completely. She has a huge heart and loves to see her students thrive in there abilities and confidence with horses. My daughter loves going to " the barn" and I love seeing her confidence and self esteem grow in leaps and bounds. Thank you so much Kathy!!!
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December 2022 by Jason Vannier
My son and I went to Rusty Bar for an intro to riding class. The facility is great! Lessons were informative and fun. I hope to go back soon! If you're looking for boarding, teaching or coaching give them a call, they are great!
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December 2022 by Alexus Acosta
Took my daughter here 4& 1/2 years old was not a good fit at all I asked a bunch of people I know who have grown up on horse lessons and they have never been yelled at, yes it’s frustrating sometimes to understand how each kids learn but I can assure you that yelling at them isn’t a way to handle it for a 4 year old it frustrates them and my little girl usually listens pretty well Kathy seems to have little to no patience for that young of a kid. My little girl refuses to go back to her, I was taken back by her yelling at my 4 yr old on her first ever lesson, then also being late, and also trying to cut the time short(which she did) I might also add she blamed it on Disney movies. Save yourself the trouble and time don’t go here.And I did because she wasn’t running she was fast walking but I figured I’d rather tell her then have someone yell at her. Learning is a process not something that she’s already gunna know as it was her first time in a arena and I was the one who told her walking feet.
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December 2022 by Bailey Kimball
Kathy does such an amazing job making me feel at ease! I learn something new every lesson.
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December 2022 by A Blkspice
If you looking for a great experience for your kids look no further !
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December 2022 by Red ROCK
Kathy is a good teacher good with horses ?
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December 2022 by Terry Smith
Learning lot's with Kathy!
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December 2021 by Hannah Kurt
Rusty Bar Ranch is definitely the place to go if you are interested in taking horse riding lessons ❤️ Kathy is an amazing instructor very patient and kind with all her students and she believes on all her students ending on a positive note with lessons.
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December 2021 by alma resndes
We love this place, Horses are very well taking care obedient and Kathy is and excellent, patience and experience coach has been a great help into my daughter life.
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December 2021 by James Hansch
Kathy is a wonderful instructor who cares about her students and horse's
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December 2019 by Serendipity Salado TX
My horses have been at Rusty Bar Ranch for over 6 years. In that time, they have always had the best care i could have ever asked for. for much of that time I was living in another state. I always received updates on my horses' condition as well as their vet, farrier and other schedules.The facility owner has been absolutely fabulous about accepting horses in transport at all hours of the night, as well as sending horses off on transport as well.As someone who has owned and operated her own facility and owned national-level show horses (one of which was boarded with Rusty Bar for over 4 years), I can honestly say I have never worried about my horse-kids for a minute.
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December 2017 by James Wyrick
I love it it is beautiful
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December 2016 by lovemy suffolk
In response to the one poor review...Kathy never says you can't feed your horse more if you'd like, she offers what she offers, but she never stops anyone from supplementing, so if you think your horse was starving...I would go look in the mirror and not point fingers at others. YOU are the horses owner...not Kathy. So really, shame on you for not taking better care of your horse.Other than that, she and and Ray have created a small 'equine utopia' in south Pierce County. You won't really find anywhere else around here that gives you what you get at the the Rusty Bar Ranch for $350 a month. The facilities are incredible and they have great access to miles of trails right near Ft. Lewis. She helped me learn to ride when I got my horse almost seven years ago. She is a GREAT confidence builder for more timid riders and beginners. She teaches you how to groom, how to tack up, how to stay safe on the ground and then how to stay safe in the saddle. I haven't been there in a few years, but I had a good experience with Kathy and will always be grateful to her for being my 'feather' when I was starting out and timid.
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December 2016 by Stacie Barczak
Before deciding to board at Rusty Bar Ranch I looked at close to 10 other facilities in the area. My checklist of wants included stalls with runs, an indoor arena, turnout, a welcoming atmosphere, the ability to get arena ride time in, and a safe and clean facility. When I first visited Rusty Bar, I was pleasantly surprised to find that it not only met all the above criteria but it also offered additional diversity in riding areas including an outdoor arena, roundpen, obstacles, trail access, and a grassy field. Other perks included an “instant” hot water wash rack, a heated viewing room with kitchen, an enclosed climate controlled tack room with individual lockers, well-kept arena footing, and virtually no mud (I visited on a rainy day at the end of a long stretch of rainy days!). I stopped searching for a boarding barn after visiting Rusty Bar and immediately decided that it was where I wanted my horse to call home.The owners/operators, Kathy and Ray truly watch out for the well-being of all the horses on their property. When I moved my horse in, we were dealing with an abscess. Kathy moved her own horse out of the lower barn to open a stall for my horse so that she could keep a better eye on her. In addition, my horse was unable to be turned out. When my mare became upset with being left in her stall while the other horses were turned out, Kathy and Ray moved her into a larger stall and paddock abbutting one of the turnouts during the day. At night they moved her back to her stall. Once ok’d for turnout, they made sure that my horse was in a group she got along with.Even once we were in the normal routine of things, Kathy and Ray never stopped keeping a close eye on my horse. At one point, they noticed a change in the behavior of my mare. Unable to reach me as the horse continued to show no improvement, a call was made to the vet. The vet would not come out without a guarantee of payment. Still unable to reach me, Kathy paid for the vetbill and got the vet out because it was what my horse needed. Kathy had caught the beginning signs of what might have turned into a very serious colic. I am so thankful that my mare was in such good hands while I was unreachable at work. Over the next few days, Kathy kept me abreast of how my horse was doing with text updates which I could check while on breaks at work.At Rusty Bar Ranch the horses are given individualized care. Hay is fed as needed in the amount appropriate to each horse; horses are not lumped into a generic feeding program. Owner supplied supplements are fed daily and medications are administered as needed. Kathy will not only helped us get scheduled with a vet as needed (we were new to the area and did not have a preexisting relationship with a local vet), she also helped us keep track of wormings and hoofcare.On the human side of things, I was quickly invited to be part of the barn community. I was invited to trail rides, clinics, and other events. I didn't have a trailer of my own and without these invitations I wouldn't have left the property. The events both on and off site helped my horse and I bond as well as expand our comfort zone. When I was working with my horse, if Kathy saw us running into particular difficulty with an obstacle she was happy to offer advice or demonstrate how to work through it; she was never pushy though and always asked first if I'd like assistance.I have seen how Kathy and Ray put the horses first time again as they allow their schedules and routines to be modified by the special needs of the horses in their care. Whether it be a short term or long term adjustment, they do it because it is the best thing for the horse even when it may not be the easiest thing to accomplish. I’ve been in and out of many barns over the years with different life changes. Never before have I been truly sad to leave one. The only reason I left is because we moved and I was able to bring my horse to live at home with me. I highly recommend Rusty Bar Ranch for boarding. I even more highly recommend Kathy and Ray to take care of your horses.
