Sterling Shields Stables and Riding Academy

Best place to take my daughter for her riding lessons. It is her second home and the staff treats kids as family!

Wow! I’m so impressed with the entire package of this riding facility — Kim the owner: trainer is incredible– not only with her horses but every single one of her students. She is beyond words– very professional but also very warm and loving making you feel right at home the minute you step into her arena. She was wonderful with my daughter sophia. Sophia has now done 2 of her summer camps and keeps begging to do more– so we are planning on signing up for lessons this winter/​spring session– I’m sure sophia will be thrilled — she misses the whole experience and all of the girls/​riders and all of the beautiful sweet horses.

For a beginner, the experience here is great. I bought a Groupon and didn’t have any issues other people mentioned. Kim responded to my scheduling inquiry immediately and cordially, I wasn’t asked to tip (been riding for years, and never have encountered that… I think it’s written on all Groupons since so many are for restaurants). Horses were safe and equipment (called «tack») was fine, Lydia (instructor) gave proficient and friendly instruction. If you’re an advanced rider, the facility may not be what you’re used to – large rings, fancy jumps, etc. But for a beginner, this would be a very nice experience in learning to tack up a horse and ride. Buy a Groupon next time they’re for sale and give riding a try. I was also very impressed that Kim recommended a facility more suitable for a more intermediate/​advanced rider like me, even though it wasn’t her own farm. I think that shows a lot of character since she wanted me to be happy more than she wanted to make a buck. Very classy – I took notice and appreciated it.

My children have been taking lessons there since ⁴⁄₂₀₁₃. I took them for 1 lesson just to see if they would like it, and they were hooked like nothing I’ve seen before! They want to be out at the barn with the horses all the time. Kim is very good with them and I’m quite proud of what great riders they have become. I would recommend Sterling Shields Stables, hands down.

I also bought a groupon, but couldn’t even get the stables to return my calls or texts (per the instructions on their voicemail). I contacted groupon, and they would contact the stables to call me back. NOTHING.
I was very disappointed that I did not get to ride. Groupon refunded my money.
There are too many stables around Indy to put up with stuff like this. Why would you do a groupon if you’re not interested in treating your customers right. Get it together, Sterling Shields.

Don’t blame the horses; blame the owner Kim!
My friends and I (all working professionals in our 30s) bought these horseback riding lessons through Groupon. If you buy Groupon for these guys, watch out because there’s all kinds of fine print and prerequisites that Kim (owner of Sterling Shields Stables) put on there! First you have to call and schedule a time with Kim for your lesson by giving them your Groupon number and barcode number. Cancellation is 48hr of your appointment. After 48hrs you forfeit your Groupon. Then you have to give your phone number so she can text you more information the day before your lesson; such as how much tax you have to pay ($ 9.75) and tip ON TOP of your Groupon. Bring you own helmet too because they’ll charge you $ 5.00 for helmet rental.
When we got there. First impressions, Kim was a bit rude but I thought nothing of it because my group was 5mins late and I can understand how she could be a little frustrated. Then the mandatory tax and tip charge was a «got-​cha» charge that we didn’t agree with but paid anyway. We all got through the lesson fine (Lydia her helper was great) until the end during the horse dismount lesson. Kim was instructing all of us on proper procedure for dismounting the horse. When it came my turn she instructed me how I should do it. When I got down off the horse she said with a «smile», «No! You didn’t listen!» «You don’t get off like that because the horse could run and pull you with!» Well I’m sorry that I’m a beginner and this being my first time getting off a horse, but is all this passive aggressiveness necessary?! I thought, wow does she belittle all her customers like this? I could have argued with her but I didn’t. Instead, I asked her if I could try it again; to which she said, «No, you’re good.» and walked away.
Finally, after walking the horses back into their stalls, we were told to clean up after the horses. That’s right, clean! There was nothing in this Groupon that stated anything regarding having to clean! I personally don’t have a problem cleaning after ourselves, so my friends and I all did it without objection. We got the brooms and dustpans and started sweeping away. As we were sweeping, Kim saw how one of us was sweeping with a push broom and said, «No! You’re doing it all wrong!» She grabbed the broom from him and started to demonstrate how to use a push broom.
Seriously? Yeah… As we continued, Kim saw how I was sweeping and runs over, grabbed my broom and said, «You didn’t listen to directions again, did you?»
What she was pointing out was that every person would sweep only a particular section of the stable. Well, it turns out that my part had several mats which blocked the sweeping area. So, I had to go around the mats and sweep a pile in the next area. Then she says, «You were a bad kid when you were a child weren’t you?»
I could not believe how I was being treated! This is just another example of how unprofessional, lack of customer service skills, and belittling she is. I probably should have said something, but I’m not that kind of person to stoop to that inconsiderate level. So, while we were finishing up cleaning, Kim told us that she normally make her students (whom are children) do the cleaning for character building and nothing else because at the end of every night they go through with an air blower to do all the cleaning. Yes, all that cleaning was to demean me and my friends and to treat us like children.
If you like being treated like a child and pay your hard earned cash to clean their stables while getting demoralized, this is the place for you!