What passes between a horse and its rider is completely different from any other animal/human relationship. We ask them to carry us, to move in a particular way, and to trust that we won’t harm them. The horse overcomes the fear of having something on its back, where a predator might land from above, and the rider learns to trust and communicate with a 1,200-pound animal with nothing more than the pressure of their body. When this relationship is functioning well, the result is a synergy in which both bodies move as one. The air speeds past your face; the ground moves away beneath you. It’s like flying.
There is something undeniably appealing about horses. From their velvety noses to their soulful eyes, they seem to speak to the deepest parts of people. The horseback riding itch is one that every equestrian scratches in their own way: some are drawn to the precision of dressage. Some like the flash of reining. Some enjoy the thrill of nailing a course of jumps.
Whatever the discipline, there is most likely a facility on the North Fork that can satisfy.
The Little Red Barn
The Little Red Barn (351 Manor Lane, Jamesport, 631-566-1690) focuses on the smallest set of equestrians. In 2008 founder Kate Nickles purchased a fruit tree farm on the North Fork and built her horse business with her own children in mind.
“We started with a tree farm that was bearing fruits and decided to build a barn. I’ve always had horses my whole life,” says Nickles. “I had two young children, so I thought to myself, ‘I’d like to do something with horses and with children. Those are my two favorite things in the world, and maybe then I wouldn’t have to leave the property.’ And it kind of came from that idea.”
The barn on the property is the original structure that housed the Greenport carousel, which Nickles had dismantled and brought to the farm. They then converted it to hold flesh-and-blood horses rather than the wooden variety.
All the farm’s offerings are family-centered and cater to children of any riding ability. “I just thought, what would I want if I was a little girl all over again?” says Nickles. “And I always go by that passion and try to make the magic happen for children over at our farm. It’s grown to six different fields for horses, ponies and miniature horses.”
Beyond equines, the farm has a variety of barnyard animals for kids to interact with. The smallest visitors, ages four and up, can enjoy the baby farm animal and pony camp Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. June 24 through Aug. 14. The camp includes animal interactions, crafts, time playing in a sprinkler and other activities and games.
Kids eight and up can join the Intro to Horses summer camp, which runs from July 15 to Aug. 14. The session focuses more on horses: participants will learn breeds and colors, how to handle horses and give them baths, and be taught how to tack up a horse. The camp also includes a daily riding lesson.
“We started it as a few lessons and I came up with the idea to hold camps to give young children more things to do on the North Fork that weren’t around and available at that time,” says Nickles.
The barn offers English riding lessons to kids starting at age three. The lessons go beyond riding and include horse care, grooming, safety and tack.
Family visits are available for groups to enjoy the relaxing rural atmosphere. There is even a drop-off babysitting program where families can reserve a time for their little ones to enjoy the farm while they shop or sip.
“Family visits are very popular here where people come and they can bring food and wine and reserve tables here and enjoy,” says Nickles. “We also do babysitting on the farm for ages three and up where people are coming to visit the North Fork for the day, and they’d like to have the children drop off and have a nice day at the farm from two hours to six hours a day while the families can go to the vineyards, enjoy the restaurants, go out on their boats, go to the Hamptons, whatever it is they’d like to do.”
There are also pony birthday parties, unicorn grooming where kids can decorate and brush a “unicorn,” photo opportunities with all the animals, and play sessions with the baby animals.
All activities at The Little Red Barn are by reservation.
Hedgewood Farms
With more than 40 years in operation, Hedgewood Farms (4000 Main Road, Laurel, 631-926-3118) is an elder statesman of the North Fork horse farms. Owner Dawn Howell is the latest in her family to run the facility, taking over from her parents. Hedgewood is an English barn with a focus on hunter/jumper.
“I was born and raised on the farm,” Howell says. “My parents bought it before I was born. My siblings were into the horses, and so I’ve kind of been riding and teaching my whole life.”
The facility has an indoor and outdoor riding ring with the same footing used at the Hampton Classic. Both are set with courses that are changed every two weeks. Clients are free to compete or enjoy their horse at their leisure. Lessons run Tuesday through Saturday and the facility is open seven days a week.
One of the things that sets Hedgewood apart is its Interscholastic Equestrian Association team for middle- and high schoolers. The team enables children who don’t have their own horse to still participate in equestrian competitions.
“IEA teams are pretty cool, that the horses are already there at the shows,” says Howell. “The kids get assigned a horse in the morning. They do five different shows through the year. It’s usually run in the wintertime. And that’s another great avenue for the kids as well. We’ve made it all the way to national with our teams.”
While these activities are available to clients, they aren’t required. Howell encourages people to pursue their own path.
“I always tell the clients, ‘The world is your oyster. You don’t have to show, you don’t have to compete. You don’t have to do any of those things,’” says Howell. “You can just have a horse and have a good time. Or you can go and extend yourself and challenge yourself and go to these competitions.”
North Fork Equestrian
Just a quick (car) ride from the bustle of Route 58 is North Fork Equestrian (2224 Roanoke Ave., Riverhead, 631-300-6886), the premier hunter/jumper barn in the area. Hunter/jumper refers to two different styles of riding: a course of jumps where hunters focus on style and accuracy, and jumpers, which focus on speed and technical precision.
The facility was founded in 2018 by Dennis Katevatis and is managed by his granddaughter Victoria Manzitto and her business partner Cameron Parke. Before starting North Fork Equestrian, Katevatis kept a horse in Manorville, where he mainly did trail riding, but it was always his dream to have his own barn. Manzitto began riding at two years old and was showing locally by seven. By her teenage years she was showing up and down the East Coast.
The family’s passion for horses was their main motivation for building North Fork Equestrian.
“We always dreamed about having our own place to always have a home for our horses,” says Manzitto. “So that was the main reason why we started our farm.”
The 24-acre facility features a 78’x185’ indoor riding arena and a 220’x160’ outdoor ring with specialized footing, 32 stalls total, two indoor wash stalls with warm/cold water year-round and two additional outdoor wash stalls. For the boarders, there is a large, heated tack room. There are also 33 grass turnout paddocks, a rarity for the area since turnout often quickly becomes muddy.
Lessons are available for all skill levels for those looking to improve their hunter/jumper abilities and the barn has riders competing as far south as Florida.
“I’m still actively competing myself while helping students fulfill their goals as well,” says Manzitto. “So while I fulfill my goals, I help them fulfill theirs.”
Horses boarded at North Fork Equestrian are fully managed in-house. Everything from grooming and tack to veterinary services and training are taken care of by staff. Riders need only show up and mount up, allowing them to make the most of their time there.
“It’s useful for people that are kind of busy throughout their day. They don’t have a lot of time to spend all day here so they’ll come in, do their thing and then they go to work,” says Parke. “We have a lot of students, too. So, you know, a lot of the kids, they come at the end of the day, and it’s around four o’clock, so they don’t have that much time. That’s kind of what we specialize in.”
North Fork Equestrian also offers horses for sale and lease.
Highwind Farm
Secreted away just off Main Road in Mattituck is the 60-acre Highwind Farm (1150 Old Main Road, Mattituck, 631-298-4349), the North Fork’s only Western-focused riding facility. Founded by Tom and Susan Yovino in 2003 on a former Christmas tree farm, Highwind is the culmination of a lifetime’s worth of experience. Susan grew up with horses at home, while Tom spent his days working with them in commercial barns. They’re both experienced reiners, a Western discipline in which horses perform a pattern of circles, spins and sliding stops at a higher speed.
While the barn covers Western riding, their instructors are trained for English as well, including hunter/jumper and dressage. “Every barn has something to offer. We have a little bit of a different vibe here. [Since] we’re not strictly an English barn, we have a little bit of everything,” says Susan.
Their full-service private barn boasts a heated 100’x180’ indoor area, 24 stalls with rubber mats, turnout in individual paddocks, exceptional footing, comprehensive video security and a fire suppression system. There’s also an outdoor riding ring, hot- and cold-water wash stalls and a 45-acre flat field for riding.
Children’s riding programs are available for ages five and up and riders are grouped based on age and ability. They learn riding basics, grooming and other aspects of horse keeping. The summer program runs the week after July 4 until Labor Day, five days a week, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
For individuals who aren’t ready to keep their own horse, Highwind also has horses for lease. This allows patrons to gain experience and riding time without committing to the expense of ownership.
“This is a family-type atmosphere. We keep it pleasant for everybody because we have a lot of horses that belong to people who don’t live here,” says Susan. “We have some clients who live in Florida. They leave their horses with us. We have a lot of [people from] the Nassau County area; we keep their horses. We want to ensure that when they come out to ride their horse that they have a really nice time.”
Rosemoor Equestrian
For anyone looking for an intimate, boutique-style barn, Rosemoor Equestrian (298 Manor Lane, Jamesport, 631-779-3388) fits the bill. Established in 2016, Lisa and John Rose adapted the site of a former polo barn into a pristine hunter/jumper facility.
“I would say we’re more of a boutique-type horse farm rather than a commercial horse farm. Anybody who is in there has to be attached to a horse,” says Lisa. “We don’t run a lesson program [for outside customers]. They take lessons, but it’s on their own horses or a leased horse.”
The farm has 20 12’x12’ stalls lined with gravel for drainage and covered by rubber mats for comfort. There are two indoor wash stalls with hot and cold water and an additional outdoor wash area. The tack room and office are heated. There is a 104’x176’ outdoor riding ring with cushioned footing and a grass hunt course, and the jewel of the property is the 82’x200’ indoor arena with all-weather footing. Each horse gets its own grass turnout.
Boarders tend to stay long-term, creating relationships that foster a quiet, low-key atmosphere.
“My very first border is still there all these years later, which [is remarkable.] it’s a pretty transient business in general, so to have this, it’s pretty nice,” says Lisa. “I feel like everyone really cares there. They get along. There really isn’t any drama. Everybody cares for their horses. They participate in the care. And it’s definitely more family. People are supportive of each other.”
Hidden Lake Farm Riding School
Established nearly 60 years ago, Hidden Lake Farm Riding School (37250 County Road 48, Southold, 631-495-3000) has become something of a North Fork institution and it’s due, in no small part, to the lifelong dedication of owner and head trainer Jacqueline “Jackie” Bittner. Upon receiving her first pony at age three, Bittner was hooked on horses, going on to study under famous Dutch rider Harry deLeyer during her time at boarding school. With years of experience showing and riding horses, Bittner, who is a member of The Smithtown Hunt land preservation group, opened Hidden Lake Farm to help prepare the next generation of riders.
Located on 33 acres of bucolic Southold farmland, the riding school offers lessons on hunt seat equitation for children age five and up through adults of any skill level; horsemanship classes for adults, daily and weekly Summer Pony Camp opportunities, and pony parties. Riders looking to board or retire their horse can take advantage of available box stalls, an indoor arena, outdoor rings, a cross country course, grooming services and more. Riders without a horse to call their own can lease one for pacing or for fox hunting excursions on or off Long Island.
