Great Island Riding Academy

10/11/2026

💙💙💙

Great Island Graduate Gabby Sherburne WON UNANIMOUSLY the Walk-Trot Hunter Pleasure 11 Year Old class aboard her beloved gelding, HAM Suit Yourself! 🏆🌹

Not only is this Gabby’s FIRST trip to the Morgan Grand National, but it’s also the first trip to OKC for her very special partner, “Hank!”

At just 11 years old, Gabby piloted her 4-year-old gelding to an absolutely beautiful ride, earning the UNANIMOUS WIN this morning!

A young rider, a young horse, and a partnership that is already something so incredibly special. Watching these two grow together and shine on the biggest stage is enough to bring us all to tears!

10/02/2026

Our Fall Fun Day Fundraiser is almost here — and this year, we’re raising funds for a very special reason… to help bring home Sawyer, the newest member of our GIRA school horse family! 🐴💗

Sawyer will make his official arrival just a few days after Fall Fun Day, and we can’t think of a better way to welcome him than having our GIRA community come together for a fun day at the barn!

SUNDAY, OCT. 18TH:

🍂 FALL FUN DAY | 10 AM–3 PM | KIDS ONLY

Drop the kids off for a full day of horses, fall activities, barn friends & GIRA fun!

Then at 3 PM, parents, families & friends — join us!

🌶️ SILENT AUCTION + CHILI COOKOFF | 3 PM

Come hungry and ready to BID because we have some awesome items and experiences up for grabs, including:

✨ Photo shoots & video reels with Tabitha Corey Photography
✨ Beautiful canvas prints of our beloved GIRA school horses
✨ 2027 horse show golf cart rentals
✨ Gift cards from Alden Customs, My Trainer’s Closet & Freedman Harness
✨ A trail ride with the GIRA instructors
✨ And lots more!

🌶️ Think you make the best chili in town?! Enter our Chili Cookoff and put your recipe to the test! Our Chili Champion will win THREE FREE RIDING LESSONS! 🏆🐴 Bring your best batch and let our GIRA community decide the winner!

Can’t make it in person? Our Silent Auction will also be available for online bidding! 🙌

Send the kids for Fall Fun Day, then come back at 3 PM for chili, bidding, and some barn-family fun — all while helping us give Sawyer one heck of a GIRA welcome! 🐴💗

We can’t wait to see everyone!

09/28/2026

We’re excited for a full day of fall fun at the barn on Sunday, October 18th from 10:00 AM–3:00 PM!

Drop your rider off for the day and we’ll keep them busy with horses, games, crafts, and plenty of fall festivities. Activities will include mounted and in-hand games, bobbing for apples, fall crafts, and more! Lunch will also be provided.

🍁 Fall Fun Day Details
Sunday, October 18th | 10 AM–3 PM
$125 per student
Families with more than one rider will receive a sibling discount.

Then, starting at 3 PM, we’re inviting the whole barn family to join us for our Chili Cook-Off & Silent Auction! 🌶️

Think your chili has what it takes to be the best in the pot? Bring your famous recipe and compete for a prize! It’s FREE to enter a chili, or $5 to taste all the entries and help us choose the winner.

Parents are welcome to come back at 3 PM to join in the fun, even if their rider isn’t participating in Fall Fun Day!

Registration for Fall Fun Day is available on Esoft and closes October 14th. To sign up for the Chili Cook-Off, text Marlie at 603-834-5464.

We can’t wait for such a fun fall day at the barn! 🍂🐴🌶️

09/21/2026

30 RIDERS!!! 💙🐴

What a day at the Silver Heels Fall Finale! So incredibly proud of this crew and beyond grateful for everyone who helped make the day run so smoothly. 🍂

SO many pictures to come! 📸

08/28/2026

Back to school already?! 📚🐴

What a summer at Great Island! We’re so lucky to have such a great group of kids in our barn.

A huge thank you to all of our camp counselors and camp leads who helped make this summer such a fun one! We couldn’t do it without you!

We’re so proud of all of our Great Island riders and wishing everyone a great school year 🌟📚

08/16/2026

20 riders strong at Mass Morgan! 💪🐴💙

We loved getting to spread the fun out over two days and have so many of our riders come enjoy a weekend at the show! So proud of this crew and all they accomplished in & out of the ring. ✨

(WTC riders not pictured in the team photo- they showed the day prior and were hard at work bridling horses! 🤣❤️)

07/19/2026

🐴 New England Morgan Week is Here! 💙

Just a reminder that Great Island Riding Academy will be closed for regular lessons July 20–25 while our team is away at the New England Morgan Horse Show!

We’re so excited for an incredible week and can’t wait to cheer on our Taylor River friends and Great Island graduates as they trot into the ring.

Want to watch live? Send us a message! We’d be happy to send you the Taylor River class schedule so you can follow along on the live stream and cheer on the team from home. 📣🐴

See you next week!

07/16/2026

Our campers put their new horsemanship knowledge to the test with a relay race, where teams raced to identify each grooming tool and explain what it’s used for! 📚🐴 ✅

07/16/2026

One of our favorite camp activities! 🎨🐴

Our campers turned the horses into artists! Each camper selected paint colors for their canvas, then covered it with a zip-top bag and spread their horse’s favorite treats on top. As the horses licked the treats away, they created one-of-a-kind masterpieces!

No two paintings were alike, making each piece a special keepsake—and the horses were more than happy to help! 🤍🎨🍎

07/16/2026

More from Horsemanship Camp – Session 1!

Our campers had the opportunity to learn from our farrier, Caleb Noble, getting a firsthand look at the important work that keeps our horses happy and healthy.

They also practiced identifying the parts of the horse by labeling our very patient teacher, W***y, with sticky notes, took portraits with their favorite horses, and created keepsake horseshoe picture frames to remember an unforgettable week at the barn. 🤍📸🐴