10/15/2026
Meet Hannah, our Head Trainer and the person behind Jaks. You wanna know, "Why Jaks?" Here you go.
If you’re new here, you might look at this place and think, “It’s a riding barn. There's tons of those around."
Technically, yes. But- I started this when I was 17, and over the years I’ve developed a pretty strong opinion about what I think good riding instruction, and good horse training, should actually look like.
Why Jaks? Here is a list.
1) I won't rush a kid. I won't let them go fast if they aren't ready. I won't let them ride the finished horses if they aren't ready.. We don't rush them into competition or horse ownership. We don't rush.
We start with a solid, and slow, foundation. Students learn to use their seat, legs, hands, balance, timing, and feel. They learn how to communicate with a horse instead of simply sitting on one.
2) Jaks also does not believe that falling off is some required part of becoming a good rider. There is a progression. And that progression matters. But falling should NOT be a *regular* part of any riding program and is usually a result of a poor horse/rider combination and a rushed program. Frequent falls should be considered a red flag. Safety is top priority here. As it should be. (Falls happen- but they should be rare)
3) I'm not just trying to produce better riders. I'm trying to produce better horsemen and better people.
I want our students to understand why we're asking something, not just memorize what to do.
I want them to be able to recognize when a horse is confused, scared, resistant, or simply asking a question, and know how to appropriately respond to each.
I want them to understand pressure and release, body language, safety, problem solving, horse care, loading, handling, and what to do when something doesn't go according to plan.
I want them to eventually be able to get on a horse they've never ridden and figure it out.
And I want them to be the kind of riders who don't blame the horse when something goes wrong. In fact- we are very strict about this. Our standards are clear.
This is not producing kids who can ride one horse really well. This is producing riders who understand horses. Producing horses that are confident, responsive, balanced, and genuinely educated.
Creating young people who are capable, responsible, confident, adaptable, and willing to keep learning.
So-
There are a lot of good barns out there. I'm not going to pretend we're the only one doing things right.
But I will say this:
I have spent the last decade intentionally building Jaks around what I believe good horsemanship and good instruction should be. And I did that because I didn't see it being done anywhere else.
