St. Francis Riding Club

Sep 2017

I've always wanted to learn how to ride. But I've held myself back, telling myself that horses are only for younger and thinner people than I. Well, it took me 40 years, but I finally got the courage to give it a try. I browsed around and found the St. Francis Riding Club. It had good reviews and was close to my house. With some lingering trepidation, I contacted Oni. I told her that I was 40 years old, out of shape, had no practical experience with horses at all, and wanted to learn barrel racing. I was fully expecting to get laughed off the Internet. Instead, she said something like “Okay. I’ve got a horse that will take you around the barrels.” Oh yeah. Let’s do this. Oni introduced me to Lonely, a lovely horse for beginners. He has a calm demeanor. I feel very safe with him. He has been patient with me as I’ve worked to understand what I’m supposed to do with myself up there on his back. Every creature and every thing under Oni’s care looks very well cared for. The stable is clean. It is decorated nicely with fresh paint and plants. The equipment is clean and in great shape. The horses have glossy coats, neatly trimmed manes and hooves, and have large stalls to move around in. It is obvious to me that the horses trust Oni. Once, while I was riding Lonely, one of the big scoop lights in the arena blew out with a loud SNAP. Lonely shivered at the surprise noise, and suddenly every “spooked horse” horror story I’d ever heard went screaming through my head in an instant. But all Lonely did was jog straight for Oni. No bucking, no panic, no drama. When he was scared, he went to Oni. It was clear to me that he trusted her and saw her as a source of protection against frightening things. This is EXACTLY the sort of behavior I want to see in a horse. Oni has spent a lot of time training these horses, not only teaching them how to respond to commands but also teaching them how to cope with fear and stress. This is a very good thing! I’m writing this just after my sixth lesson. Oni is training me in the Western Pleasure Riding style, chosen because of my eventual goal of barrel racing once I’ve got basic riding skills together. My lessons have included voice commands, hand signals, leg signals, and posture. We’ve discussed arena etiquette and stable etiquette. I’ve ridden at a walk, at a jog (a gait slightly slower than trot), and a lope (similar to canter). I’ve ridden in the arena, around the stable grounds, up hills, and across dirt trail terrain. I’ve learned how to lead a horse on foot and a few things about how to behave during a show. I still have a long ways to go before I’ll be able to do any of this reliably on my own. But I’ve been very happy with the variety of things I’m learning and the pace at which new topics are introduced. Once I can consistently control Lonely, I will graduate to a larger horse. I think it’s a good thing that there are many horses available here for lessons. I think I will become a more well-rounded rider by practicing on a variety of horses. Riding is everything I ever hoped it would be!

Jan 2017

Last weekend I’ve had the pleasure to be one of the first to experience Oni Rovatti’s new startup venture - St Francis Riding Club, or the “Uber for horses”, in the beautiful hills of Pacifica. I haven’t had the greatest experience with horses before. Being an inexperienced rider, the last time I rented a horse it ran around frantically trying to throw me off. Since then, I was a little scared to get on a horse again and I’ve always preferred motorcycles for the benefit of having full control. The experience at St. Francis Riding Club made me change my mind, and was so much fun! Oni gave me a horse I could handle - a cute, ‘older’ Mustang nicknamed “Lonely”, and gave me and my bf a proper lesson. Lonely was very obedient (I had no idea horses could behave so well) and it was the most fun I’ve had in a while! Even my bf got on a horse and really enjoyed it. The best part about St. Francis Riding Club is that you get to work with Oni Rovatti - a professional equestrian, and an international competitor in Dressage, with 35 years of experience. Oni has imported, bred and trained horses from Southern Spain throughout her equestrian career. There’s seriously no one more qualified than her in this area. So if you’ve ever wanted to get into horseback riding, but was put off by the cost, this is the easiest and most efficient way to do it. With a monthly membership you can have a fun hobby for the weekend or go riding any time you wish. The horses are fully taken care of, so all you need to do is book a time on their website or soon-to-come mobile app, and go ride. I definitely recommend it!