Freedom Run Equestrian Center

I started riding at Freedom Run about 5 weeks ago and have had a fantastic experience! I’m 36 and have ridden with a number of trainers over the years and have never had better instruction or access to higher quality horses. I’ve been riding with Jesse as my instructor and he is awesome! He challenges me with something new and different at each lesson. Each new exercise comes with a good dose of theory & practical application and I can feel myself progressing as a better, more confident rider every week. I would highly recommend Freedom Run to anyone looking for a fun, yet professional riding program!

I’ve been with Freedom Run and Sarah for 3 years. She has such a big heart and dedication to her students, boarders, horses and animals. Unfortunately there have been some individuals that disagree with these facts, and are attempting to ruin the reputation of Freedom Run, in addition to her.
Freedom Run is an incredible place. It has provided a personal safe haven, and developed my equestrian skills and confidence exponentially. It offers lessons in riding and all other aspects of horsemanship, with a focus on patience and kindness. Freedom Run develops strong equestrians with a foundation in lessons, clinics, shows, and individual goals.
Sarah is not only a committed business owner, but a talented and confident horsewoman. She is a strong competitor and seeks training for herself and her horses from top coaches/​competitors nationally and internationally. This translates to stronger coaching and training opportunities for her clients.
The horses and Freedom Run are perfect for what she is trying to accomplish: better and more educated riders! There are «in your pocket» ponies, un-​fazed school horses, top eventing show horses, rescue horses, and young/​green horses. Depending upon your comfort and skill level, you are matched with a mount appropriate for you!

I had been out of riding for quite a few years because of college and life. I decided to get back in the saddle again (about a year and a ½ ago) but was a little nervous about being judged or looking like an amateur. My first day at the stable dismissed all of those fears. I was met with open arms & non judgmental instruction. Sarah is one of the best instructors I have ever had & her horses cater to all different age groups and riding levels (I am a 28yo female). This is probably the only stable you will find in WA that is both laid back and competitive. I cannot imagine riding anywhere else as it has become my home away from home sanctuary.

I had been to another barn for years where my daughter and I were verbally and emotionally abused. We were about to give up horses all together, until a friend of mine suggested we move to a new barn, Freedom Run. Boy, I am glad we did. My daughter has flourished in riding. She has learned more from the trainer, Sarah, in the first few months that she came to the barn, than she did the 6 years that she was at the old barn. We have been at this barn for a few years now, and the bunch of people at Freedom Run are very encouraging and helpful. A GREAT atmosphere, believe me, after coming from a barn that does abuse the horses and clients, this is a refreshing change. I would encourage anybody interested in English and Eventing, to check out Freedom Run!

I closely knew and watched Sarah run her business for two years. She is very unprofessional and doesn’t take very good care of her horses or her customers.
To start off the person that she rents the land from at 22 828 156^th is a slum landlord and he used to just dump human sewage out in the fields. Although we told Sarah this she did not confront the landlord about the issue, even after someone who used to work for Sarah called the health department but I think the landlord stopped doing illegal practices like dumping sewage in the fields.
Because of the sewage in the fields and over grazing many toxic plants to horses had taken over. Depending on the time of year there are different toxic plants. During the Spring the fields were full of toxic Buttercup’s, then right after the Buttercup’s the field’s were full of Mayweed, also known as Poison Daisy, Stinking Chamomile, or their scientific name Anthemis cotula. Also there were large amounts of Ragwort Tansy growing which were not disposed of properly so the plants would return even after being picked.
I had asked Sarah about this and she didn’t seem to, in my opinion, understand the dangers posed to the horses. I initially trusted her due to her years of working with horses, but feel now that she was reckless in this regard. She once told me that there were just too many plants to remove them all.
Many of the pastures had no rain shelter and the horses were often left in the fields all night. The first year Sarah never kept the horses in the fields at night but then she decided that most of the horses should almost never go inside. I agreed with the assessment that the horses needed more exercise but she would leave horses out in lightning storms and when asked about it said that this was not an issue. In addition, more than once horses broke out of their paddocks and at least once went to the main road after breaking out.
I do not believe Sarah that is doing a good job of running her business. Quite a few times I saw her lose her temper with her employees and her students. I have seen Sarah gossip about her students and their parents, and she can be really nasty to people when they have a falling out which happens often in my opinion.
She got kicked out of the last place she rented for her business. Sarah claimed the lady was crazy and trying to steal her horses. I at first believed Sarah but I eventually stopped believing her especially since this other lady runs a very successful horse rescue.
I also once saw her insult a little girl to her face and didn’t let the little girl pet the baby horse even though she let the other children pet it. She also would bad mouth past students in front of her current students and one of her students confided to me that it made them feel uncomfortable.
She allowed her rottweiler Louie to run around the property without a leash, a muzzle, or supervision even though he attacked a client’s dog — which she was being sued for, and killed many cats and a neighbor’s chickens. As well as growling and other aggressive behavior with some of the employees and students.
In my opinion she offers poor service and when we left her barn we realized her cost was the same as many of the other places nearby. I feel that between her own riding career and her failing business she hasn’t had the time or energy to properly do either well. I believe Sarah’s business could succeed if she were to stop riding at shows and really focus on her business. Otherwise I do not have confidence in the long term success of her business.

Sara is a wonderful trainer. I had a great first lesson with her and look forward to having many more lessons. She is very clear in her instruction and does an excellent job explaining why things are important. She takes very good care of her horses. Overall, a great experience and I would definitely recommend Freedom Run to anyone who is looking for a great barn.

I originally left a two star on this review, but my daughter’s experience has taken a continuing emotional toll on her, leading me to downgrade this to a one star.
We were with Freedom Run Equestrian for the last 3 years for my daughter. Sarah, the owner and trainer, is competent when it comes to teaching and caring for horses, although her needs always seem to outweigh anything else, so sometimes both her animal care and her teaching take a back seat. Some negatives:
*She is not always present when her student is showing, often being in a ring herself at the same time. This became a huge issue for me when my daughter fell while jumping a cross country jump and Sarah was off in another ring.
*She has little compassion for her students. I would definitely not recommend her for a young or inexperienced rider.
*She often has expectations of students (and reprimands them when they don’t achieve those expectations) that she has never communicated to them, so they are both confused and shamed.
*The work load that she expects of working students and volunteers is enormous. When safety issues are brought to her attention concerning this (like one person being here all day and having to deal alone with horse that scare her), she either
scoffs or ignores.
*She talks about her clients with other clients negatively and has no problem discussing both private issues that she was entrusted with and personal comments about her riders, especially former students.
*She allows her Rottweiler to run unrestricted, even though he has been seen to kill animals repeatedly and has threatened and growled at people. He has been reported to animal control several times.
My daughter continues to feel resentment and negativity toward this facility and Sarah as a trainer and it has impacted her severely, limiting her positive growth with riding. All in all, she’s not a horrible trainer, but her negatives certainly outweigh positives.

I’ve been a riding student with Sarah for almost a year and I can’t imagine a more supportive instructor. She really puts the horse and rider first, no matter the age or skill level. She and Brittney really focus on good horsemanship and a balanced seat, so you become a better all-​around rider than at a barn that is all about flash and form. Sarah really builds on your strengths while working your weaknesses and breaks down daunting tasks to make them more doable. The facilities at Freedom Run are perfect for riding all year round and the laid-​back atmosphere is a welcome break from the drama of other barns. I can’t recommend it enough!