TESTIMONIALS
Nancy T. (boarder)
I had the absolute pleasure of boarding my mare Sonnenschein at Echoridge when they were located on Prospect Lake Road. As Sonne is a senior and the love of my life, it was very important to me that she received excellent care and that’s exactly what she received at Echoridge. I never felt like “just a boarder”. Sonne and I were treated like one of their family. On one particular occasion, Laura saved Sonne’s life by catching a nasty cellulitis and calling me right away. Knowing my girl was in such good and caring hands meant everything to me.
I had the absolute pleasure of boarding my mare Sonnenschein at Echoridge when they were located on Prospect Lake Road. As Sonne is a senior and the love of my life, it was very important to me that she received excellent care and that’s exactly what she received at Echoridge. I never felt like “just a boarder”. Sonne and I were treated like one of their family. On one particular occasion, Laura saved Sonne’s life by catching a nasty cellulitis and calling me right away. Knowing my girl was in such good and caring hands meant everything to me.
Jason Brodie (Riding Parent):
My daughter Zoe has been riding with Laura going on 6 years now. Zoe absolutely loves learning from Laura. It’s the highlight of Zoe’s week every time she rides. Laura encourages having a lot of fun but at the same time teaches proper technique. Laura is always focused on her students and safety is a number one priority. Laura’s coaching is top notch. Laura is an amazing riding instructor and an even better person! We feel very lucky and privileged to have Laura as Zoe’s instructor. I definitely recommend Echo Ridge Stables for lessons, camps, or any type of riding that is offered. You will be amazed. A big thank you to Laura and Echo Ridge Stables for everything that you have done and continue to do for Zoe.
My daughter Zoe has been riding with Laura going on 6 years now. Zoe absolutely loves learning from Laura. It’s the highlight of Zoe’s week every time she rides. Laura encourages having a lot of fun but at the same time teaches proper technique. Laura is always focused on her students and safety is a number one priority. Laura’s coaching is top notch. Laura is an amazing riding instructor and an even better person! We feel very lucky and privileged to have Laura as Zoe’s instructor. I definitely recommend Echo Ridge Stables for lessons, camps, or any type of riding that is offered. You will be amazed. A big thank you to Laura and Echo Ridge Stables for everything that you have done and continue to do for Zoe.
Hailey D. (student):
There are way to many reasons why Laura is a good riding instructor but here are just a few why I loved her so much! Reason number 1: Horses are her family: Laura cares for them and treats them with respect.
Reason number 2: Rider safety ALWAYS come first - with horses safety a close second. Laura will not only be your instructor but your best friend if you want her to! Oh... and she will do anything to make you smile! Laura does fun things like obstacle courses and lots of fun games with the horses! And no matter what, she will make the barn feel like your home and a place to escape everyday troubles. There is so much a person could say about Laura: funny, caring, responsible, but I cant write down everything or I would be here for a while. All I can say for sure is that you can trust Laura. I always have, and I hope you will choose her if you would like to start riding or get your children to start riding. It might just be the best thing you ever do!!!
Paul and Monique M. (Riding Parents):
From the parents of a rider under Laura Fanning’s coaching, we offer the following: your rider’s safety is at the top of the list. Second would be for the rider to have fun while learning the very basics to the advanced skills of English or Western riding. After only a couple of meetings/rides, Laura was very intuitive to our daughter’s personality and matched her with the perfect horse. However, she will ensure your rider does not get too comfy in their boots and will keep challenging them along with new skills. Laura always keeps things interesting, upbeat and provides wonderful feedback to both the rider and parents. Support and encouragement is a big thing for a new rider and Laura ensures she passes along both. Our daughter never left the barn without hearing some comment or other: "great ride;" "good job;" "yes you got it!;" and even "that was a really hard challenge but you saw it through and did great;" or simply "you are fabulous!" Laura as a coach on a scale of 5 rates a 10!
There are way to many reasons why Laura is a good riding instructor but here are just a few why I loved her so much! Reason number 1: Horses are her family: Laura cares for them and treats them with respect.
Reason number 2: Rider safety ALWAYS come first - with horses safety a close second. Laura will not only be your instructor but your best friend if you want her to! Oh... and she will do anything to make you smile! Laura does fun things like obstacle courses and lots of fun games with the horses! And no matter what, she will make the barn feel like your home and a place to escape everyday troubles. There is so much a person could say about Laura: funny, caring, responsible, but I cant write down everything or I would be here for a while. All I can say for sure is that you can trust Laura. I always have, and I hope you will choose her if you would like to start riding or get your children to start riding. It might just be the best thing you ever do!!!
Paul and Monique M. (Riding Parents):
From the parents of a rider under Laura Fanning’s coaching, we offer the following: your rider’s safety is at the top of the list. Second would be for the rider to have fun while learning the very basics to the advanced skills of English or Western riding. After only a couple of meetings/rides, Laura was very intuitive to our daughter’s personality and matched her with the perfect horse. However, she will ensure your rider does not get too comfy in their boots and will keep challenging them along with new skills. Laura always keeps things interesting, upbeat and provides wonderful feedback to both the rider and parents. Support and encouragement is a big thing for a new rider and Laura ensures she passes along both. Our daughter never left the barn without hearing some comment or other: "great ride;" "good job;" "yes you got it!;" and even "that was a really hard challenge but you saw it through and did great;" or simply "you are fabulous!" Laura as a coach on a scale of 5 rates a 10!
Jacqueline M. (student):
To describe my riding time with Laura in one word – Funtastic! No, that is not a misspelled word. Laura, as a coach, is a fun teacher and her horses are great. She made me work hard, challenged me and told me she was "glad my muscles hurt." That would mean I worked hard till I got it right. And there’s nothing like hard work if you’re willing to learn. She never yelled at me but was firm with her instructions and rules. I was able to ride English and Western – something very rare in coaches and a huge bonus for me as I love both styles. Laura took extra time when anyone needed extra help with something or were anxious about whatever the challenge was at the time. Lessons always finished on a happy note with a fun game/ride, no matter how good, hard or disastrous the lesson was that day. Not only was Laura my coach and mentor, but I considered her my friend and hero as well. Would I recommend you visit Echo Ridge Stables for camps or lessons with Laura Fanning – most definitely, as you’ll not regret it.
To describe my riding time with Laura in one word – Funtastic! No, that is not a misspelled word. Laura, as a coach, is a fun teacher and her horses are great. She made me work hard, challenged me and told me she was "glad my muscles hurt." That would mean I worked hard till I got it right. And there’s nothing like hard work if you’re willing to learn. She never yelled at me but was firm with her instructions and rules. I was able to ride English and Western – something very rare in coaches and a huge bonus for me as I love both styles. Laura took extra time when anyone needed extra help with something or were anxious about whatever the challenge was at the time. Lessons always finished on a happy note with a fun game/ride, no matter how good, hard or disastrous the lesson was that day. Not only was Laura my coach and mentor, but I considered her my friend and hero as well. Would I recommend you visit Echo Ridge Stables for camps or lessons with Laura Fanning – most definitely, as you’ll not regret it.
Anne F. (adult rider):
I started riding with Laura in 2007 at the age of 52. It had been nearly forty years since I’d been on a horse and I wanted to see if I could get back to it in a safe and enjoyable way. My goal was to get to the point that I was comfortable and confident out on a trail ride. Without a horse of my own, and often restricted by circumstances to one or two lessons a week (and occasionally gaps of up to two months without riding at all due to travel commitments), I achieved my Western Level II, and felt I had accomplished my goal. However, when I realized I would be living in the UK for a long period of time, and knew that, if I wanted to do any riding while I was there, I would need some exposure to English discipline. I began my training in this new discipline and within a year I had my English Level II – an accomplishment of which I am very proud. During my time in the UK, I found a stable in Wimbledon and managed a number of hacks along the common - something I had dreamed of doing for many years. Closer to home, I’ve competed in fun shows (Western), volunteered with the Emerald Isle Hunt, been announcer at the September Horse Trial 2013, and participated in Rider Level Preparation Clinics (Western and English), cattle penning clinics, and vaulting lessons. I mention all these not because my accomplishments are extraordinary, but because they demonstrate how effective Laura’s coaching, approach, skills, encouragement, and programs are. From a cold start I have come a very long way, in a fairly short time, at an age when many people are more focused on planning their retirement than taking up a new sport. I’ve done so safely – extremely important at any time of life, but particularly for people nearing their senior years. I’ve had no end of fun, and have met admirable, skilled, brilliant people in this sport from PEI and beyond through Laura. And I’m not the only one. Many of Laura’s students have experiences like mine: children and youth especially have benefited from her approach; particularly through the camps and series she’s organized and run. Laura is a gifted, patient, but rigorous teacher; her coaching is supportive and precise; her dedication to her sport is profound; her involvement in activities provincially, regionally, and nationally has benefited not only her students but also the entire Island equestrian community. She builds bridges, between disciplines, and between people and groups. Her energy, integrity, attention to detail, focus on “safety and fun,” have not only attracted people to the sport, but have also supported its development on the Island. Before I left for the UK in the late fall of 2013, I was learning jumping. I would never, in my wildest dreams, have imagined that at 57, I’d be doing so. To say that I am, is a testament to Laura’s success, and her outstanding qualities as a coach: she makes it possible for her students to amaze themselves.
I started riding with Laura in 2007 at the age of 52. It had been nearly forty years since I’d been on a horse and I wanted to see if I could get back to it in a safe and enjoyable way. My goal was to get to the point that I was comfortable and confident out on a trail ride. Without a horse of my own, and often restricted by circumstances to one or two lessons a week (and occasionally gaps of up to two months without riding at all due to travel commitments), I achieved my Western Level II, and felt I had accomplished my goal. However, when I realized I would be living in the UK for a long period of time, and knew that, if I wanted to do any riding while I was there, I would need some exposure to English discipline. I began my training in this new discipline and within a year I had my English Level II – an accomplishment of which I am very proud. During my time in the UK, I found a stable in Wimbledon and managed a number of hacks along the common - something I had dreamed of doing for many years. Closer to home, I’ve competed in fun shows (Western), volunteered with the Emerald Isle Hunt, been announcer at the September Horse Trial 2013, and participated in Rider Level Preparation Clinics (Western and English), cattle penning clinics, and vaulting lessons. I mention all these not because my accomplishments are extraordinary, but because they demonstrate how effective Laura’s coaching, approach, skills, encouragement, and programs are. From a cold start I have come a very long way, in a fairly short time, at an age when many people are more focused on planning their retirement than taking up a new sport. I’ve done so safely – extremely important at any time of life, but particularly for people nearing their senior years. I’ve had no end of fun, and have met admirable, skilled, brilliant people in this sport from PEI and beyond through Laura. And I’m not the only one. Many of Laura’s students have experiences like mine: children and youth especially have benefited from her approach; particularly through the camps and series she’s organized and run. Laura is a gifted, patient, but rigorous teacher; her coaching is supportive and precise; her dedication to her sport is profound; her involvement in activities provincially, regionally, and nationally has benefited not only her students but also the entire Island equestrian community. She builds bridges, between disciplines, and between people and groups. Her energy, integrity, attention to detail, focus on “safety and fun,” have not only attracted people to the sport, but have also supported its development on the Island. Before I left for the UK in the late fall of 2013, I was learning jumping. I would never, in my wildest dreams, have imagined that at 57, I’d be doing so. To say that I am, is a testament to Laura’s success, and her outstanding qualities as a coach: she makes it possible for her students to amaze themselves.