Today we’d like to introduce you to Leslie Scott.
Hi Leslie, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Having taught riding most of my life as either a full-time or sideline to a career position, my husband was of retirement age when we moved to SC, but I was 27 years younger and not ready to retire! So, for thirty years I have taught riding at this location. I now have third-generation students in my barn family, and some are learning on the same horse that their parents learned on!
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
It is always a challenge in any area of agriculture! Keeping pastures maintained, sourcing hay, grain, and bedding, dealing with weather, veterinary challenges, horses aging out of service, finding, training, and starting new lesson horses, keeping students and horses safe and happy.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Scotsgrove is one of the last of the neighborhood barns. We specialize in starting new riders of all ages, but we have mostly younger riders and it is fun to watch them learn and grow! Some stay with me to become truly proficient and compete and foxhunt with me! I would say my specialty is starting young riders and putting a good deep seat and correct leg on them. I have a “ladder” of lesson horses from wonderful “Steady Eddies” to younger, quicker, more reactive, and athletic mounts. We have a wonderful safety record, of which I am very proud. I am doing this because I love it!
What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
As land becomes more and more expensive, horse keeping become more and more expensive. We have fewer farmers so hay and grain is more expensive and harder to source close to home. By doing lessons in groups who become friends, I can teach at a price that keeps devoted young riders having an opportunity to participate in this wonderful team sport. It’s just that your teammate is 1000 pounds and doesn’t speak English, so you have to plan, negotiate and persist without punishing! I teach work ethic and courage, planning, and persisting!
Contact Info:
- Website: ScotsgroveStables.com
- Facebook: ScotsgroveStables
