Horseback riding opportunity for the public
By Lynn Kaiser Conrad
Progress Marketing
Consultant
The horse stables in the Bent Tree Community are open to the public again after a long hiatus. Shana Sweet moved her horse business from Forsyth County to Pickens County. Sweet owns Sweet Stables and now runs Sweet Stables at Bent Tree, as well as Sweet Stables in Marble Hill.
While the trails at Bent Tree are not yet open as they undergo updates, Sweet Stables at Bent Tree offers a host of other amenities to the public, such as private one-on-one lessons, camps, arena rides, and full boarding.
“There’s a difference between being able to ride a horse and being a horse person. I focus on horsemanship. People need to understand horses. I do this for safety reasons, safety for both the human and the horse,” Sweet said.
Sweet offers a program called ‘Beyond the Saddle.’ In this program, Sweet teaches people about horses. She states that it is a horsemanship program without riding. When a student completes the multi-week program, they are a generalist in horses. For example, she says in the course that she will answer commonly asked questions, such as why a horse will lie down in the pasture.
“A horse has a sixth sense. They are highly intuitive animals. A horse can pick up on their rider’s heartbeat and pulse. The ‘Beyond the Saddle’ program helps people who may have some anxiety about horses,” Sweet stated.
In addition to being on the cutting horse national competition circuit for 10 years, Sweet was also a volunteer for 20 years with hippotherapy. Hippotherapy is often used in conjunction with physical or occupational therapies. The patient and the horse work together to improve the patient’s coordination, balance, muscle strength, and more. Hippotherapy is also used for sensory issues. Sweet says that this training has made her a better riding instructor and trainer overall.
“My passion is horses, and animals deserve respect. I enjoy educating people on how to interact with animals to have the best experience. Just like people, horses may have metabolic diseases such as diabetes. So, their diets must be customized. Someone walking up to a strange horse and feeding it a sugar cube may be dangerous for the animal. I want to help people understand this,” Sweet claimed.
