Sunrise Farm

"I rode and trained with Mark for 17 years. My young horse, purchased in 2008 at age 5, was on training board for much of the time. I confirm Alex's and Taylor's reviews stating Mark does NOT use rollkur. I'm glad they wrote in so eloquently! Mark's methods do take time, they do develop relaxation in both horse and rider, and yes, Mark goes above and beyond when teaching students and horses. Mark got my horse and me showing in dressage at schooling shows at Intro and Training levels. After I moved away 4 years ago I went on to show successfully at Training Level, Level One, and Level Two. I used Mark's way of doing things to accustom my horse to overnight travel and to show in the larger USDF-rated shows at Green Mountain Horsemen's Association in Vermont. I won a blue ribbon at my very first rated show at Level One. A recent vet check revealed my now-20-year-old horse's body is physically younger than his age and is in great health. Thank you, Mark, for a great dressage experience!"

"Regarding a comment about the use of rollkur: Hello, I’ve been taking lessons with Mark consistently for a few months now, and I have never once seen him use, or advocate for, rollkur. I feel compelled to comment on this because Mark’s training is the best I’ve ever received- I’ve been riding for 16+ years in many different states with a variety of trainers, and until I came to this barn I had never met a trainer so concerned with and dedicated to NOT hanging on a horse’s mouth or forcing a horse into a frame all by hanging on the rider’s hands. Mark constantly emphasizes that correct riding takes time, complete softness, total relaxation of rider and horse, and patience. The practice of rollkur is in direct contradiction to all of these things. He trains his riders to hold their arms and hands in a position that wouldn’t allow for the holding and pinning rollkur requires, even if someone wanted to. He trains his horses to have proper elasticity. The bending and flexing exercises are the equivalent of yoga, but for horses. They are in no way cruel, and the horses are not “held” or forced into these positions. The bending exercises are performed by gently walking the fingers lightly and slowly up the reigns to one side and then the other. His style of training allows his horses to perform happily and healthily into ages older than I’ve seen at any other farm. There’s nothing wrong with bending a horse and teaching it to have elasticity and relaxation in its neck and body, though it must be done softly and it does take time, but if it’s not soft and it’s rushed then it is incorrect. Please read Mark’s articles on his website before posting accusatory reviews. I hope this clarifies things a little bit, I do agree rollkur is bad practice, but Mark’s farm isn’t using it."

"I highly recommend Sunrise Farm. My horse and I have been boarding/training here for almost 10 years and have received high quality care and instruction, from groundwork on up. Mark is an extremely knowledgeable professional who understands the psychology of both horses and humans. He takes the time to do a thorough job and goes above and beyond consistently. Mark has answered all my many questions and he explains things in a way that makes it easy to understand. I'm finally learning to be a relaxed, effective rider who can communicate with her horse."

"When I started taking lessons with Mark, I said I wanted to be comfortable riding any horse without fear. By the time I was in the saddle, I had learned the skills to feel comfortable and safe around any horse. (For example, if the horse is unsafe, don't ride it!) I was surprised that our lessons started with groundwork because no one had ever taught me groundwork before. It is an excellent base for riding. It did take quite a bit of time on groundwork before I could ride, but I'm glad I stuck with it because Mark's horses are exceptional. His cues are very subtle and the horses are never forced or strained into any position. It's a great pleasure working with such beautiful, well-trained horses."

"I've been taking lessons with Mark for over a year and I don't believe any other place can educate you on how to handle/ride horses. Mark lays out a strong foundation to allow you to handle any situation with any type of horse. All of the horses are well cared for and taught how to be calm and relaxed. The stalls are kept clean and horses are turned out regularly. I highly recommend coming here if you want a well trained horse or if you truly want to build a good foundation on what it takes to be more than just a rider/passenger."