Hothi Equestrian Ranch — Local services in Covington

The owner’s treatment of the barn manager/trainer (who was a newly single mom) was appalling. After months of harassment (they even interrupted one of my lessons and left my trainer in tears), they banned her from the barn overnight. This was without explanation or warning to either her or the barn community. She wasn’t even allowed in the barn to move her animals or tack. It was petty, unprofessional behavior. Whatever conflict they had, the line is firmly drawn at involving anyone’s animals. (Especially if you literally run your business on people entrusting you with their animals.)

Moreover, Paul (the barn owner) did not communicate that any of this was happening to the boarders. People found out when they showed up to the barn and saw a friend of the trainer’s moving her horses out for her. Just like that, from one day to the other, everything at the barn changed. No statement was given. No notice. No apology. If anything, Paul whined about how hard this was on him. He had no regard for how his snap decision making would affect not only the barn community, but the well-being of the horses. I was (and still am) dealing with an injured horse who is not behaving his normal self. As a first time horse owner, I relied heavily on my trainer for guidance to keep both my horse and myself safe. My veterinarian recommended, in writing, close work with a trainer during my horse’s recovery, which I suddenly did not have access to. I know I am not the only boarder who was put in a difficult situation as a direct result of this poorly thought-out banning. Other boarders were also recovering from surgeries or were on vacation and had left their horses in the care of said trainer while they were gone or incapacitated. I personally stepped in to help these people, and if it wasn't for the barn community pulling together, these horses would not have had their needs met. It is the responsibility of the barn owner to communicate such impactful decisions and to ensure consistent high quality of care for the horses. Hothi’s own boarding contract explains the importance of a reliable and trustworthy trainer. And yet, Paul did not plan for a safe and peaceful transition to another trainer. I believe he is still looking for one, and I cannot warn trainers and boarders away enough.

I know I am not the only one that felt this was extremely alarming behavior. The entire B side of the barn (where the trainer ran her business out of) was in a shock as we struggled to piece together what happened. You could really feel how stressed and tense everyone was. Going to the barn was just not the same anymore. This resulted in the majority of the B side of the barn evacuating the facility in less than two weeks. I wouldn’t be surprised if more left. We were all certainly very rattled and our trust in the owners was broken.

Some other gripes I have with Hothi Equestrian Ranch are:

There is a giant mountain of manure that literally wraps around a nearly dilapidated building. The pile is so big a tractor can be driven on top of it. The hoses on our side of the barn have been broken or flat out missing for months. There is a rat infestation. There were tadpoles in my horse’s pasture water. The owners show little care for rider’s safety when it comes to the owner’s goats. The owner’s father has been repeatedly asked to not let the goats loose without warning riders as it spooks the horses. I was riding in the outdoor arena when I saw the goats. My horse is thankfully used to goats and other animals. However, he was not used to the goats walking on the lower tin roof of the dilapidated building. You can imagine how loud goat hooves are on a tin roof. They climbed the manure pile up to it, which quite frankly would not have been possible if there was adequate manure management. When I finally got my alarmed horse back into the barn, I told one of the stable hands the goats got loose, thinking it was a mistake. After checking in with the father, the stable hand reported back that he had meant to...

Hothi Equestrian Ranch is truly one of the best equestrian facilities around. From the moment you step onto the property, it’s clear how much care and pride goes into every detail. The pastures are spacious, well-maintained, and give the horses plenty of room to move, graze, and just be horses. It’s a peaceful, natural environment that’s hard to find these days.

The facilities are just as impressive. The indoor arena is perfect for all-weather riding—bright, clean, and well-kept—while the outdoor arena is spacious with great footing, ideal for training or just enjoying a ride in the fresh air. The round pen is a great size and in excellent condition, perfect for groundwork or starting young horses.

But what really makes this ranch stand out is Paul, the owner. Paul is not only an outstanding horseman, but also one of the most genuine, kind, and supportive people you’ll meet in the horse world. He takes the time to get to know each horse and rider, and he’s always willing to share his deep knowledge and experience. Whether you’re just starting out or have years in the saddle, Paul creates a space where everyone feels welcome and respected.

If you’re looking for a ranch where both horses and riders thrive, Hothi Equestrian Ranch is the place. Thank you, Paul, for running such an incredible,...

Hothi owes its good reputation to its previous manager and owner. The current owner seems fine at first, but he knows nothing about horses and flies into a rage without warning. He makes big promises and doesn’t follow through, so the barn has always had difficulty keeping boarders under his ownership. But recently, his emotional outbursts have led to harassment, threats to horses’ safety, and ultimately the banning of the barn’s beloved manager. Without the manager running the place, Hothi just gets worse and worse. After one week without the manager, toxic plants were growing in the pastures, tadpoles were multiplying in the water troughs, and rats the size of cats were roaming the aisles in broad daylight. You can hardly feed a horse there without rats climbing in the bucket and eating the grain before your horse does.

Nearly half of the boarders have left within the same two weeks and all full-time barn staff have quit. I loved boarding at Hothi for nearly two years — I loved the community, and none of the threats were leveled directly at me. But I feel that horses aren’t safe at Hothi anymore. It’s the best in the area in terms of pasture size and arenas, but at this time, I definitely don’t...