Bergen Equestrian Center — Local services in Leonia

Disappointing experience.

To begin with, when I first went there to inquire about the lessons they provide, their rates, etc, it was impossible to get a clear schedule of the classes. They offer individual lessons and, sure, these would not be on a schedule, they would depend on the trainer’s and rider’s availabilities, but they also do group lessons. To this day, I still do not understand why they don’t have a schedule of classes you could have access to in order to be able to pick the kind of lesson and time that work best for you.

Then, at some point during the winter, they had to cancel a lesson due to the snow. They called me the evening before (the lesson was at 9.00 am the next morning) but I missed the call. Since it was an unknown number, I did not call back and did not know it was them. They made no other attempt (in the year 2022 when voicemails and emails exist….) to try and inform me that the lesson was canceled. I showed up the next morning and learnt about it just then. This felt particularly unprofessional and disrespectful considering that they expect you to cancel over 24h in advance if you cannot attend a lesson otherwise you will be charged for the lesson. I guess the civility does not go both ways.

However, the biggest issue I encountered with them is that they stole from me. This is my point of view and they probably see things differently but, since they never bothered answering my questions, I have no way of knowing what their point of view is. Early March 2022, they charged me $280 (and by « charged me » I mean they took the money, without my knowledge nor my permission, through my credit card info) for I don’t know what (the price of a lesson was $140 and I had paid all the lessons I had taken). I sent them numerous emails asking what it was about (maybe it was justified, even though charging someone without letting them know isn’t a good way to do business, in my opinion, the payment could still be justified, I just wanted to know what I had been charged for – at this point, I was not complaining about it since I did not know what it was about) and, at best, the responses I got went like this: « thank you for bringing this to our attention, we will look into it and revert back to you ». They never reverted back. They never told me why I had been charged $280. They eventually stopped answering my emails asking for clarification. Which is why I feel they stole from me.

Finally, when I told them (via email) that I would not be coming back, I asked them to confirm receipt of the email and to confirm deletion of my credit card info. They ignored my (simple and reasonable, I think) request.

This is, without a doubt, one of the worst customer service experience I have ever had.

It was also disappointing that grooming and tacking up wasn’t an automatic part of the lesson (staff does it for you unless you ask to do it yourself) as I always see this as an important way to connect / get to know the horse on the ground before the lesson, but since I am not American maybe this is just a cultural difference.

Trainer was good and horses were mostly interesting. It seems that the horses are well treated.

Will not go back. Strongly do...

I’ve debated writing this review for a while, but I think it may help anyone considering starting (or restarting) riding here.

The location is very convenient (especially for riders coming from the city) but in my experience that’s where the positives stop. If you’re willing to drive just 10-20 min farther you’ll find barns that are miles ahead in terms of professionalism, safety, and overall quality.

Unless you’re working with one of the independent private trainers (who don’t work directly for BEC), finding instruction that feels focused and invested is tough. On more than one occasion, I had trainers take unprofessionally long calls during lessons. For the price you’re paying, that level of inattention is unacceptable.

The horses are another concern. Many are spooky, unpredictable, and simply unsafe for beginners yet they’re regularly assigned to new riders without explanation or preparation. I’ve seen more riders thrown than I can count, and no one is taught how to handle a horse that bolts. Leasing costs run into the thousands each month, yet the horses provided often aren’t appropriate for the rider’s experience level.

The facility itself is run down. The indoor ring has buzzing, dim lights that make riding unpleasant. The bathrooms are hit or miss when it comes to basics like soap, paper towels, or toilet paper. Saddles are old, poorly fitted, and uncomfortable, which isn’t fair to either horse or rider.

This barn seems more suited to children/teens rather than adults who want structured, safe, and serious training. There’s also very little sense of community - you can barely get a hello from the staff, and riders don’t seem connected or supported here (unless you’re a child/teen).

To be fair, the grooms are excellent - kind, knowledgeable, and always willing to help - and the setting in Overpeck Park is beautiful. But those positives don’t outweigh the bigger issues. For the same price you’ll spend here, you can ride at a far better barn with safer horses, more professional trainers, and much better facilities just a...

I’ve been at the Bergen Equestrian Center as long as I have been riding, and have had the experience to take lessons with multiple different trainers. I currently ride with Susan and Sabrina, who have taught me many things, both in and out of the saddle. There are many trainers available, and although they may have different specialties, they always put the horse and rider’s safety first.

Once I got my own horse, we boarded her at Bergen and it was one of the most positive experiences that allowed me to develop as a rider and horsewoman. All the staff cares so much about the horses, even if it’s not their own. All the grooms were wonderful that have responsibilities of turning out, feeding, giving more water, and cleaning the horses’ stalls. The barn manager is particularly wonderful, having vast knowledge and always willing to come help. If I found a cut on my horse’s leg, I would simply have to ask her to take a look and she would be there quickly to tell me what to do and show me how to do things like wrap or dress a wound.

Lastly, I am a member of the IEA hunt seat and dressage teams, and have been for the past 4 years. This has granted me so many opportunities to compete and improve, but also provided me with a wonderful community, with some of the girls being my best friends. There are many levels to show, from walk/trot to 2’6 courses, that ensure all riders have a spot on the team. Even if you don’t want to ride very competitively, BEC hosts several schooling shows, something that gives a unique chance to have fun and compete in a comforting atmosphere.

Overall, I’m glad to be at Bergen and recommend it highly. It has a wonderful facility, with some of my favorite things being the many outdoor rings and a trail surrounding...