New Traditions Riding Academy

I rode here for 2 years. In this review, I’m trying to be as honest as I can
The instructors are all great. They want to help you and listen to what you want. Very friendly place. All the staff was always cheerful and kind. If you want to start off here, take private lessons. The beginner class is swimming with groupon people. The barn is in shables. They need to like demolish the WHOLE place. Some HORESES were kept in stalls as big as handicapped stalls in a public restroom. In one case, a horse could not even turn around in her stall (they did fix this problem). The horses are not groomed by the rider’s I shudder to think if the horses are even groomed once a week. I doubt the horse’s hooves are picked once a week while at my new stables, they get picked two times per ride. On the weekends, the horse’s wear their saddles ALL DAY. I for one think that is NOT OKAY. In addition, some of these horses (20 – 30 years old) are used 3 times a day on weekends. Stalls are cramped and dark. Prices are sky high. But quality of instruction is over the top. It is also all about the money. In my opinion, the horses are not well cared for, at all. So, if you just want to be a selfish person who cares nothing about the animals, ride here all you want. But I for one will never come back.

Wish I could give them ZERO stars.
I bought a Groupon but could never use it. First off, when I called to make a reservation she was not very pleasant once hearing that I was calling about a groupon reservation. Then she said it couldn’t be used on Saturdays, which was not true according to groupon. So I said I would call back to book my reservation after confirming with the other people that were part of my reservation (since Saturday was not an option). When calling back, there was no answer so I left a voicemail message with the information about my reservation details. SHE NEVER CALLED ME BACK! Don’t buy this groupon!
Rude — I don’t think she will be in business too long!

My daughter had 10 lessons, and went a week at summer camp here. Originally, I was impressed with how nice the horses look. I’ve no doubt they are well maintained and taken care of well.
Your child cannot move up in classes, until they have learned to post mount at the satisfaction of the instructor. That seemed legit to me.
But they put all the groupon people in all the beginner classes mixed with people who paid full price for potential serious riders. It’s like glorified pony rides when they have 18 horses in a small arena. They said they try to cap it at 10, but they never seemed to turn down walk-​ins with a groupon. Some classes never made it to trotting because the horses were irritable from being ridden for several hours straight with people who’ve never ridden before. So trying to advance in a class that isn’t giving the opportunity to practice what they need to advance is a waste.
If you’re serious about riding, they try to encourage you to buy semi private lessons for the same price as beginner lessons, but with half the time — instead of making a class for regulars and a separate class for groupon people.
I had purchased a package and asked if I could switch the purchased lessons for semi private. I was told there is usually an up charge. I felt it might be worth it and left a message for the person who had to approve it, 3 separate times. Someone finally left me a voicemail after 3 weeks of leaving notes and calling. When I called back, 30 mins later, there was no answer. I left several messages with no response or a full mail box. It was near impossible to call the stable at any given time and actually get someone to pick up… Even during hours they told me someone would be there — And if they did, half the time the beginner group lessons were full.
The teacher’s are also the receptionists, and when groupon people would show up late they had, on several occasions, started the class 10 – 20 mins late without making up the time because they were checking them in or waiting to saddle another horse for the tardy person.
They have «helpers» who basically walk next to some of the horses … Like a pony ride… Instead of teaching the rider how to control the horse.
Due to the amount of people in a class, and especially one-​timers, there is very little attention paid to correcting any students poor form.
If you are just beginning and serious, this place is a cash cow. It might be a better place if you have your own horse and are already intermediate, or feel bored and want to sit on a horse. If you do go because you’re bored, buy the groupon — it’s definitely a better deal.
Oh, you have to wear a helmet and they charge you to rent one.
We switched stables and the instruction is so much more specific where we are now. In the first lesson my daughters posture, posting, and control improved better than it has after 3 months at New Traditions/​Palos Hills Riding Stables. They also have her groom, saddle, and bridle (which they don’t let beginner classes do at NTRS/​PHRS).
It just seems like they are more interested in a quick buck, than molding newbies into real riders.
The only reason I gave this 2 stars instead of 1 is because the teachers were very nice people. My daughter was fond of several people who worked there. Unfortunately, she wasn’t making progress and nice only gets you so far.

We’ve all taken beginner lessons here. People need to understand that beginner lessons are about learning how to handle a horse. It’s not always exciting, but you need to have a feel for how to handle different horses before you can gain enough skill to be on your own. The staff is helpful. We’ll continue to take lessons.

Read the filtered reviews before you make a decision. I’ve been riding at New Traditions for six years and bought my horse there. He gets top notch care from the staff and I never have to worry about whether he’s fed or his stall is cleaned.
The trainers there are also good. They listen to your goals and try to help you achieve them. For show riders they emphasize that winning isn’t everything, it’s about good sportsmanship and having your best ride. That attitude has created a barn full of supportive riders. School shows are held four times a year, and many of the classes are held in the outdoor arena if the weather is nice. I enjoy the wide variety of classes that are available. There’s always a chance to try something new.
This is a barn that is steeped in tradition. When they say it’s a family affair they truly mean it. The staff and riders do their best to make everyone feel like family. Don’t base your opinions off of one unflitered review when there are tons of positive reviews! When in doubt, go out there and see for yourself.

(Please note this is a copy/​paste of my review from Palos Hills Riding Stables, as it is the same enterprise; PHRS is the boarding business, whereas New Traditions is the lesson business, but they are both run as one).
I rode at PHRS (aka New Traditions Riding Academy) for 7 years. Let me say, I had an IDEA of how bad it was over the years while I was there, but it really took leaving that barn and going to a respectable institution to understand how run down and poorly run that place really was.
I started off as a lesson rider there. The beginner lessons were much akin to a demo derby, where you’re desperately trying to get out of someone else’s way so you don’t get smashed into a wall. However it doesn’t take much «skill» to advance into the intermediate class, where there is significantly less «bumper horse» going on. However, skill level then increases at a snail’s pace unless private lessons are taken, which seems to be the whole goal of the establishment because private lessons = $$. Advanced group lessons? Not allowed in, unless you regularly ride private lessons with a trainer and/​or have your own horse. Please note though, that no matter WHAT level rider you are, there will be a lot of pressure to compete in the schooling shows. Truly, the entire time I was there I felt like there was massive pressure to show, buy a horse, then show some more, regardless of whether my horse or I was ready for the show ring.
Shows there are another dangerous enterprise. No matter how nice the weather is, shows take place in the indoor area. In the 5 years I showed in the open ranks, students were always inside and there was ONE show in the outdoor. The indoor area is an extremely dangerous area for showing as well, mostly due to the sheer amount of horses for such a tiny riding space. I have many memories of the judge jumping out of the way to avoid getting hit by a stray horse. My own horse had her tail ripped out by another horse following too closely, a common occurrence in the Palos arena.
Boarding there is, however, in my opinion, the least appealing part of that barn. The stalls (especially those for the «non-​show» horses) are extremely small, and often in disrepair. I would regularly find broken boards in my stall, with rusty nails sticking out. On a more disgusting note, I also, on two separate occasions, found a dead mouse floating in my horse’s water bowl. That’s when she actually HAD water. During the weekends, the automatic water feeders are turned off at 5pm, so the horses are denied of water until morning (any horse owner knows that this can lead to colic, and sadly, my best friend’s horse succumbed to colic at PHRS; moldy hay was also suspect due to a number of horses colicking at the same time, with one more death). In the winter, when water buckets are provided, they’re often frozen though, requiring that the owner either break the ice or bring gallons of hot water to pour in. The barns the horses are housed in are also a SEVERE safety issue. The barns themselves are wooden, and hay is kept above the horses. EXTREME FIRE HAZARD! Hay can spontaneously combust, cigarettes can be flicked, etc. A barn in Crown Point, Indiana (about 60 min away) burned down due to such a design, killing all of the horses inside. Also beware of BUYING a horse from this barn. I bought my horse there and was blessed to have a horse in good health, but I have heard of a girl buying a horse with a previously fractured leg, which was not disclosed until months AFTER the sale. Although my horse was healthy, there were certain problems with her «legality,» a fact I found out about 10 years later through my own research. I was given a story about why her papers were unavailable, but at the time was too young to realize no papers often equals ILLEGAL MEANS. I have been told since that my horse was not the only horse sold in this manner as well.
So, ride or board here at your own risk. The owner is a charmer, and really makes you believe that she’s there for you and your horse. HA. After being at a few barns in the area and speaking to friends who have tried others, I’d recommend boarding at Kopping Farms or looking outside the Palos Hills area.