Why to ride at Willowbank Equestrian Center?
At Willowbank Equestrian Center our riding school focuses primarily on the physical and mental well-being of the rider and horse. Horsemanship is the extra spin-off! Whether you are looking for an introduction to riding, have special needs or would like to take English or Western courses, come ride with us.
Our History
Willowbank Equestrian Center has a long history of providing riding experience to the youth and adults of Prescott-Russell. We started offering the human/horse experience back in 1972.
Horse Boarding
Willowbank offers boarding in a new state of the art stable. The attached riding arena makes training all year round a pleasure with the barn kept at a comfortable temperature year round.
Benefits
Horseback riding is one of the oldest and yet most progressive forms of holistic therapy. In ancient Greece, work with horses was central to the rehabilitation of traumatized soldiers!
Owner & Instructor
Carolyn Miller first came to Plantagenet in the early 1970’s. After trying her luck with cattle and learning about farming, she quickly went back to her first love, horses.
A job posting in Vienna gave her the fabulous opportunity to study with teachers from the Spanish Riding School. This experience gave her a new found interest in Dressage. Centered riding© gave her the perfect set of principals to help her students achieve success in all equestrian endeavors.
- Secondary School Teacher (Science, Mathematics and Physical Education, 1962-64)
- PhD, Western University, London, Ontario (Molecular Genetics of Cancer, 1968)
- Post-Doc, Chester Beatty Research Institute, London, U.K. (Molecular Genetics of Cancer, 1969)
- Post-Doc, University of Ottawa (Epidemiology and Community Medicine, 1970-72)
- Canadian Equestrian Federation Instructor, 1989
- Canadian Therapeutic Riding Instructor, 1995
- Micro-Counselling for Equine-Assisted Mental Health, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, U Toronto, 2005, and 2006
- Equine-Assisted Mental Health, Sunrise Equestrian Center, 2007
- Centered Riding Instructor, 2011; Instructor Upgrade, 2012, 2015
- Riding Facilitator, 1990-present.
Equine Programs for Health and Well Being
Horses can help us in many ways, from the benefits of physical exercise to mental health. Willowbank is currently offering new programs with the goal of improved health and well being.
