Just dropping by: Sandy Hill Stables LLC

Rich Palzewic

Staff

June 28, 2023

y64f6LWDMFUKRAKOW – Though I know for a fact I won’t be riding in the Kentucky Derby anytime soon, I recently overcame one of my lifelong fears – mounting and riding a horse.

In the fourth installment of Just dropping by, my travels took me to the small community of Krakow in Shawano County to Sandy Hill Stables LLC – a full-service horse care stable that also offers beginner riding lessons.

With visions of being bucked off by 16-year-old Dawn, an almost 2,000-pound draft horse, Sandy Hill owners Angela and Dan Prevost assured me things would be okay – and they were correct.

Dan told me before my ride that horses can sense fear, so after hearing that, I made sure to remain calm.

After signing a waiver – don’t worry, that’s standard procedure – and securing a riding helmet to my head, it was time to get on the horse.

With the aid of a step stool, I put my left foot into the stirrup and pulled myself up, swinging my right leg over the saddle – I was on a horse for the first time in my almost 51 years of existence!

I’ll admit – my old hips and legs were a little stressed when I finally got situated on Dawn – she’s a relatively wide horse.

Angela took the reins and walked us around the horse ring for a few minutes – dare I say it was fun?

I used the step stool again to get off, and my first-ever riding “lesson” was complete.

“Dawn is calm and a great horse to ride,” Angela said. “You did great, Rich!”

That was music to my ears.

My 13-year-old daughter, Francesca, also had her chance to ride Dawn and passed with flying colors – likely even better than her dear ole’ dad.

More on Sandy Hill
Located at W956 Nichols Dr. in Krakow, Sandy Hill began operations two years ago.

“I grew up on a dairy farm nearby and have always loved horses,” Angela said. “Currently, there are about 18-20 horses here. I’ve always wanted to be in the (horse) industry – I’ve worked at other barns. Dan said to me one day, ‘Why don’t you just start your own barn?’ We gave it a go, and here we are.”

Angela still works on the family-owned dairy farm, while Dan works full-time at Beaver Machine in Coleman.

“I do have a few employees who help me with things – that helps a lot,” Angela said. “We’ll have to see how busy we get in the future.”

Dan said they take care of the horses daily, but it’s up to the owners to visit – which they can do as often as they like.

“We feed them, give them water and clean up after them,” he said. “Some owners are here daily, while others come once a week – it depends on their schedule. They know we are here taking care of their horses.”

Angela said she and Dan take a lot of pride in making sure the horses at Sandy Hill are well cared for and happy.

“That’s part of what we do,” she said. “Brushing is one thing I do to my horses at least once a week, sometimes more. I also pick their hooves to get dirt and rocks out – I do this every time before I ride.”

Angela said Shady Hill also offers beginner riding lessons – which are just that, for beginners, using a gradual approach to improve.

“Any horse can be ridden if it has the right personality and temperament,” she said. “If you’re interested in boarding your horse or taking lessons, reach out through our website (sandyhillstables.com) or Facebook page.”

The barn at Sandy Hill has also seen growth over the years.

“We built the barn about 10 years ago, and it was about half this size,” Dan said. “It was just for Angela’s horses and had three stalls. Two years ago, we added another seven stalls and started bringing in more horses. Last year, we added the outdoor board – we can fit six-eight horses out there. There’s also another small barn we added this year, more for self-care.”

Dan and Angela Prevost, owners of Sandy Hill Stables LLC, stand with their two boys and horse Dawn. The full-service horse care stable also offers beginner riding lessons. Rich Palzewic Photo

Future plans
Though the couple just recently got started at Sandy Hill a couple of years ago, they are already looking toward the future.

“We’ve talked about possibly adding an indoor riding arena,” Dan said with a wry smile. “That would allow people to ride inside during the winter months. We’ve never had an issue staying full, so I think (an indoor riding arena) would be supported. We have to turn people down because we’re full.”

Jumping in with further details, Angela said, “that’s our five-year plan.”

Horses, horses, horses  
Angela said horses can live into their 30s if taken care of properly.

“I got my first horse (Dawn) when I was 16,” she said. “The age of a horse also depends on the breed.”
Dan’s story is a bit different.

“My interest in horses didn’t start until I met Angela,” he said. “It’s grown from there.”

As far as saddles, Angela said some are “only a couple hundred dollars, but many are much higher than that.”

“You could spend up to $6,000 on a saddle,” she said. “It all depends on what you want, what you need for your horse and what your budget is.”

With the late spring/early summer seeing hot weather, Dan said horses “do pretty well in the heat.”

“They sweat just like us,” he said. “When it gets really hot, they come into the stables and cool off with the fans. We also bring them down by the woods so they can find the shade.”