Learning to ride at Rustling Wind

FALLS VILLAGE — As you go up Canaan Mountain, which has few houses, you come to a clearing with a blue sign that reads Rustling Wind Stables. From a distance one can hear a guiding voice exclaiming, “Good job, do it again.â€� It is the voice of  Terri Lamothe, the owner of the mountaintop horse stable, teaching one of her many students.

It’s a family farm, passed down to Terry from her mother, Joan Lamothe, in 1980.

The barn has been offering lessons since 1965 and now, 42 years later, has 30 horses.

According to Lamothe, the main focus of her barn is to “give lessons to horseback riding students of all levels, train horses of all ages, board horses and take horseback riding students, adults and children alike, to compete in horse shows.�

Sarah Hubbard, winner of the 2006 Connecticut Hunter Jumper Association and Zone One Hunter Pony Classic, trains at the barn, which also  offers a summer riding program for children ages 6 to 13. This summer, the program was instructed by 22-year-old Kate Mallory.

In this five-day program (there are four sessions), children receive a one hour lesson each day, learn to tack up and groom horses, complete horse-related arts and crafts, play horse-related games such as “the egg and spoon race,� and a horseback version of musical chairs called “musical stalls.�

At the end of the week, the children compete in a “mini horse show.â€� They  break up into groups and show the judge what they have learned.

It was clear from the atmosphere at last week’s end of session competition that this horse show is all in good fun.

In fact, in the past children have traded the ribbons they have won because one child likes the color of the ribbon their friend had received. The children handmake ribbons for the horse show out of construction paper several days before the show. Lamothe is the “judge� and it is apparent that she evenly distributes the prizes. Parents and friends come to the show to watch and cheer on the riders.

Maddie Rubin, who has attended the summer program for two consecutive summers, said, “It was lots of fun and I learned a lot.�

As if the Lamothe family is not busy enough running the stable, Joan Lamothe also runs Rustling Wind Creamery, which sells homemade fudge, cheeses and even handknit apparel.

For more information on Rustling Wind Stables or Rustling Wind Creamery, call 860-824-7634.