Altebly Stables Castleton - Western & English Riding Stable

Meet Anna Turnbull Altebly Stables

By Jeff Gard / Total Sports Quinte

Don’t be surprised if you find yourself enjoying your time at Altebly Stables. You might even be counting down the time until you get to return.

Altebly means “all too happy” in the Afrikaans language and the staff there strive for horses, humans, dogs and cats to be all that they can be and all too happy doing it, says Anna Turnbull. Located in Centreton in Northumberland County, Altebly Stables offers coaching in Western and English disciplines. “It’s based on creating a safe and fun place for people to learn and try new things,” Turnbull said. “I really encourage an all around riding style and an all around understanding of the horses from the ground up. It includes a lot of ground time, a lot of making sure you’re safe around the horses when your feet are on the ground.” Ages of participants are varied and there is a diverse range of riding abilities as well, from special needs riders to some who are highly competitive. “There’s a lot going on at Team Turnbull,” she said. “We really emphasize the team part of it. We all work together to get the job done and I’m nowhere without my wonderful barn family.” Turnbull has had students as young as three and as old as 78. “My motto has always been that when people come to the barn I want them to have had such a good time that they’re just counting down the minutes until they come back,” she remarked. “I really emphasize catering to the person to meet their needs so if I’m seeing a lot of anxiety then we’re just going to go slow and we’re going to get comfortable with the horse on the ground and we’re going to build up to get them on the saddle. I find with those young kids, especially ones who are a little nervous, it doesn’t take very long.” Some people get into riding later in life or in some cases pick it back up later in life, perhaps when their children have grown up. There’s a number of reasons why riding appeals to adults. “I have older people who ride with me who have some traumas in their life and they really share with me how the effect of being around the horses really helps with their coping as memories are coming back to them in their older age,” Turnbull said. Turnbull said “it takes a village” to run lessons at Altebly as people need to care for the horses, clean stalls and help the young students as well. Summer camps present an opportunity for students to spend more time out of the saddle and learn more about chores and equipment that is very important to the riding experience. “It’s a good opportunity in the summertime to kind of slow things down a little bit and flesh out the other aspects of riding,” she said. Turnbull would encourage anyone, for themselves or their children, to spend more time around horses and give riding a chance. The benefits are numerous once you get in the saddle. “It’s a great thing to try and it develops character from so many angles, from your personal strength to your mental wellness to community. There’s just so many positive aspects of riding that have nothing to do with actually being in the saddle,” Turnbull said. “I really encourage people to at least come on out to the barn and check it out, any barn, not just my barn. Check out horses in general and you’ll be amazed by the therapeutic benefits above and beyond just the riding that comes with it.”