Who We Are
Empire Equestrian is owned & operated by Mackenzie Ring. She began riding at Bittersweet Farm in Franklin, MA when she was three years old. During that time she learned the basics & competed in the lead-line division. She took a break from formal riding lessons during elementary school, but still enjoyed riding her family's BLM mustang pony. Mackenzie returned to formal riding lessons at Bittersweet Farm in middle school; during that time she improved on her equitation & competed at local shows.
When she was a sophomore in high school, her family moved to North Carolina. Mackenzie began riding at Wonderland Farm; it was there that Mackenzie really honed her skills and learned not only how have proper equitation but to be an effective rider as well. While riding at Wonderland Farm, Mackenzie had the opportunity to ride numerous different types of ponies & horses from those that were unbroke to made show horses & everything in between. She competed on the local & rated circuit. She also learned the ins-&-outs of running a boarding & training facility. She spent two years as Wonderland's assistant trainer teaching beginner lessons, running summer camp, & organizing the Saturday Saddle Club. Mackenzie then spent a year riding green, sale, & lesson horses for O'Shea Stables. She also spent time working for a private facility training and showing their green ponies before starting Empire Equestrian. She has owned & operated Empire Equestrian on her own for several years now. She oversees the care for the horses & ponies herself as well as continuing the training of her lesson ponies, projects, and student owned horses. She is also a certified Open Horse Show Judge. |
Mackenzie is known for her patience & knowledge. She excels at developing a solid foundation for beginners & helps experienced riders find & correct holes in their foundation . Her background is in hunters/jumpers, but is capable of teaching those wanting to learn basic English riding & horsemanship as well. Mackenzie believes in building a good foundation to create riders with not only great equitation but effectiveness as well. She allows her riders to progress at their own speed & does not rush them along.
Mackenzie also uses these same methods when starting young horses & ponies or fixing problem horses. She specializes in creating safe & reliable ponies for children, but has experience working with horses as well. Over the years, she has worked with OTTBs, warmbloods, & everything else in between. |