About Us

Kim ▪ Rachel ▪ Sarah

Bramblewood Stables was brought together by serendipity (or more formally, Gerald Pack at Stoney Knoll Farms, Inc.). Lots of websites give stock responses and bios but anyone who has spent a lot of time with us knows, we do things a little differently at Bramblewood. This farm exists because of moments that cannot be replicated.

Bramblewood has become what it is today from terrifically hard work, incredible clients, wonderful friends and a good dose of chance and divine intervention.

On this page you will find a lot of standard answers to your questions about our background and experience, but we hope that as you click to the next page you'll leave with something more - a feeling for the spirit of our farm. For many people, Bramblewood is a refuge. We're not just instructors, trainers and apprentices, we're caretakers of a place that feeds the soul. We cannot express enough gratitude to Foxcroft's (as this facility was known for years) owners. In another of those serendipitous moments, they found us the day that we were trying to reach them to ask about taking the place. We are grateful beyond measure.

Kimberly Carter

Kim attended Wofford College where she graduated with a BA in English and Art History. Though she took a break from riding and showing while she attended college she has since come to realize that the liberal arts curriculum and a systematic study of riding are quite similar. She believes we are all lifelong students in all our endeavors, but particularly when it comes to
the horse. From art to literature throughout history - the horse has inspired and fueled so many masterworks. Kim loves teaching simply because it gives her the opportunity to see riders broaden their genius and learn to feel and react in ways never before thought possible.

Kim is certified by the American Riding Instructors Association (ARIA) at the highest level currently offered with a specialization in hunt seat riding. For five years she worked closely with Gerald Pack, retired Master of the Greenville Hounds, to develop a system of riding that is founded in the unique style of the great American instructors of the past century along with a systematic dose of the best European traditions.

When not at the barn (which is weird) Kim is a freelance writer for both equine and other publications and an owner and board member of Communications Service Center, Inc. founded by her grandfather, Floyd Winchester, Jr., in 1950.

To see what all Kim and the others around Bramblewood are up to, visit Kim's blog here.

Rachel Lecture

Rachel is Bramblewood's assistant trainer and barn manager, and an ARIA Level II certified in Hunt-Seat and Dressage trainer who graduated summa cum laude from Virginia Intermont College with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Equine Studies and a minor in Business Administration. While at VI she participated and competed successfully in IHSA.

Rachel is a an amazing addition to the Bramblewood riding program. She places emphasis on a well-rounded equestrian education from the ground to the saddle and is a product of the best traditions and apprenticeships. She believes that a true horseman knows their horses from the inside out from their nutrition to their training.

In her own words: "I find it very important to treat our horses, our partners, with the dignity and respect they deserve. I approach riding with a sympathetic view, in which we are attuned to the needs of our specific/current mount, and how we can create the best quality out of the natural abilities of that horse. Every horse is an individual, as is every rider, and each combination of horse and rider, we should work together to complement each other as best as possible.

My goal for all of my students is the same--to help them reach their their best. Whether a student has the ambition to be one of the world's top equestrian athletes, or the desire to simply interact with horses in a fun and relaxed environment, my desire is to put my students on the paths they need to achieve their dreams. I place an emphasis in dressage in most of my lessons as a means to learn to control and influence the horse, which is useful in all areas of riding.

_______________________

Sarah Boudreaux

Sarah Boudreaux (aka T, TT, TDBoo, Dame Sarah) was simply born in the wrong place at the wrong time. Instead of growing up on a turn of the century farm, she grew up in the suburbs ofWashington,DC, circa 1980. A classic pony girl from the start, she had to get the vast majority of her horse wisdom from movies like “The Black Stallion” and “The Man fromSnowyRiver”. It wasn’t until later in life that her world opened up and she was able to fully pursue and embrace her animalistic passions with gusto!

Now she is proud to tell people that she is a dog trainer and riding instructor, two of the coolest jobs in the world. She is so excited to bring her life experiences with illness and singing to the world of horses at Bramblewood, exploring how riding can help people to cope with chronic physical pain.

Her philosophies of learning to ride include “slow and steady” and “safety first”, much to the sorrow of many a teenage girl. In fact, her true obsession is ground work and, if she could, she would convince everyone to spend weeks, months or years working their horses from the ground, bonding and learning their behaviors, before attempting serious work in the saddle. Her current ground work experiment, using techniques she learned as a dog trainer to teach a horse important but sometimes silly tasks, can be followed on her occasionally up-to-date blog, http://thematildaproject.blogspot.com/.

When asked how she feels about Bramblewood Stables, she was overheard to say,

I am so excited to know these people and be a part of what is happening at Bramblewood. I don’t know that anyone other than Kim would allow me come in and do the kind of work that I am doing with Matilda. Of course, my ultimate, subversive plan is to bring in a team of chimpanzees and teach them to ride side-saddle while singing the hokey pokey, but don’t tell Kim that… She has a thing about primates.