About the Ranch

• The Windy Ridge Ranch is a family-run lesson barn, started by Mark Ward in 1979. Mark and his wife, Katie, own and operate the business. Mark's son, Emmerson and his wife, Susan, live on site with their three children and they all help take care of the horses.
• The ranch is home to more than 40 well-trained schooling horses of various breeds, sizes, skills and temperaments. Most of our horses live out their lives here. We don't typically sell our horses.

Our Philosophy

• With our carefully organized equestrian program, we strive to provide a continuous, safe and fun learning environment that supports individual goals for advancement in riding skills and horsemanship..
• Our group lessons are appropriate for those who want to try riding for the first time, who want to come back to it after years away, and for those who have the interest and drive to become self-sufficient in riding, training, showing and caring for horses. Many of our students have gone on to become horse owners and trainers.
• We encourage riders to seek information outside of our program through books, videos, magazines, etc., to enhance their learning in our lesson program.

What We Offer

Lessons & Riding Activities

English or western weekly group lessons in 5-week sessions for ages 9 through adult; twice-monthly Pee Wee lessons for ages 7-8; practice riding for experienced lesson students; occassional trail riding at nearby parks, fun shows; trailering and coaching at local shows for a few experienced students. Learn more about our Lessons.

Facilities

Insulated indoor arena (60 x 153) with sand and rubber footing; two outdoor arenas (90 x 180 and 135 x 270); seven stalls; a hot-water wash bay; lessee tack room; pastures that we often ride through, cross country and stadium jumps, and a heated barn office.

 

Leasing Program

• We carefully match riders and horses for rewarding, long-term relationships.
• For qualifying WRR students only (current and prior students).
• Share a horse’s riding time, at reasonable rates.

 

Horse Club

The Ranch is home to the Windy Ridge Riders Horse Club (WRRHC). Members enjoy activities including fun shows, schooling shows, a junior equestrian team (the JETs), clinics, a barn dance and more. Visit the ranch to learn more.

 

4-H

The Ranch is also home to the Valley Shamrocks 4H Project whose members participate in the horse project as well as other activities.

Instructors

Mark Ward

Mark Ward grew up in Rochester, MN and rode with trainer Jack Brainerd on his horse, King. He started teaching riding lessons while in graduate school at the UofM, where he studied philosophy and taught the History of Science.. He currently shows in eventing, training with local instructors and visiting clinicians, including Jan Fisk, Becky Holder and Alison Springer. Mark was named the 2016 Horseperson of the Year by the MN Horse Council.

Katie Clapp

Katie grew up in St. Paul with two horses, taking periodic equitation and jumping lessons, but mostly venturing out across fields. She learned the most from ranch hands during three summers at a camp in Sisseton, S.D. She took jumping lessons for a couple years in her 20's but returned to riding in her 30's at the Windy Ridge Ranch. She now shows in eventing, taking lessons from local instructors and visiting clinicians.

Bonnie Segl

Bonnie teaches our Pee Wee classes. She started lessons at the Windy Ridge Ranch in 2012. A natural teacher, she uses her riding skills and degree in education to introduce our youngest riders to horseback riding.

Olivia Caspers

Olivia Caspers took lessons from Mark from age 7-16, leased and showed 2 WRR horses, and then bought her own horse and trained at Northbrook Farms with Jan Fisk. After high school she spent a gap year as a groom for five-star eventer Alison Springer. A UofM college student, Olivia and her now 2 horses are with Alison again in the spring of 2020, returning to MN and hopefully teaching more WRR lessons next summer.