RIDING INSTRUCTORS AT CORNERSTONE RANCH
Julia Connell
Head Riding Instructor and Barn Manager
Julia Connell moved to Princeton with her family in 2000 where Cornerstone Ranch began on a lot of woods. Growing up on the Ranch and seeing it grow into a working business fueled her passion for horses, and pushed her to become a riding instructor.
In 2016 Julia began building her own lesson program. Julia instructs group and private lessons, monthly full day workshops, and week-long youth riding programs in the summer. Local schools have worked with Cornerstone Ranch to bring students for riding lessons as elective classes. Julia focuses her time primarily on instructing, but has also started horses under saddle that had never been ridden prior to her training. As Head Instructor and Barn Manager, she also oversees the schedule and procedures of staff and wranglers, organizing the barn, equipment care, riding arena clean up, horse care and doctoring, and more. Julia strives to be a good example of a committed rider and horse handler for her students, and demonstrates the time and energy needed to spend with horses.
To progress her knowledge and training, Julia travels annually to southern Arizona to participate in Resident Weeks and learn from Ron McLoughlin, owner of the Classical Stock School of Arizona. Julia also participates in Ron’s clinics and clinics with other Foreman/ McLoughlin instructors.
At Cornerstone Ranch, Julia instructs The Basic Handle, a scientific approach and organized system of riding created by Monte Foreman in the 1950s. The goal of our riding is to encourage the horse’s natural movement and full athletic ability. The humane methods allow the horse to understand what is being asked and respond willingly to the rider, and by working as a team the horses and riders can have much more fun!
Every time one gets on a horse’s back there are new things to be felt and learned. Sign up to take a lesson or workshop with Julia, and join the ride to fall in love with the beauty horses.
Read what Julia’s students will tell you about her…
