At Cornerstone Ranch, the lesson focus is 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, a riding lesson or driving lesson with Susan, and get on the right path to safely ride and handle horses while you fall in love with the process, camaraderie, and beautiful surroundings at the Ranch.
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.
Susan Connell, founder and owner of Cornerstone Ranch, has been around horses since she was a little girl. Her parents were in the horse showing and breeding business, and were often either traveling for horse shows or training, or developing their own riding facility in Jefferson, MA. Throughout her youth horses were always her biggest calling, and her way to escape from life’s stresses. As a young adult working in different trades like waitressing, cleaning, and even starting a bookkeeping business, Susan was always brought back to horses and instructing.
Susan has always been passionate about horses, and is now helping others discover their love for them. She started instructing lessons in the late 80’s, and decided to fully commit to Cornerstone Ranch in 2004. Starting solely as a lesson barn, we have a strong foundation in instructing lessons here. Susan is the face of commitment and is always training new youngsters, refining the older horses, and running the place on top of it! She is a hard-working role model for all of the riders that come to Cornerstone.
Susan is devoted to demonstrating and instructing a style of riding that develops the horse’s mental and physical health, using methods learned in her youth developed by Monte Foreman. Susan was even lucky enough to know and learn from Monte Foreman as a child. Seeing the benefits of this positive training first hand, she knew she had to share this fun way of riding as a team with your horse. Now Susan rides in clinics taught by Ron McLoughlin and is always finding ways to further her knowledge with horses.