I have known Penni for over 5 years now. Penni has given our daughter riding lessons and was very professional, patient, and a great trainer to our child. I would recommend Penni Gaither Wood for riding lessons for children and adults.

My daughter, who was 6 years old at the time, took horse lessons from Miss Penni, who owns Reach Out Ranch, for several years. Penni does a fantastic job of not only making sure that the kids know safety first around the horses, but also how to have that connection with them.

When I first signed my daughter up for horse lessons, my main concern was that she didn’t think either riding a horse or owning one was just all fun and games and no work. When I got to Penni’s that first day, I knew that she was going to be awesome at teaching this to my daughter. Penni has the kids brush Bertha (her main riding horse) and clean her hoofs, and help put the saddle on. Then after the lesson she has the student put the equipment away in the same manner.

Penni doesn’t rush things, either; she takes the time to make sure the kids are comfortable on the horse and teaches them the basics. She doesn’t just immediately try to make them professional riders. She explains and teaches them every step of the way, and when she feels the student is ready, she will progress to the next level.

Penni has a lot of patience with the kids and as a matter of fact, so does Bertha. Bertha is a wonderful, sweet and gentle horse. I personally am afraid of horses, but not after being around Bertha and Penni. They both make you feel very comfortable and relaxed.

I would recommend anyone to Penni Wood. What an awesome experience!

Penni Wood is an excellent teacher!

She meets me where I am in my riding skill which takes a lot of personal experience and patience. One of her main focuses is on safety; in the handling of a 1000 lb animal this is essential. Her attention to detail is strong and it imparts in me the importance of paying attention and to what to pay it. She also emphasizes the care and maintenance of the equipment and how to use it on the horses. When in saddle, she is present and pushes me just enough to keep me on my own edge, in a safe place, and having fun.

I really appreciate Penni and recommend her lessons to anyone interested in really understanding horses.

I have been riding with Penni and her fabulous crew of horses since mid 2011 and I am regularly referring people to her. She is great at figuring out an individual’s level of expertise and working within those boundaries. One thing I have really enjoyed is when she begins to push myself and others to a greater level of expertise and she knows when the time is right for a person, always working within a person's comfort zone but also being the coach that pushes you a little further each time. Her training style, her expertise in this field and her bodacious and fun personality make a great combination for a wonderful time horseback riding! If anyone has any questions, you can ask Penni for my number and I would be more than happy to fill you in on why you would be doing yourself a favor by taking lessons from Penni!