Bur Oak Stables
"It's the little things that turn into the big things"
Meet the Team
Proud and Professional
Nate Stener
Owner/Trainer
From my very earliest memories, I gravitated towards horse’s. From wearing cowboy boots and hats as soon as I could walk, pretending to get bucked off of horses, and being fascinated by these magnificent animals whenever I saw them in person, in books, or in the movies. The grace, power, sheer beauty, and majesty of them. I wanted them to become a part of my life, but considering I grew up in the city and had no experience, I didn’t think it was a possibility. I wasn’t able to see that future me would have an opportunity that would change my life. The opportunity that would help me build the knowledge and experience I needed in order to pursue my passion and dreams.
When I turned 18 years old, I bought a car from someone and through this interaction I was introduced to a farrier that was looking for an apprentice. Of course, I jumped on the opportunity! Little did I know this was just the beginning of a great journey that lay ahead of me. Shortly after embarking on my new journey, I had another opportunity to own my own horse. A 3-year-old filly. My dreams felt like they were coming true. She was kind, willing, and overlooked all of my shortcomings. We had a lot we had to learn together but I was determined. Before long, she was riding beautifully, and people started asking me for help with their horses. I realized I got lucky with this mare but even more so, I realized I had a calling that needed to be pursued. I educated myself further so I could not only help other people, but other horses. Each horse I have had the pleasure of working with has helped me grow in many ways. From the good, the bad, and the ugly. In fact, horses have taught me more than I could have ever imagined. Learning never ends and that is the thing to be treasured.
Through my 16 years of experience, I have continued to do farrier work, train horses, hold clinics, and continue to grow in my knowledge and faith. I am grateful for each horse and each experience that has led me to where I am today, and I could not have done this without the support and belief of everyone along the way. I strive to keep the passion growing and learning continued.
Thank you all from the bottom of my heart.
~Nate~
Sarah Bell
Owner
Meet the person behind the curtain. As a child, I had always dreamed of owning my own horse. After a traumatic incident in my life as an adult, I decided life was short and it was time to purchase my first horse, making my dream become a reality. From starting off not knowing anything but the love and passion for this beautiful, majestic animal, to being blessed with many opportunities and life lessons that have lead me to where I am today. My mission in life and for our growing team at Bur Oak Stables, is to offer opportunities that will create memories, strengthen relationships between equine and human partnerships, and build a welcomed community in the equine world.
~Sarah~
Fill out the form below if you are interested in attending or hosting a clinic. Please provide details of your clinic interests and venue in the comments section.
Clinic Inquiry Submission Form
Bur Oak Stables is a wonderful place to bring your horse for training! In the past few years I’ve sent two horses for training and my experiences were wonderful from beginning to end.
Nate is an exceptional trainer, not only for the horses but also their humans! I had an accident with one of my horses that seriously undermined my confidence in my riding abilities. Nate helped me, and my horse, regain confidence through his calm, gentle, and consistent approach. He helped identify and address training gaps, making it possible to move us forward. I was encouraged to visit regularly, and as part of the training, I was given one-on-one riding lessons on my horses so I could experience their progress and grasp techniques that would apply to our rides back home.
Nate and Sarah have created a wonderful environment at Bur Oak Stables. I appreciate how they limit the number of horses in training to guarantee each receives individualized and undivided attention. In addition, the overall care my horses received was excellent – the paddock for the training horses is large, provides free access to covered hay, has an automatic waterer, and is kept very clean. All the training horses get loads of pets, hugs, and love. I really appreciated getting regular texts and videos that not only showcased the progress in training but also captured the day-to-day interactions with my horses.
As a person who deeply cares about her horses, it’s wonderful to be able to bring them to Bur Oak Stables and have peace of mind that they are in good hands…..being loved and getting exceptional training.
Sincerely, Jackie
Dixie
Working with Nate Stener has been a GREAT experience. I first met Nate 10 years ago when he started as our farrier. Over the years, we’ve talked a lot about horses and mine have always been so comfortable and calm with him. In 2019, Reign was born on our farm to my daughter’s appaloosa. Nate trimmed his feet from the start, even though Reign was a handful from the beginning. Reign has always been fussy about his feet being handled and Nate was consistently patient with him and helped him work through these issues. I was thrilled when Reign turned three and Nate agreed to take him into training and put his first ride on him. Right from the moment Nate loaded him in the trailer I knew it was going to work. Nate and Sarah were great to work with during the 60 days he was with them for training. They always kept us up to date on his progress with videos and photos, and we were always welcome to stop by to visit and work with Reign ourselves or to watch Nate’s training sessions with him. Nate also gave riding lessons to my 16-year-old daughter on Reign so we would be prepared to continue his training once we brought him back home. Since then, Nate has continued to be a great resource for us whenever we run into training issues with Reign and he is always willing to help. Through these lessons, my daughter has learned a lot from Nate about green horses and how to handle them. She also attended one of Nate’s weekend riding clinics with Reign, where Nate helped her build up confidence and learn how to handle his young horse behaviors. Nate is a great trainer and all around a great person and my daughter and I have been so lucky to be able to work with him over the years.
Thank you, Lisa and Delaney
Reign
I have nothing but great things to say about Nate! I purchased a 7 year old green broke arabian
mare and fortunately Nate was doing a 2 day clinic right after I bought her. We learned so much
in those 2 days and really connected with Nate’s help. He really showed me how important
ground work is. Then My 9 year old grandaughter did a 1 day clinic with the same horse. She
had a great time and learned alot. Nate and Sarah were very helpful to her. When the clinic
ended at 4:00 she wanted to keep riding. She continues to comment how much Nate has
helped her. We would not have progressed this far without Nate’s help.
~Colleen~
Chloe
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