The Reflections community in Lutz has beautiful houses, well-maintained areas and a peaceful, suburban aesthetic.
And 30 acres for riding, training and showing horses.
(Michael Murillo/Staff Photo)
“It’s been here 20 years. They built that (the housing development) about 11 years ago,” said Pam Roush, trainer and owner of Avalon Stables, 18029 Lake Reflections Blvd. Before that, the property was a farm for thoroughbreds. Then Roush bought it and converted it to an area for training and lessons, and the Veterans Expressway helped the area develop residentially.
Now, Avalon Stables almost looks tucked away in a subdivision, but a quick detour off the main road leads to dozens of stables, large training areas and a little community all its own.
“We kind of call it our ‘barn family,’” said assistant trainer Lonna Glover. “Usually in the afternoons, everybody is here. It’s a big social thing for a lot of our customers.”
Saturday mornings also are a popular time, with riders and family gathering at the pavilion to watch lessons, socialize and support each other.
While Avalon Stables is a fun place for its riders, it also can be serious business. Many students own their own horse and keep it at Avalon. A horse can easily cost what you’d pay for a new car, Glover explained, and adding several hundred dollars a month for care and maintenance means it’s for riders looking to improve and become successful at competitions.
But owning a horse isn’t a requirement to participate. Some riders simply pay for lessons and use horses on-site that are designated for student use. And whether they’re gunning for recognition at a show, or just having fun on the weekends, horse riding and training can relieve stress.
The pursuit requires the kind of concentration that doesn’t leave room for outside pressures to creep in.
“Most people like to come out here to just relax and do something different, because they can’t think of anything else while they’re sitting up there,” Glover said. “They have to think of what they’re doing and how they’re doing it.”
Children with attention challenges often find their focus improving when they’re on a horse, because every movement works in concert to keep the animal behaving as it should, Roush explained.
Brooklyn Krone, 12, has been coming to Avalon for seven years. She spends three days a week working with her horse, Breve Latte, to make a jump from Academy level shows to A level. She’s almost there, and still enjoys the training process after all these years.
“It’s just really fun. I get to meet a lot of people and spend time with horses,” she said. Krone is working hard on form and body placement, which is a big part of the judging. It’s important to maneuver the horse properly using complex signals and motions, but maintain a smooth and comfortable look, as if the two work together naturally.
And even though it’s hard work, it’s a welcome respite from the stresses of her virtual school schedule.
“Usually when I have a really hard day at school, it just takes my mind off of things,” Krone said. She hopes to reach A level in the next couple of months.
Annaliese Donaldson-Pham, 12, can’t remember a time when she wasn’t riding. She’s been with Avalon for a couple of years, but began riding when she was 3.
“I just love the connection between you and your horse,” she said. And she’s building a connection with Tirza, a horse she acquired to focus on performing as she plans to make a jump of her own in the showing circuit. A competitor at A level for more than three years, Donaldson-Pham is looking to go national, and works weekly with Tirza to get ready for tougher competition.
Seeing her students improve and advance in competition is a particular source of pride for Roush.
“I love my kids. It’s the best,” she said. “It’s why we do it.” It also becomes a lifelong passion for many of them, she said, building from an interest that began as children into a consistent part of their lives as adults.
Krone agrees.
“I definitely see myself doing this for a long time,” she said.
The spring break camp at Avalon, which lasts a week, began on March 9.
Summer camp dates begin in June.
For more information, call (813) 765-7162 or visit AvalonStables.com.
Published March 11, 2015
