A new wellness experience is taking shape at the New York Equestrian Center in West Hempstead, where horseback riding and yoga are coming together with the opening of Stable Studio.
Founded by Lynbrook resident Lauren Barroso, the facility opened in April, offering yoga and wellness classes that complement equestrian training and welcoming riders, families and members of the surrounding community.
For Barroso, 34, the studio represents the realization of a longtime dream. A lifelong horse lover, she has ridden at the equestrian center for nearly two decades and taught yoga for over 10 years. When the center’s president, Alex Jacobson, approached her with the idea of introducing yoga to the facility, she immediately saw an opportunity to unite her two passions.
“As soon as that idea came about, I realized it was a prayer that was answered when I was little, asking to live in a stall,” Barroso said. “It’s like I have my very own stall.”
As she explained, horseback riding and yoga share many of the same principles, emphasizing balance, focus, breathing and body awareness. And riding uniquely complements those skills, depending on a partnership between horse and rider in which each responds to the other’s movements and energy.
“The difference with this sport is, it’s with another being, another animal,” she said. “When you’re riding, you become their eyes and they become your legs. It’s this incredible connection that you communicate with energy.”
The studio offers yoga for equestrians as well as restorative and yin yoga, exercise and sound healing sessions, which uses specific vibrations and frequencies to promote wellbeing. These include strength, flexibility, balance and breath control to benefit riders while promoting overall wellness.
“It’s been really well received by our community and by the students that are coming to the facility, and even their families,” Jacobson said. “We’ve really brought together a community.”
The Stable Studio has also expanded into the equestrian center’s summer camp, introducing young riders to yoga and mindfulness. It has also welcomed guest instructors, including Daisy Wilson, a Long Beach native and mat Pilates instructor, led a Pilates & Ponies class last Sunday.
“Horses are my favorite thing in the whole world,” Wilson said. “Being able to do Pilates at a stable is my dream.”
The partnership was a natural addition to the center, which serves 250 to 300 area families with horseback riding lessons, trail rides, therapeutic riding programs, after-school activities and the summer camp.
Beyond the physical benefits, the classes have strengthened the sense of community throughout the facility, creating opportunities for riders, parents and visitors to gather. The center has also introduced family programs, including mommy-and-me classes, while riders of all ages take part in wellness sessions side by side.
“It just kind of brings everyone together, and conditions them as well,” Jacobson said. “It makes them better riders and mentally focused.”
The response has been immediate. Although the studio has been open for only three months, classes have already attracted strong attendance.
For Barroso, one of the most rewarding aspects has been watching longtime riders experience the equestrian center in a new way, while welcoming newcomers who may never have imagined attending a yoga class at a stable.
“I couldn’t have imagined this to be as amazing as it is,” she said. “It’s just such a gift from God.”
The center, which recently marked 20 years under Jacobson’s ownership, plans to continue expanding Stable Studio’s offerings with additional wellness programs, trail rides and community events. Barroso and Jacobson say they hope it will become a destination for anyone interested in wellness, whether they are lifelong equestrians or simply looking for a new way to connect with nature, movement and community.
“We really want to welcome the community and spread love and joy,” Barroso said. “I think that’s really what we’re here for on this earth.”
For more information, visit StableStudioNY.com.
