By Nancy Brannon, Ph.D.
Barn manager, trainer Paige James is ready to open James Creek Stables this spring. James Creek Stables is located at 1115 Dent Road in Eads, TN. The barn renovation has been a nearly year-long labor of love and a great learning process for Paige. As the renovation process nears completion, the facility will have much to offer to the horses that will live here.
Paige’s parents bought the property in late 2012/early 2013 and did some work on the place. But the main work began when Paige got out of school and her parents put her in charge of many aspects of the project. The former Tennessee Walking Horse Barn was fairly structurally sound, but Paige and her parents have put a lot of work into making it a better working barn and more aesthetically appealing.
They began with creating turnout spaces, taking out trees in the back, creating paddocks, putting in all new fencing and re-seeding everything. The turnout areas are mainly Bermuda, now over seeded with winter rye to provide something green for the horses to eat during the winter months. There are eight acres of 8 paddocks, and the four in the back have attractive bridges crossing the creek for easy access.
The plain white barn has had stonework added along the front and sides, trim and windows are painted red, and the front entrance was changed to natural wood back wall and ceiling, with red and white support posts. They poured concrete in the barn aisle, which was formerly dirt. The aisle is huge, since horses were once ridden indoors in the barn aisle. They have added two more wash bays to what was once a single wash bay, with new drains, hot and cold water in each. There are four additional grooming/tack up bays.
The barn had a shed row on each side, one of which has now been enclosed and a concrete floor added. This has become the new tack room/ lounge. Personalized lockers for boarders have been added that include two saddle racks and ample shelving. Boarders can also keep tack trunks in this room. Paige has received comments on how huge the tack room is, and she says there is still an echo in there. There is an office and two bathrooms for boarders’ convenience.
The other shed row has not yet been enclosed, but future plans are to create an event venue there, for parties, weddings, etc. The driveway goes around to this area, which overlooks the pastures.
They have created a large 180 x 80 ft. outdoor arena with all weather footing and a full jump course. The arena has a limestone base with sand footing atop that base. The arena is crowned in the middle for good drainage and holds up well even in wet weather. Jumps are natural obstacles, gates, and the usual standards and poles.
The stalls are spacious 12’ x 14’, each with a window and a view. Stalls have a dirt and limestone base, covered with rubber mats and plenty of shavings.
The stable will have an onsite horse and grounds keeper for safety. Paige lives just ten minutes away from the barn, and her parents live only two minutes from the barn on Dent Road.
Paige already has a couple of lesson students and she has lesson horses on premises. Her current residents are her own three horses and a pony. Paige has been riding since she was eight years old, and rode with hunter/jumper trainers in the west Tennessee area, so that is her teaching orientation. She also trained at a private barn in Franklin, TN for a while. She teaches mainly beginner to intermediate students, leaving the more advanced work to other trainers in the area. Paige emphasizes horsemanship, building confidence, and starting riders correctly. “I’m not trying to be a big show barn,” she said, but if students want to go to local schooling shows, she’ll gladly take them. She’s looking for good people and horses to populate her barn and “no drama,” she requests. The barn is almost ready for its new residents, so look for information coming in the next month or so for the grand opening.
This summer James Creek will offer summer Horse Camps. Watch for more information about camps in our May issue, our annual horse camp issue.
See photos of the renovation process and find more information at: http://jamescreekstables.com or on facebook.com/jamescreekdentrd
Barn manager, trainer Paige James is ready to open James Creek Stables this spring. James Creek Stables is located at 1115 Dent Road in Eads, TN. The barn renovation has been a nearly year-long labor of love and a great learning process for Paige. As the renovation process nears completion, the facility will have much to offer to the horses that will live here.
Paige’s parents bought the property in late 2012/early 2013 and did some work on the place. But the main work began when Paige got out of school and her parents put her in charge of many aspects of the project. The former Tennessee Walking Horse Barn was fairly structurally sound, but Paige and her parents have put a lot of work into making it a better working barn and more aesthetically appealing.
They began with creating turnout spaces, taking out trees in the back, creating paddocks, putting in all new fencing and re-seeding everything. The turnout areas are mainly Bermuda, now over seeded with winter rye to provide something green for the horses to eat during the winter months. There are eight acres of 8 paddocks, and the four in the back have attractive bridges crossing the creek for easy access.
The plain white barn has had stonework added along the front and sides, trim and windows are painted red, and the front entrance was changed to natural wood back wall and ceiling, with red and white support posts. They poured concrete in the barn aisle, which was formerly dirt. The aisle is huge, since horses were once ridden indoors in the barn aisle. They have added two more wash bays to what was once a single wash bay, with new drains, hot and cold water in each. There are four additional grooming/tack up bays.
The barn had a shed row on each side, one of which has now been enclosed and a concrete floor added. This has become the new tack room/ lounge. Personalized lockers for boarders have been added that include two saddle racks and ample shelving. Boarders can also keep tack trunks in this room. Paige has received comments on how huge the tack room is, and she says there is still an echo in there. There is an office and two bathrooms for boarders’ convenience.
The other shed row has not yet been enclosed, but future plans are to create an event venue there, for parties, weddings, etc. The driveway goes around to this area, which overlooks the pastures.
They have created a large 180 x 80 ft. outdoor arena with all weather footing and a full jump course. The arena has a limestone base with sand footing atop that base. The arena is crowned in the middle for good drainage and holds up well even in wet weather. Jumps are natural obstacles, gates, and the usual standards and poles.
The stalls are spacious 12’ x 14’, each with a window and a view. Stalls have a dirt and limestone base, covered with rubber mats and plenty of shavings.
The stable will have an onsite horse and grounds keeper for safety. Paige lives just ten minutes away from the barn, and her parents live only two minutes from the barn on Dent Road.
Paige already has a couple of lesson students and she has lesson horses on premises. Her current residents are her own three horses and a pony. Paige has been riding since she was eight years old, and rode with hunter/jumper trainers in the west Tennessee area, so that is her teaching orientation. She also trained at a private barn in Franklin, TN for a while. She teaches mainly beginner to intermediate students, leaving the more advanced work to other trainers in the area. Paige emphasizes horsemanship, building confidence, and starting riders correctly. “I’m not trying to be a big show barn,” she said, but if students want to go to local schooling shows, she’ll gladly take them. She’s looking for good people and horses to populate her barn and “no drama,” she requests. The barn is almost ready for its new residents, so look for information coming in the next month or so for the grand opening.
This summer James Creek will offer summer Horse Camps. Watch for more information about camps in our May issue, our annual horse camp issue.
See photos of the renovation process and find more information at: http://jamescreekstables.com or on facebook.com/jamescreekdentrd
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