Lovingly restored by Mackinac Island Carriage Tours and the Chambers family, the Little Barn housing the Mackinac Island Children's Riding Academy provides a safe and nurturing gathering spot for horse-crazy island kids. Little Barn kids participate in a variety of activities at the barn including daily chores, grooming, and group or private riding lessons on our kind and gentle 'herd', our horses Henry, Clarence, Little Black, and Charming.
As a 501(c)3 non-profit, we are funded entirely by the generosity of our community, and our young riders give back in gratefulness through a variety of community projects each summer.
Given that we live surrounded by horses and on an island so rich in Equine history, Little Barn kids also have opportunities to learn from a variety of local Equine specialists–shadowing the veterinarian, taking the horses to be shod, or listening to a lecture about the importance of the horse to Mackinac. These activities all provide our young riders with a solid foundation for becoming a life-long equestrian.
"...horses should be trained in such a way that they not only love their riders, but look forward to the time they are with them.
-Xenophon, 400 B.C.
