By Michaela Bankston
Photos by Kim Bass
What do ballet and horse riding have in common?
Their graceful nature. The strength of their athletes. The chances of young girls taking a lesson.
As a child, Jennifer Fernambucq attended ballet classes with a friend who took riding lessons at Heathermoor Farm. At 10 years old, the friend invited her to join a lesson. Subsequently, she quit ballet and began riding lessons.
“I always had loved horses, and then once I took a riding lesson I was like, ‘Well, that’s it,’” Fernambucq said.
Eleven years later, she received a call from an instructor at Heathermoor in need of a part-time instructor. She had just quit her job after having a baby, so she agreed. In 1999 Heathermoor’s owner wanted to retire, and Fernambucq purchased the farm.
“I never got the horse bug out of my system,” Fernambucq said.
Heathermoor offers English Saddle Seat riding lessons. Compared to other types of horse riding, saddle seat focuses on graceful riding of athletic animals. At Heathermoor they specialize in American Saddlebreds, which Fernambucq described as “very animated and social and just beautiful.”
“[If you] want to learn how to ride, that’s what we do; we teach lessons,” Fernambucq said. “And then if you want to keep riding and learn to show and compete, we do that as well.”
They teach lessons for all levels and ages starting at 5 years old. Currently the oldest student is around 70.
“We want to facilitate people that want to be around horses, period,” Fernambucq said.
For those who have never been on a horse, Brittany Campbell teaches beginner lessons, but her Heathermoor journey began years before as a 7-year-old student of Fernambucq’s. Campbell said she tried to do other things but could never get horses out of her mind. After attaining a degree in graphic design, beginning a career in banking and a few years as a part-time instructor, she transitioned to full-time instructor at Heathermoor.
“I get something very big from the horses,” Campbell said. “Just touching them, seeing them taking care of them is soothing to me. I like sharing that with the kids.”
After riding for six months to a year, if someone wants to try out competing, Fernambucq teaches more advanced lessons. Unlike some other places, you do not have to buy a horse to compete with Heathermoor, which she said has advantages.
“We have so many horses, and you learn from a variety of horses, not just one,” Fernambucq said. “So each horse has something to teach you.”
Fernambucq said there is no pressure to move beyond casual riding, but “a lot of kids do want to show and compete.” She elaborated that many of them are shy or may not like team sports, but horse shows give them an opportunity to tap into their competitive spirit.
While she and Campbell teach lessons, Fernambucq’s husband, Richie Fernambucq, trains and exercises other people’s show horses.
“Our horses are super high strung; they’re athletes,” Richie said. “So, if they just stand around in the stall for three or four days, and the customer decides to come ride them, the horse isn’t gonna stop until it hits Pell City. Our job is to make sure that these horses are prepared and ready for their riders when they come.”
Richie also started riding as a child. He attended a summer camp because he “thought it’d be fun.” After a brief stint working in his dad’s office several years later, he said it was clear to everyone he needed to be outside. He worked at a few barns in other states before Heathermoor.
“It’s all I’ve ever known,” Richie said.
The Fernambucqs married 15 years ago and rely on each other’s strengths to create a great partnership and the best opportunities for anyone looking to take lessons or compete through Heathermoor.
“He’s a much better horse trainer than me, and I’m a much better teacher than him, so that way we’re a really good team,” Jennifer said.
Eight years ago, the couple ceased leasing the original location and built their current space in Moody, which is created specifically for everything they do. In addition to the outdoor riding space, there is a smaller arena that not only offers protection from the elements but is more controlled for beginner lessons. Those lessons start with all the basic concepts and safety procedures.
“You’re not just going to get on, and we’re not going to turn you loose,” Jennifer said. “It’s very, very safe.”
The front half of the building contains several tables allowing summer camp students to eat lunch and do crafts in an air-conditioned space they did not previously have. Jennifer encourages summer camp for kids that want to try it out and learn the basics, but they also offer more advanced camps for those who have already started riding.
Whether attending summer camp or lessons, Jennifer said their students are mostly female, and one of them is her own daughter.
“With all of the things the kids are exposed to today, there’s nothing better than getting back to horses and riding,” Jennifer said. “It’s natural, and it’s outside, and it’s healthy, physically and mentally.”
Another one of those girls, Caroline Salsman, started taking lessons in January 2020 before attending summer camp later that year.
“She was supposed to go to a sleep-away camp that summer that got canceled because of COVID and ended up coming here, and she’s never done anything else,” Kate Salsman, Caroline’s mother, said.
As to why Caroline has stuck with it, her mom said Heathermoor is her happy place now.
“It’s like a breath of fresh air. I go to school, and then I get to come here, and it makes everything better,” Caroline said.
However, that has not always been the case. Caroline received her first lessons as a Christmas present and was quite apprehensive to begin.
“She wouldn’t even step in the horse’s stalls when she first started riding here. She was so afraid,” Kate said. “Her confidence has grown tremendously in all avenues of life, not just here.”
That situation is not unique to Caroline.
“For a young girl coming up, to learn how to ride a thousand pound horse is very empowering, and it teaches a lot of discipline,” Jennifer said.
As for Jennifer, who started riding as one of those young girls, she has found her calling in showing others their inner power through horse riding.
“Equipping kids to have that kind of confidence and to be able to compete and learn to navigate a thousand pound animal, that’s pretty satisfying,” Jennifer said.
Heathermoor Farm is located at 2575 Carl Jones Road in Moody. It is open Tuesday-Friday, 8 a.m.-7 p.m., and Saturday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. For more information or to sign up for lessons, call Jennifer Fernambucq at 205-999-3256 or Brittany Campbell at 205-807-0423.
