Sheila Tabaczka is the barn manager and one of the head trainers at Huntington Ridge. She and Kim Carey began teaching young riders more than 25 years ago and, over the years, have taken numerous young riders to the highest levels of the sport. Many of Sheila’s riders are currently competing on the local and rated circuits in Michigan and Ohio. Sheila believes in producing riders with a strong foundation in the basics and takes the time to ensure riders have mastered the skills needed to move up. Once riders become interested in leasing, owning, or showing, Sheila prepares them for the higher demands of competition but also ensures that riders understand that the horses’ well-being is at the forefront. Sheila loves developing horsemanship in her riders and watching the partnership between horse and rider grow.
Kim’s love of horses started at just nine years old when she began taking lessons at a local barn. Those lessons quickly turned into summers spent at the barn from morning until night learning anything and everything she could to become a better horsewoman. As a teenager, Kim had a chance to ride with Frank Madden, one of the most accomplished hunter jumper trainers in the sport. Frank told her that if she could get her horse qualified for USEF Medal Finals, he would train her at Finals–and she did just that! While Kim knew that she always wanted to be a horse trainer, education was very important to her family. After graduating from Central Michigan University, Kim worked as an assistant trainer, eventually moving on to work for herself teaching students and training horses. Kim moved her way up from the local C circuit to the B circuit and then to the A circuit. Over the years, Kim has coached many riders to the highest level of the sport, including qualifications, top ten finishes, and wins at national championships like Pony Finals, ASPCA Maclay Regionals and Finals, Capital Challenge, THIS Medal Finals, and USEF Medal Finals. Kim loves teaching and training and finds watching her riders and horses grow, improve, and be successful is truly rewarding. Kim excels at training young horses and has a talent for matching riders and horses, ensuring a successful partnership. At the heart of Kim’s passion is a love for horses, and she makes certain that the horse’s health and fitness comes first at all times.
Carly Tabaczka began riding horses before she could walk, eventually taking her green pony to Pony Finals and placing in the top ten. As a junior, Carly successfully competed at some of the biggest equitation championships at the national level including, the Maclay finals, Capital Challenge, and others. After a successful equitation career as a junior, Carly moved onto the jumper ring, competing at the 1.30m height at venues like the World Equestrian Center, Kentucky Horse Park, and others across the midwest. Carly’s deep knowledge of the hunter, jumper, and equitation disciplines makes her an invaluable asset to the Huntington Ridge training team, as she can share her firsthand experience with riders coming up the ranks. Carly has a passion for teaching young riders the ropes of horse showing and has the ability to break down some of the more technical aspects of riding in ways all riders can understand. Carly loves watching her riders and their horses develop their partnership and grow both in and out of the show ring.
Autumn brings endless passion, enthusiasm, and fun to our School Program at Huntington Ridge. Since her first lesson at 8-years-old, she’s always found a way to be around horses. Starting with exploring trail riding the hills of Kentucky & exercise jockeying Thoroughbreds, she later discovered club polo at Purdue & eventually found her way into the hunter-jumper world. In 2015, she graduated Purdue with a Bachelors of Science in Animal Sciences with a concentration in Behavior and Wellbeing and entered the professional world of animal agriculture and agriculture technology. She first started instructing beginner riders through intermediate jump in 2021. Autumn was also a coach for the University of Michigan Equestrian Team and an IEA team. Huntington Ridge welcomed her to the barn family in 2023 when she instantly called the stables home. She established the Huntington Ridge Pony Club in 2024 to expand riders’ knowledge through mounted and unmounted clinics. When not teaching in our school program, you can find Autumn with her daughter, horse, or a book.
Join our team at Huntington Ridge Stables, where we’re passionate about horses and creating a warm, supportive community! We’re looking for a dedicated and hardworking Farm Hand to help with daily tasks, including feeding, mucking stalls, grooming, and maintaining the stables and grounds. Ideal candidates have a love for animals, a strong work ethic, and the ability to work independently in a dynamic outdoor setting. Experience with horses is preferred, but we’re willing to train someone eager to learn. If you are dependable and motivated please fill out this form.
