ABOUT US

WHO WE ARE

Margaret (Cunningham) Fleet:
I have been riding since I was 13 years old.  I was fortunate enough to have a great instructor (Shannon Hargett of Oakridge Stables in Rock Hill, SC) who  gave me a really great background in riding.  I spent a lot of time in the saddle making up for the 5-8 years head start that some kids get. It didn't take long for me to learn to ride; because when you are a kid you just do things and don't worry about it, so you tend to learn quickly.  After taking lessons for about 8 or 9 months and going to a few horse shows, I leased a horse named Ivey.   Ivey taught me a lot about horses but was sold a few months later, which is when I made my way to the ASC Greenway in Fort Mill SC.  I started off there like any other rider.  But shortly thereafter, I began working with horses that no one wanted to ride and made them "good" again, so that everyone wanted to ride them, and then I started riding younger and younger horses until I began training babies from the ground up.  I found that I had a passion for horses and for the understanding and training of  horses; they are just magical animals! 
I started teaching lessons when I was 15 years old out the Springs barn.  I began with one student and worked my way up to full group lessons.  I would not be the horse person I am today, if it weren't for the experiences I have had there and for the kindness of  Mrs. Anne Springs Close who has been my role model in many ways.
My riding instructors over the years:  Shannon Hargett - Hunter/English, Lisa Gabriel - Dressage, Jumpers, Amber Gabriel - Dressage, Charlotte Cannon - Natural Horsemanship.

Bryan Fleet
Bryan got into horses mostly because of me.  He had ridden a few times with his Aunt in Montana previously, but had no real interest.  Bryan has always been an animal lover so horses were just another animal to love.  Being such a fanatic it didn't take long for me to turn Bryan into a horse person.  It brings both of us great joy to be with our horses, either riding them of just watching them. 

Bryan went to Georgia Tech in Atlanta and earned a degree in Biology,  a Masters in Biology from Winthrop University in Rock Hill, SC, and a Physician Assistant Master's degree at MUSC, he is now a PA at Piedmont and Springs Memorial hospitals.

We have been married since April 15th, 2005 and moved into our farm in July of 2005.  It is always a work in progress.

1995              Started teaching Horseback Riding Lessons.
May 1998      Graduated from Northwestern High School.
May 2002      Graduated from Winthrop University with a degree in Art Education K-12/Certified School Teacher.
August 2002   Taught Art at Saluda Trail Middle School through June of 2005.  6th - 8th grade.
July 2005        Moved to Edgemoor in  and started Fleet Equestrian Center. 
June 2007       I became NARHA now PATH Intl. certified to teach Recreational and Therapeutic Horseback Riding Lessons.
August 2008   If Wishes Were Horses was established as an official Non-profit 501 (c) 3 corporation.
August 2012   I headed back to school for Nursing, at Mercy School of Nursing, set to graduate in May 2014.  I honestly don't know what I am going to do with it.  Just wanted a back up job for spending money.

I have a long and successful career of showing at open and B shows, training horses from foal to seasoned, coaching students for pleasure riding and at open shows, and training students to be future instructors.  My education degree allows me to know HOW to teach from the very young to adult by breaking things down into digestible pieces. 
It also gave me a leg up in earning my NARHA certification, because I already knew how to teach, write a lesson plan, and had experience with special needs students in the classroom; Including Students with Special Needs WAS one of my college courses.  The instructors that certified me at the NARHA training weekend, suggested that I go on to become an Advanced Instructor, based on what they saw. 
I am getting an RN from Mercy School of Nursing.  I have learned so much about disabilities and feel that this will help with my advanced instructor certification and Therapeutic Riding Center, in the future. 
A majority of the lessons taught here are regular education (able bodied/minded), large group lessons. But, you would be surprised at how many of my children qualify for the non-profit Recreational Therapeutic riding program at the farm, based on a disability that they have.  Many of these students are the bright and shining stars in my riding program!
Having been through teaching college, I have the tools to help develop future teacher/riding instructors.  Several of my former students are now instructors in Fort Mill at the springs barn where I last worked in 2012.  Those students took the time to help me with camps and lessons, and in return, I taught them how to teach by allowing them to coach with me and correcting their cues to students when it was clear to me, that a child couldn't understand what they were being told.  Most of those students have gone on to peruse advanced riding within their chosen riding discipline and use this with their teaching as well.