the Heller family, owners
The owners of Flintrock Corporation, Daniel and Jennifer Heller, are both Lancaster County natives. Dan grew up in the historic circa 1816 stone farmhouse that still stands on the center of the property. Growing up on a Lancaster County farm, he was instilled with a passion for agriculture and business at a young age, leading to what has become the Flintrock Family of Companies, including Flintrock Stables. The Heller Family owns and operates multiple businesses, including award winning organic poultry operations.
Dan and Jen are blessed to enjoy farm life with their four sons and two bernese mountain dogs. Outside of Flintrock, they enjoy spending time outdoors as a family. They are also grateful for the fantastic team of employees that works across three states at their different facilities. The Flintrock family is important to the Heller family, and that extends to Flintrock Stables. The Heller family strongly believes in fostering a respectful, friendly and welcoming community at Flintrock Stables, which the entire staff embodies as a truly essential part of Flintrock.
Vicki rowe, lesson program director, riding instructor
Vicki grew up in Massachusetts where she began riding at the age of 7. She trained with Lisa Pappalardo in Methuen, MA where she also helped to teach lessons from 2001-2004 as she worked towards and earned her MA teaching license.
Her undergraduate and graduate degrees are in music therapy from Elizabethtown College (2006) and Shenandoah University (2012) respectfully. Vicki officially moved to PA after undergrad and has worked for 14 years as a board certified music therapist. She has extensive experience working with children and adults with a range of diagnoses including Autism Spectrum, mental health disorders, and more.
Since 2019 Vicki has quite happily found her way back into horses and teaching lessons, using all of her training and experiences to best meet the individual needs of her students. She comes alive when students grasp how connection, active listening and responding to our horses allows us to more fully engage with them. She firmly believes an important part of the horsemanship process is developing solid fundamentals and building confidence at whatever pace the student needs.
When she isn’t at the barn, Vicki is homeschooling her two kiddos, sometimes gardening or baking or reading or crafting something fun! She currently lives in Etown with her husband Nick, their two children, Felicity and Phineas, and their rescue Boston Terrier, Banjo.
Kristen Castaldi, riding instructor
Kristen fell in love with horses as soon as she could walk and went to her first show in the hunter ring at age 6. She trained with Charlotte Cannon at Fox Point Farm for nearly 20 years, gaining experience in numerous disciplines and training principles, including groundwork and natural horsemanship. She has extensive training and show experience in both English and Western disciplines. Over the years she has trained and shown numerous horses on the American Paint Horse Association (APHA) show circuit, earning a World Championship in Hunter Hack and Top 5 placing in Hunter Under Saddle at the APHA World Championships.
After having to step away from riding for several years during and after college, Kristen found her way back to her passion right here at Flintrock Stables. She now lives in Mount Joy, PA with her Golden Retriever, Lyric. When not at the barn, Kristen works for Optum as a Veteran Experience Officer, connecting veterans with healthcare providers in their local communities.
Kristen finds joy in helping others discover how impactful it is to connect with horses in a meaningful way. Her aim is to create a fun, safe environment for learning with an emphasis on developing a solid riding foundation that can be built upon for years to come!
Carrie Darlington, horse care manager
Carrie grew up in Downingtown, PA and has always loved animals. As a kid she took lessons at Thorncroft Equestrian Center in Malvern, PA, but even then her fascination with horses went beyond simply riding. She still remembers the kind barn manager at Thorncroft who let her follow him around as he cleaned stalls and dumped manure via wheelbarrow. Her first horse was an Appaloosa pony named Raisin who dutifully carried her on many fun trail rides.
As she got older she drifted from horses but always longed to return to them. She started volunteering at Greystone Therapeutic Riding Center as a side walker and leader, but her real love came in the horse training and barn chore opportunities. This gave her the confidence to own her own horse as an adult, and the rest is history.
Carrie has been a part of Flintrock in some capacity for almost ten years. In her spare time she also is a freelance writer and designer and has written and published nine novels for kids, teens, and adults.
