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How long are riding lessons? |
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Riding lessons are 50-60 minutes. You are expected to be ready to ride at the beginning of your scheduled time. Beginners who need assistance catching and tacking up their horse are an exception. Since catching and tacking up the horse is part of learning good horsemanship, this is part of the lesson. Your first lesson will include an orientation of the stable as well as information about safety, horse handling and tacking up. |
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Can I come out to watch a few lessons before enrolling? |
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Absolutely. Just call to schedule an appointment to come out and watch. |
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What will we do for our first lesson? |
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In the beginning, you will be familiarized with the stable’s layout, rules and policies, as well as where your horse is kept and which tack you will be using. After riding, we will show you how to properly put your things away and clean up after yourself. |
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Does your stable have a list of rules? |
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Yes. Just CLICK HERE to download a copy. |
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Are students expected or encouraged to compete in horse shows? |
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Although some students do show, our goal is simply to develop riders to be progressive, knowledgeable and enjoy their horses safely. We try hard to make everyone’s riding experience here supportive, positive and encouraging, whether our students are showing or just enjoying their horses at home. Our students always try their best, and any comments made should be to congratulate their efforts. |
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What am I expected to do after my lesson is done? |
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You are expected to clean up after yourself. Sweep up your dirt and put things away. Tack is to be clean after every use. If it needs cleaning, the stable staff can show you where the tack cleaning supplies are located. If you are caught putting your tack away dirty, you will likely end up cleaning a LOT more tack. |
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Is it okay to leave my child at the stable to “hang out” with their riding buddies? |
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We pride ourselves as a constructive outlet for kids, and our stable is often busy with youth who enjoy just being with both their friends and horses. Parents are welcome to either drop off their children for lessons or to watch and or videotape lessons. If you are not planning on picking up your child immediately after the lesson, make sure that your instructor is aware of it ahead of time. |
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Is there any opportunities to pleasure ride a horse without instruction? |
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With limitations, yes. As a student becomes more advanced, there are more privileges to ride for fun or practice. We encourage students to ride for fun, or to go for an occasional trail ride once they are capable. These privileges are different on a case-by-case basis, and your instructor will be very clear on what horse you can ride, where you can ride it, and what you can work on. If you would like to come out for a pleasure ride, it needs to be scheduled with your instructor. |
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What do I do if I don’t feel comfortable or confident doing a task in a riding lesson? |
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It is important to reveal fears to your instructor, as we will not ask you to perform a task that makes you uncomfortable or frightened. Tasks can always be broken down into more manageable steps. |
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What do we do if we have an appointment during inclement weather? |
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We have a heated riding arena, so we can always do lessons no matter how cold it is. However, we do not do lessons in conditions of winds in excess of 50 mph, heat index in excess of 100 degrees, severe thunderstorms, or tornado watches or warnings. If any of these conditions exist, call to verify the extreme conditions and cancel your lesson. It is possible that the stable may contact you to cancel the lesson if we notice extreme conditions are eminent. |
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Do you start students in an English or a western saddle? |
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This is based completely on the rider’s preference, as the basics for english riding are exactly the same as the basics for western riding. If students want to try different disciplines, we have instructors that specialize in many different kinds of riding. |
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Do I need my own helmet? |
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Students are not required to have their own helmets, as we have many schooling helmets for use in lessons. However, riding in a sweaty helmet that is always adjusted to someone else’s head does encourage some to buy their own. If you choose to purchase your own helmet, it must be ASTM and SEI approved. There is a label stating safety certifications on the box and on a tag inside the helmet. Helmets for bike riding, rollerblading, motorcycling, etc. are not approved for equestrian use and cannot be used for riding lessons. |
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What if I am late? |
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If you are late for your lesson, you may miss part of your lesson. We usually schedule our lessons back-to-back and we can’t hold up the whole day if someone is late. |
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What if I can’t make it to a lesson? |
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If you are sick or have some other reason that you can’t make it to your lesson, please call your instructor to cancel your lesson as soon as possible. No call-no shows are charged the full amount of the lesson. |
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Do you do riding lessons year round? |
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Yes. We ride all 12 months of the year. |
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