a happy place to learn about happy horses

Riding lessons:  

Equine Enthusiasts 12 and older new to the wonderful world of horses

$45.00/hour-private

Lessons are comprised of basic horsemanship skills and riding instruction geared toward your unique experience and comfort level with horses.  I teach a balanced basic, a.k.a. dressage seat, keeping safety foremost in mind, both for humans and equines.

The horse is not a piece of gym equipment you hop on and "yank and crank" with the reins like one sees in old western movies.   Whenever you are around a horse, you are influencing it whether you realize it or not, resulting in good behavior or bad.  I help you learn how to influence the horse in ways which contribute to a well-mannered, happy, athletic, willing partner, both in hand and under saddle.   I teach you how to be a good influencer! 

Horsemanship skills:

• Things you need to learn to make sure your horse is well-mannered and a joy to be around; in horse terminolgy, "good ground manners";  approaching, haltering, leading, tying, standing quietly, respecting your personal space.   I can introduce you to these things.
• Things you need to learn to maintain your horse's health and well-being:  learning to read your horse's behavior, knowing the basic needs of the horse, signs of discomfort, signs of relaxation.  TPR (Temperature, Pulse, Respiration). I can introduce you to this realm of the horse world.
• General knowledge; points of the horse, colors, markings, parts of the saddle, bridle, equine terminolgy, breeds.

Riding instruction:

• The basic skills you need to learn to make sure your horse is happy with you in the saddle:
• I can help you improve your rhythm, timing and feel.  Riding is all about timing and feel.
• I can help you increase your self-confidence and comfort level as you relate to horses, in hand and under saddle.
• I can introduce you to the classical principles of dressage; exercises and movements that help improve your ability as a rider, develop the correct riding muscles in the horse and contribute to the overall well-being of the horse and its longevity as a riding horse.

Teacher/student ratio: 2:1.

The horse as educator:  willing partner, active listener, responding with immediate feedback.

Me:  instructor, facilitator/active listener.

You:  my fellow horse enthusiast, fully engaged and ready to learn.  Ask questions!   Be inquisitive and enjoy the experience of learning the language of the horse and how to relate to this noble creature.

Great news!   Learning to ride correctly is built upon one small success after another so there is no pass or fail, just lots of learning experiences.  Those successes and experiences build self-confidence and continually add to one's knowledge base in becoming an educated and refined rider, always keeping the well being of the horse upper-most in mind. 

 I am most excited introducing you to the incredible bond of trust that can develop between you and a horse.  I enjoy witnessing the learning that takes place with horse enthusiasts just getting started or the returning rider getting reacquainted.  It makes my heart happy to see the self-confidence grow.

 With your foundational skill sets of riding and horsemanship, you will be able to continue recreational riding and/or move on to any specialized riding discipline.

As a general rule, horses can carry 20% of their weight, including the weight of the saddle.  Several factors allow tweaking this rule.  For example, is the horse stocky and muscular or fine-boned?  What type of work is being asked of the horse and for how long?  The average weight of a horse is between 900 and 1100 pounds; my horses fall within this range.  My saddles weigh between 25-40 pounds.

You do not have to ride to be involved with  horses.  Much of their care takes place on the ground.  Many horses are in need of adoption who are no longer rideable, but make great companions and just ask to be well cared for and loved.  I can teach you horsemanship skills that will prepare you to properly care for one of these precious horses, with no riding necessary.