Lessons
Students will learn a variety of basic to advanced skills in our Levels Program, enabling them to become well-rounded horsemen and horsewomen. Some of the skills they will learn include dressage, jumping, trail riding, riding in groups, negotiating obstacles, and bareback riding. From there, students are able to pursue the specific discipline that interests them the most.
In addition to riding skills, students will learn various aspects of caring for their horse before and after riding such as, grooming, tacking up and untacking, bathing and feeding.
In addition to the enjoyment of riding, horses offer us a wonderful opportunity to learn or strengthen necessary life skills such as:
- Responsibility
- Problem Solving
- Leadership
- Awareness
- Working with Others
- Consideration of Others
- Planning Ahead
- Time management
Adult Lessons
Students learn to focus on body awareness, learning how body position, balance, movement, slightly shifting weight, all affect the horse and the horse’s reaction to the aids. We also learn to find and release tension in ourselves and in turn help the horse to relax.
With this new body awareness we can learn to guide a soft, responsive horse through a jump course, dressage test, obstacle course or a leisurely ride in the field.
For adults riding and spending time with horses provides many wonderful benefits such as:
- Physical Fitness/ Exercise
- Being a part of a group of others with the same interests
- Keeping your mind active and engaged in learning
- Creating and reaching goals
- Fun!
"Equestrian art, perhaps more than any other, is closely related to the wisdom of life. Many of the same principles may be applied as a line of conduct to follow. The horse teaches us self-control, constancy, and the ability to understand what goes on in the mind and feelings of another creature, qualities that are important throughout our lives. Moreover, from this relationship with his horse the rider will learn that only kindness and mutual understanding will bring about achievements of highest perfection." -Podhajsky
"Equestrian language has coined the word “aids” to give it a deeper meaning than orders. The rider should aid his horse to understand him; this means that the horse should never be afraid of the aids and that the rider has sufficient patience to be sure the horse understands what is (asked) of him." -Podhajsky