Winter Group Classes

I'd like to think that winter doesn't have to put a stop to our horse activities.  It can be difficult to brave the cold and snow and keep on riding, but for those of us who loooooove horses, it's still worth it!

But what do we do when the weather is just too harsh to saddle up?  I've given this a lot of thought over the last few months, because I really do want to keep this thing going all winter.  

I'll be trying something new as of this week.  

Wednesday at 5:00 pm will be a group class.  If you book this time, you'll have something to do regardless of what it's like outside.  If it's not riding weather, we will have a chosen topic to learn about inside the barn, because there's more to riding than just riding!  I'm getting creative about what we can do to keep these classes interesting and fun. If we luck out and get a nice day, we saddle up.

So you might be wondering how the riding part will go if I get more riders showing up than what I have horses.  I'm working on some horseback games that can be done with teams, such as relay races. We might be pleasantly surprised at what kind of horsemanship skills we can learn while having fun!  

Of course, if you've booked the lesson and decide you're not interested in doing the unmounted class, you can opt out.  Just let me know, and we can reschedule.  

I'm keeping the Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday 5:00 pm time slot available for lessons all throughout winter, and if you want to book a lesson on those days, please contact me.  As always, I try to stay flexible, especially this time of year.  If it's a beautiful winter day and you want a lesson on short notice, just contact me in the afternoon and if the time's open, you are in.  You can book lessons as often or infrequently as you wish.  

Remember to dress warmly, whether we ride or not! 

The cost of these lessons is the same  -- $25 for a group lesson.  

I'll be posting each week's topic here and plan to set up a tab where you can see all the upcoming classes.  

And of course if you have any questions, feel free to contact me!  

MERRY CHRISTMAS

From Heidi, Phoenix, Copper and Oakie

Summer 2012

This has been an excellent summer. I feel pretty lucky to have such dedicated and enthusiastic riders, and I adore my horses.   I love my job!

Here are pictures of a few of my students. 

Thank you to everybody who gave permission to have pictures on my site! 

I'm so proud of all my riders who are remembering one of my Most Important Rules of Riding... SMILE!

Sadie, age 12, with Phoenix

Sadie was my first student when I set up here three years ago

Laura, age 9 (almost 10!) with Copper

We girls don't melt in the rain

Selina, age 18, with Oakie

we don't melt in the heat either, even if we think we might

Rukhsana, age 9, with Oakie

Laika, age 14, with Phoenix

Daniel, age 12, with Phoenix

Lucas, age 14, with Oakie

Victoria, age 8, with Copper

Victoria & Copper, Daniel & Phoenix, Lucas & Oakie

Laura & Copper

Rukhsana & Phoenix, Laika & Copper

These sisters wore matching outfits and rode matching horses

 Hey grown-up riders -- prepare to smile for the camera, you're next here!  

Weather Permitting!

It's almost Spring, or as we call it around here, Horse Hair Season!  

Riding lessons slowed quite a bit over winter, and now everybody's getting ready to ride.  I honestly believe even the horses are looking forward to having something fun to do.  

Riding in the great outdoors, without the protection of an arena, can present many challenges.  So what do we do when the weather isn't agreeable?  

There are a lot of learning opportunities, even if we can't ride.  

We can do "unmounted" lessons, in which we stay in the tack room, or under the shelter with the horses.  Learning about grooming, or all about Western tack, can easily fill an hour.  (The price is the same as a regular lesson.)

What if it's not raining anymore, but the horses are soaking wet and the ground is too muddy or slippery?  Bring your rubber boots, and learn about horse handling.  Leading a horse with a halter and lead rope is a great way to get to know the horse, how he moves, and how you can stay safe while handling him.

Of course, actually getting on the horse is the goal!  You might be surprised at how much weather can be tolerated when there's a horse involved.  But days that aren't so nice can be advantageous.  For example, cool cloudy overcast days seem gloomy but are great for riding.  It's not too hot, and nobody has to squint in the sun.  Days when the sky is white, and fluffy snowflakes are falling, are wonderful to ride.  In a few months, we'll be dealing with heat and sun, which are great but have their own set of challenges.  We can adapt.  We dress appropriately for the weather, and I can adjust the lesson plan to suit the weather and ground conditions.


But let's not fret about the weather.  When it comes to horses, there is always something to do, and something to learn.

Like I always say, any time with horses is quality time!

Gift Certificates!

I just finished designing gift certificates.

I'm thinking a riding lesson or two could be a great gift for a horse-crazy kid, or for an adult who never really grew out of the horse-craziness!

This could be an excellent gift idea... doesn't create clutter in the house, promotes a healthy physical activity, and, best of all, purchasing does not require a trip to the shopping mall!  It's a win-win situation!