Lessons offered throughout the year for beginners, intermediate, and advanced riders:

•  Private or group lessons: Group ($40/hr); Private ($40/half hour)    

GROUP LESSONS:  Saturdays  WINTER : 11AM, 1PM;
PRIVATE LESSONS: M-F : 1pm

Students learn:

• How to properly groom, saddle and bridle their horse
• Horse safety (catching, leading, handling)
• Balanced riding positions and exercises to develop balance and strength
• Control of horse at walk and trot in the ring, over ground poles, and in the field 
• Advanced beginner students will begin work at canter and may jump, depending on readiness
• Trail riding safety
• Cross country riding
• Intermediate students jump gymnastic exercises and simple courses and begin learning dressage
• Advanced students learn how to jump more advanced courses and dressage movements

Dressage shows (fun practice shows on the farm) planned in 2021

Training of your horse- $450/month

LESSON SPOTLIGHT: 

#3:  

ELEMENTS OF BASIC DRESSAGE:

The goal of dressage (i.e. means simply Training) is to develop the horse so that he can do willingly and gracefully the movements that the horse does naturally when moving on his own without a rider.   This requires the following:

  a. A calm horse

  b. Balanced rider

  c.  Consistent use of the aids (seat, legs, voice, whip, spurs) by the rider

  d. Rewarding the horse quickly and consistently when he gives the rider what is asked

  e.  Not overworking the horse

  f.  Slowly building the strength and balance of the horse 

  g.  Keeping the horse calm and happy so that he is eager to see you and work with you each time!

#2:

PRACTICE DOES NOT MAKE PERFECT;        

PERFECT PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT!

It is very important that you have someone to help you when you are learning a new movement on horseback, as it is much more difficult to correct a bad habit than to create a new habit!   Happy riding!

#1: 

THE DO’S AND DON’TS OF “HEELS DOWN!”
A constant mantra in the schooling ring, you hear the trainers telling their students: “keep your heels down!”. The truth is that the ankle needs to work like a spring to absorb the motion of the horse. You don’t want to jam the heels down stiffly, but rather to allow them to flex down. The trick is to not push in the stirrup too much, but rather to rest the ball of your foot in the stirrup and let all the weight go down through your heel. Just imagine the energy going down through your heel to the ground and be sure you are not pressing on the stirrup.

RITA BERGMAN’S “NATURAL WAYS” TRAINING METHODS FOCUS ON THE BASIC NATURE OF THE HORSE:
• The horse Is the master of the “one-time lesson” – no drilling, please!
• All horses love the herd leader – if you want your horse to love you, you must lead, not follow!
• Calmness – a must for a horse to learn – a scared horse cannot learn.
• Meditation time – a horse needs time to think
• Conditioning – a sore horse is a cranky horse!

HORSE SAFETY RULES
• NO LOUD NOISES
• NO RUNNING OR JUMPING
• NEVER THROW ANYTHING AROUND A HORSE
• NEVER WALK UP BEHIND A HORSE
• APPROACH HORSES ONLY FROM THE FRONT
• NEVER FEED A HORSE WITHOUT ASKING
• NEVER PUT FINGERS IN A HORSES MOUTH…. THEY BITE!
• TALK SOFTLY AND RUB A HORSE GENTLY BUT FIRMLY… THEY DON’T LIKE TO BE TICKLED!
• DON’T EVER YELL “YE- HA” AND KICK A HORSE WHEN YOU GET ON….. THAT’S ONLY FOR THE MOVIES!!

Rider Release Form (click to view/print)