Equestrian Education

 

Happy Hooves Educational Programs

Whole Horsemanship Group Lessons
Group Sizes are 4-6 riders
Ages 9 and up are eligible
All Skill Levels Welcome

3 days per week: Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday
3 hours each session: 9am – 12pm or 4pm – 7pm each day

Monthly Cost: $300

(12 sessions per month = $25 per 3 hour session)
HHER Lesson Progression Outline will be followed

 

Mini Horsemanship Group Lessons
Group sizes are 2-3 riders
Ages 5-8

2 days per week: Tuesday, Thursday
1 1⁄2 hours per session: 4-5:30 each day

Sessions include

safety around horses, grooming, tacking, beginning riding on line, basic ground handling skills

Monthly Cost: $200

(8 sessions per month = $25 per 1 1⁄2 hour session)

   Private Riding Lessons
Ages 7 & up

By Appointment: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday

Special Price Until October 1, 2018
4 – 1 hour sessions = $200
(Regular Price $280)

 

Private Intro Riding Lessons
Ages 4 & up

By Appointment: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday

30 minutes = $40

 

Private Pony Rides
All ages welcome
All rides are on line

By Appointment: Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday

15 minutes = $20

 

Lesson Progression for Riding, Horsemanship, & Training

Beginner – Intermediate – Advanced Levels

NOTE: This is our personal lesson plan here at Happy Hooves. We consider theses skills (through intermediate level) to be essential for safety around horses as well as required knowledge for basic riding.

BEGINNER

  • Tie a rope halter knot
  • Lead the horse with confidence
  • Keep horse from invading your “hula-hoop” of personal space
  • Lead the horse in and out of gates
  • Properly tie lead rope for grooming
  • How to walk around horse safely while grooming and tacking
  • Proper & efficient grooming techniques (tools & order of use)
  • Be able to touch horse all over with hands
  • How to pick the horse’s feet up
  • Know what the horse’s mood is by reading his body language
  • (Happy, curious, nervous, obnoxious, bored, cranky, etc.)
  • Be able to keep your horse at a safe distance from other horses
  • Parts of the horse’s tack
  • How to saddle the horse
  • Proper girth tension before mounting
  • Setting correct stirrup length
  • Mounting from both sides of the horse from mounting block/bench
  • Understand about “energy up & down” to change speed/gaits.  (halt -walk -trot -walk -halt only)
  • Steering Progression Cues at the walk & trot- (1) look with both eyes while turning at the waist and pointing your belly button in the direction you intend to go, (2)opposite leg helps “push” horse in the desired direction, (3) softly open rein in desired direction if needed. (Eyes, Leg, Rein Method)
  • Adding other body, vocal, & rhythm cues to motivate a reluctant horse.
  • Stopping & backing horse 4 steps (‘hot potato’ rein release)
  • Emergency stop (disengaging the hind quarters)
  • Emergency dismount (vault off & push away)
  • 6 Principles of Centered Riding
  • Introduction to ground games 1-7 (Parelli method) for warm up communication between partners before riding

Bonus Moments! (promotes confidence)
Learn how to:

  • Safely give horses treats

 

INTERMEDIATE

More proficiency at all the beginner skills PLUS:

    • Mount & dismount from fence & other obstacles (w/saddle)
    • learn sitting & posting trot
    • trot & steer around objects smoothly
    • able to trot straight lines and large round circles
    • learn 2-point / half-seat (for up-hills on the trail or small jumps in the arena)
    • trot without stirrups
    • Start the Canter (on the lunge line progressing to a large circle by yourself off-line)
    • Further application of the 6 Principles of Centered Riding

These skills promote better balance & rhythm and are added to the program at this time to accelerate progress:

      • Ground games 1-7 with a focus on 5 & 6 for ‘pick up’ rider skill
      • Mount & dismount from fence & other obstacles using ‘pick up’ rider technique (w/bareback pad)
      • ride bareback at the walk, halt, circles & serpentines
      • ride ‘short bursts’ at the trot bareback (15 steps or less with bareback pad)

Bonus Moments! (promotes bonding)
Learn how to:

  • graze horse on lead line
  • mix horse’s grain and give it to them after the riding session

 

ADVANCED

Proficient at the walk, trot, & canter in the arena. Able to traverse easily around and over small obstacles. Understands Parelli method Ground work and fluent in games 1-7 on a 12 ft line & some games on a 22 ft. line for warm up communication.                    

  This level is working on the following:

  • Leg yields at the trot (posting & sitting)
  • Know canter leads
  • Know the correct diagonal when riding posting trot
  • Learn Counter Canter
  • Change canter leads through the trot (bow tie exercise)
  • Flying lead change exercise (canter circle to halt in center, leg yield in opposite direction, lift to ask for new lead)
  • Extend the trot through the diagonals
  • Learn more collection in horse at all gaits
  • Jump 2 consecutive jumps not over 18” (trot in- canter out)
  • Trot around the arena in 2-point / half-seat
  • Canter the arena in half-seat
  • More proficiency in body control & arena etiquette to be able to start competing in shows & competitions
  • In depth application and study of the 6 Principles of Centered Riding to other disciplines