I broke my ankle about 3 months ago (day after Christmas 2016). It's doing better, but I still have a long way to go until it is back to normal. I have to do exercises to be strong again and to even myself out after hopping on one leg for two months. This experience has given me a reminder about how hard it is to do something unfamiliar, especially when you are out of shape. I feel my students' pain when they are struggling with a new position or exercise. It's also made sure that I practice what I preach when I remind students to do their at-home exercises. Empathy is vital for good teaching!
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Look to our Camps/Shows page for a contact and more information page, but we are having Spring Break Camps to kick off warmer weather. These camps are for brand new to intermediate riders. We will tailor the lessons to where students are at currently, as well as provide unmounted instruction on safety, riding, and horse care.
We had a great time at the Ride with Faith horse show. Our riders did well and improved their performance. Currently we take students to local shows and will venture further away as the weather improved.
We are open Winter is here, but we are teaching and riding. The indoor footing is nicely dust free, and all the horses are currently sound.
Fall is here with the best weather for riding! I am scheduling some "trail ride lessons", where someone can come out just to trail ride. Lessons are incorporating a lot of "out and about" if riders are comfortable, as winter is coming and we will spend more time in the indoor arena. Our horse we are rehabbing for a potential lesson horse shows improvement, and students have done well at local Interscholastic Equestrian Association shows, and the US Pony Club that is hosted at the barn is bursting at the seams. It's been a good season so far!
In running a lesson business, we constantly assess the state of our program: our horses, the exercises we do, tack selection, etc. I have been mulling over the quality of the lesson horses. Currently, I have four awesome ponies to use, and three of my lesson horses have been fantastic lately. We have a fourth being rehabbed, and we brought in another prospect (a 16.1 h gelding, as we needed a bigger horse); so hopefully one of them works out. Lesson-wise, it's fun to use photography and video to analyze our progress. I recently took these photos to show the rider's progress over a month. You want to look like you would land on your feet if you erased the horse out of the picture: she is getting closer to that!
Our farm is different as we have a number of really great introductory fences and some rolling terrain. All the students have been out and about on the trails a lot this summer, from the earliest riders to those who already know how to ride but have come here to improve their skill set. We also welcome trailer-in rides. All riders must wear a helmet, and those schooling BN XC and up must wear a vest.
This seems to be a theme! We still have openings, but not every day, and currently mornings are booked (which openings happening as seasonal or limited time students come and go). The farm will be closed June 29-July 3, and July 10-14, as I have US Pony Club commitments to fulfill, then back to regular schedule.
We have new lesson horses: Vinder, a 14 hand Arabian has joined the ranks. We are also hoping to welcome Smoothie, who is a veteran lesson horse. Finding and keeping good lesson horses can be interesting, as not every horse can put up with the experiments of a beginning rider. Lesson horses are special, and we do try to keep them happy! As warmer weather is consistent, the lesson schedule is starting to fill. Email, call or text us to reserve a spot. Unsure about committing to lessons? Try us out for a lesson or schedule a family Intro to Horses class.
We taught a number of Intro to Horses classes on Friday that went very well! If you have a group of people interested in learning more about horses, or want to have a taste of our lesson program, contact us to set up a session.
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AuthorJulie Graber Archives
September 2023
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