The indoor has a roof, and some sidewalls. Hopefully we can get it enclosed before the really windy weather of late fall and winter.
With the clocks rolling back, I can do 5 pm lessons, and then it is too dark. We will hopefully have lights this month, but until then, evening lessons have been rescheduled for Saturday.
The indoor has a roof, and some sidewalls. Hopefully we can get it enclosed before the really windy weather of late fall and winter.
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We were able to get some trusses up on the indoor, but with some scheduling issues with both the crane and the crews, progress has halted again. Learning to ride can often have the same learning curve: make a noticeable improvement, then just everything is the same for a while, until the next jump in skill happens. Patience is important!
Currently our lesson schedule is about as full as I want it, but we have room for a few more here and there, depending on the needs of the rider. Our favorite time to ride is coming up, with fall color and the disappearance of bothersome bugs. Where did summer go? The lesson schedule has filled up, and the weather has been mostly nice, but really the best time of year to ride is fall, as the bugs disappear and it is fairly dry outside. We do still have sessions available, and as schedules change for the school year we have afternoon and evening times available. We took several students to a neighboring farm's fun show last Saturday. They both did really well! Hamish and Juneau did well for their first outing off the farm this spring. I take riding lesson students to local shows of their choice, for the price of a regular lesson, if my schedule allows. We do have many of the small local shows figured into the schedule, so Saturday lesson times are limited through the summer.
Horses used in riding lessons are a special breed, no matter what their actual horse breed is. They have to be steady in their temperament and in their gaits. They put up with beginner bobbles and mistakes without getting bothered. It's my job as an instructor to match the student and the horse, and to make sure that the student makes progress safely. Sometimes, I may make decisions that may not be what the student wants, but is in the best interest of my lesson horse. Without good lesson horses, and without keeping those lesson horses happy, I don't have a riding lesson program.
Our latest lesson horse acquisition, Juneau, is doing wonderfully. She has taught both child and adult beginners, and was introduced to medieval games the other week. She also goes well for my advanced students. The ground has defrosted, the horses are shedding their winter coats, and it's time to get back into shape for ponies and humans. Prospective students are welcome to schedule a time to visit an ongoing lesson to check out the farm.
How cold is too cold to ride? Depends....We personally ride in temps 10 degrees or above if it's not windy. A good rule of thumb for lessons in 20 degrees windchill or less is too cold. The humidity plays a role as well, as a sunny, calm 18 degree day can seem really nice, whereas a 34 degree humid, cloudy, windy day can seem brutal. It is up to your own personal comfort level.
Horses have a wonderful system of nasal turbinates (swirly bits of bone in their head) that allow cold air to be warmed before it enters the lungs. For beginner lessons, the rider will be too cold before it's too cold for the horse's well-being. As to the indoor arena progress....The weather has not been kind. Stay tuned! We are finally making some progress on the arena again. Now that Indiana has decided to go back to the winters of my youth, construction work has been sporadic. Meanwhile, we still ride! I'll teach lessons down to 20 degrees wind chill if the footing isn't slippery, and we ride down to about 5 degrees, if it's not too breezy.
Progress on the arena is slow but sure. It' s easy to get impatient about the rate of progress (just like learning to ride!) but progress is happening. You can't see grass growing, but the fact that you have to mow your lawn regularly proves that growth happened. More lumber was delivered this week, and we still hope to have the shell up by Christmas. Merry Christmas to us!
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AuthorJulie Graber Archives
September 2023
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