March 2023

Hello again!

I'm going to go ahead and blame February being so short for being the reason I "kinda" missed getting a Feb newsletter out but it's ok if y'all don't believe me ;)

So here we are! Spring has officially sprung! As beautiful as it can be, I always remind folks to be prepared for Mother Nature to be a bit bipolar this time of the year.  We are rolling with our soft start of the season.  Be advised that all students will need to either join one of the in hand (unmounted) group classes we have running throughout April & May or do 1-3 unmounted private lessons before climbing in the saddle.  Firstly, we need to take some time to review proper catching, leading, grooming and tack up and what better way to do it than with a group of like minded, age appropriate, horse crazy friends!  This is a great way to get to meet some of the other students here at the barn.  And we don't always have to ability to ride in groups, but learning in a small group is a great way to see other have similar or completely different challenges.  As well, watching others work through their challenges helps us to learn more than just our experience and reminds us, that we are all constantly learning; its a process, always.

Once students have worked through the review we will be booking regular riding lessons.  As I post this newsletter I will also post the updated price list which will take effect May 1st 2023 so please take a moment to review that as well.  If you need any clarification on what type of lesson is best for you or your child please don't hesitate to reach out and chat.  As this season is a bit slower that the craziness of summer, most students will end up with a lesson or two that is closer to the hr length but we will quickly be rolling into (mostly) the private 1/2hr lesson structure.

Please note that along with price changes, we will also be moving to billing at the end of the month only.  This means that there is no longer the option to prepare the month in advance.  However, our cancellation policy remains the same.  Once we are into our regular season(May) lesson times are set at the same day & time each week and students are expected to be here unless other arrangements have been made.   

For the time being lessons will be booked on a week by week basis, unless otherwise stated.  Not only is Mother Nature a bit unpredictable, but I am also working out my life schedule.  I am awaiting soccer days as well as Delilah has a few school days coming up to prep for kindy in the fall.  As we wind up our season now is a great time to review our policies and chat a bit about what it means to be "on time" for lessons.  Take a read below for more details.

Cancelation Policy

* 24hrs notice is required to cancel a lesson.

* If less than 24hrs notice is given, please expect a full charge for the missed lesson barring a major medical emergency.

* If I have to cancel a lesson, there will either be no charge or an alternative timeslot will be made available.

* Most cancelled lessons will NOT be offered an alternative make up timeslot unless one is available within the schedule.

* Make up lessons can be mounted, unmounted, private or small group depending on availability.

* I reserve the right to change a scheduled ride into an unmounted lesson for safety reasons (bad footing, wind, lightening, last minute lame horse etc)

* For students who are able, a lease ride or training ride (owned horse) may be offered as an alternative make up.

* If a student does not come properly dressed, they will not be allowed to ride in a saddle or potentially AT ALL!

Appropriate Dress

What does it mean to come to the barn prepared?  Yes there are essential equipment we need to ride, but coming prepared to work and learn means a bit more than that.

ESSENTIALS:

* boots with a heel; riding/cowboy boots, rubber boots, hikers  NO RUNNING SHOES, NO SANDALS

* long pants; comfortable, full length pants; jeans, yoga, sweats NO SHORTS

*ASTM certified riding helmet; It is suggested for students that have been riding for longer than 1yr to please purchase their own.

EXTRAS:

* gloves; for when its chilly, damp but also to keep hand protected/prevent rope burn

* chaps (1/2 or full length)

Dress appropriately for the weather.  Remember your outside in the elements for 1hr+ so you need to be comfortable.  Students who are too cold or too hot cannot properly focus and dont enjoy their barn time as much as they could.  Don't forget its always windier/colder here than anywhere in town.  

This means water and sunscreen when its hot.  It means an extra jacket, pair of socks or 2 pairs of pants/rain pants when its cooler.  This means long hair should be tied back so it doesn't blow in the wind.  Its always easy to take off a layer if your hot, but hard to warm up once your cold.

DROP OFF POLICY

* No student under the age of 12yrs old is to be dropped off WITHOUT confirmation from me or my staff.  This means eye contact with me and a wave so I know your child is now under my watchful eye.  Meaning I am keeping an eye on them while they tack up/untack before or after a lesson.

* Students can be left once I have expressly acknowledged that they are safe and allowed to be "lightly" supervised around the horses OR once their lesson start time until the end of lesson time.

             * This means, parents MAY have to wait with their child while they tack up/untack or until a designated supervisor arrives ( me or my staff/volunteer)

* Parents are welcome to help & learn alongside their kids (but not "do it all" for them) who still need an extra hand or "muscles"  My general rule for helping is if the student isnt tall enough or strong enough then I will step in to help, otherwise I try to talk through the challenges so students learn by doing themselves.

* PLEASE DO NOT DROP OFF AND LEAVE CHILDREN IF YOU CANNOT SEE ME!!!!

                 * sometimes it could just be I am out in a different part of the property or in the house but I could also be running late or we've mixed up our days/times and I'm not coming.  PLEASE DO NOT LEAVE UNTILL YOU SEE ME!  You are trusting me to keep your children safe around horses please help me do so.

side note: please drive no more than 10km/hr up the driveway.  There are kids, dogs, chickens, horses and cows all about in the yard.  "Dead slow or Dead" please!