May 2023

 Hey guys!

Im happy to report that we are in full swing here with all of our returning students and very slowly starting to take a look ahead and reach out to those on our waitlist.  

Spring has been going very well with most of the students having partaken in some un-mounted stable management theory & in hand horsemanship classes.  I'm thrilled with how these went down and am so impressed with the confidence I see in these students with their horse handling & knowledge.  Honestly, I love when students ask questions and I'd say these unmounted lessons brought lots of them!  That's how we learn.  And with hands on practice.

In this month's newsletter we will be chatting in depth about what it means to be "on time" for your lesson.  Since the schedule is now fairly tightly packed, there isn't much space between lessons or alternative make up spots.  So, in order for everyone to get the very most out of their horsey time, each student needs to clearly understand what's expected of them before and after their lesson. That way everyone can maximize the learning time in their lesson.

We'll break it down into groups;

Students in the 1hr privates

Students in 1/2hr privates or small groups who are trotting

Students who are cantering & jumping 

Students in 1hr privates

These students are those who still require some help from me to get their horses safely caught, brushed and tacked up.  These students should arrive about 10-15mins prior to their lesson start time.  Once here, they can head to the tack room to find a helmet (if using ours) and then start getting their equipment out to the hitching rail.  This includes; brushes, bridle & girth, saddle & pad(s).  Part of the reason we always make sure stuff is put away properly and in it's place is so that the next student can easily locate all the pieces they will need.  Please keep in mind, the smaller the student, the more trips they may need to take.

Then students can grab their horse's halter and wait for me (or one of my volunteers) to help catch their horse.  We then spend 15 mins together brushing and tacking up, 30mins in the saddle and then another 15mins untacking and brushing.  After their pony is put away, students are expected to put all their equipment back in the tack room in it's proper place for the next student to find.  

Overtime, students may be asked to come a bit earlier so they can start to catch & brush a little more independently (supervised, lightly assisted by myself &/or volunteers) and then the same afterwards.  Leaving students to brush their ponies & turn them out a bit more on their own.  Once students are fully capable of catching, brushing and saddling their horses on their own, they are ready to transition into a 1/2hr private or small group.

Students in 1/2hr privates & small groups (walk/trot)

These students are expected to arrive at least 30mins prior to their lesson to get their horses ready to meet in the ring for 5mins prior to the start of their lesson and then stay 15-30mins after their lesson to cool out and untack their horses.

Upon arrival, students can head to the tack room to grab all the equipment they need (brushes, bridle, girth, saddle and pad(s)) and then once they see me, can head into the paddock to catch their horse.  Taking them out of the paddock, tying them up at the hitching rail and going through all the brushes (curry, hard, soft, hoof pick-approx 15/20mins) Once they're done brushing, they can start to tack up (saddle first, then bridle) and aim to walk over to the ring about 5-10mins before their lesson start time.  Once they're in the ring and parked out of the way of the current lesson (I will direct them) they can start to tighten their girth and adjust their stirrup length.  Once they've gotten things the best they can, I'll come over for a quick double check and tighten and then send them &/or help them to mount.  Some students will be able to do some walking warm up (either in hand or mounted) before the start of their lesson while others may have to wait until the previous lesson is finished.  This depends on many factors such as; the riders and ponies involved, the students prior and what we are working on & yes, the grass level around the ring (Sherif & Ivy I'm looking at you!!)

After their lesson, students may be allowed to cool out on their own depending on the factors above.  They will all however, head back to the hitching rail to untack & brush their horses (15/20mins) on their own while I start the next lesson.  Students are also welcome to take their horses for a nice short (7mins) grass snack either under the tree or along the driveway to say "thank you" before turning them back out to the paddock and putting all their equipment away.  This puts their total barn time around 1.5hrs max estimate (3o before, 30min riding, 30 afterwards)  Please keep this in mind when booking your timeslots.  I know life is busy but the horses and I appreciate when students are not rushing in or out & can fully focus on the tasks at hand.  As per last newsletter re; drop offs/pick ups please make sure that parent/guardians are here to potentially supervise students while they tack up/untack.  I have done my very best with the schedule to ensure those needing supervision are scheduled into times where I am most commonly around however life happens and some days need to rush out to pick up Delilah or head to one of her activities.  I also have tried to ensure there is another handy volunteer on site during these times (usually the paddock cleaner) but please don't assume.  

Also note: I will NEVER leave a child on the property unsupervised.

Eventually these students will start to do more and more warm up & cool down on their own, giving them even more saddle time and helping them to be more independent riders.  Inevitably some challenges will arise and they may need a helping hand.  Catching horses, picking feet, lifting saddle and putting on bridles.  These students are ready for the challenge and are capable of working through most situations that may arise, however, that said, there's always someone around to lend a helping hand.  If students need a hand, they just need to call out to me in the ring, or ask our helpful paddock ladies who are always there to help, so just remind them they're welcome to ask for help when they need it.

Students who are cantering & jumping in their lessons

In order to get the most out of the lesson time, its important that the horses are adequately warmed up for the tasks they are going to be doing in their lessons.  This means 10mins of walk warm up (either in hand or mounted or a combo of both), as well as 10-15mins of trot warm up in both directions, multiple circles/patterns each way.  This is also a chance for riders to practice and feel some of the things we have been working on in our lessons.  Sometimes it's hard to really feel what's happening underneath us and how our horses respond when we are being taught so this time gives students a chance to "play" with some of the things they have been learning.  Such as positional changes, transitions, new patterns, lateral movements to name a few.  As long as the horse has had some walk/trot warm up and students feel safe & comfortable to do so, they are welcome to start to incorporate those pieces into their warm up (sticking to walk/trot)  If students need to have a canter prior to the start of their lesson, they will be informed.  As some students are just learning canter while others may be practicing cantering a course of jumps, the amount of warm up is a bit different for each horse and rider.  

These students are capable of knowing how long it takes to tack up and warm up and are to run the backwards math on what time they need to arrive for their lesson.  However 45mins early is a good guideline.  After the lesson, students may have the option of a cool out trail ride, or just cool out in the ring followed by a good proper brush. Again, the horses would love a few moments to graze under the tree or alongside the driveway before heading back to their paddocks.

Again, to note; I do my best to try to always be within shouting distance while students are getting ready and I will never ask a student on a lesson horse to warm up if I am not on the property.  That said, most of these lessons are scheduled around times where I might be on the property but doing other things and if I am out of earshot or need to disappear while they are tacking up/untacking, I will ask that students text me when the horse is away, when they're heading to the ring or once they have been picked up so I know they are safe.  As a small business owner with a family and farm to manage I do my very best to be present and focus on one thing at a time (meaning students, while they are here) thankfully today's technology helps us to balance some competing priorities (re: grumpy screaming Delilah, loose cows, sick horses) Students in this category of lesson are students who have been riding for many years and have developed a good horse sense and problem solving abilities to make smart, safe choices with their horses while not under direct supervision. They can ride without stirrups at the walk, trot and often canter, can ride a spook and can read a horse's body language and know when their horse is distracted.  These students may already own their own horse, be leasing one of mine or working towards doing so.

        Hopefully the above has helped everyone understand what it means for them to be "on time" because it's different for each student and will change as students build more skills throughout the season.  So please don't hesitate to ask if your not sure.  Also, as we are tight on time, if you have anything you need to discuss please take a moment to call or text ahead of time.  I'm happy to take time to answer all the questions however in between lessons or at the end of my day isnt always the best time.    Five mins here and there quickly add up and suddenly I am 20mins behind at the end of my day so please be mindful of other students lesson times (as well as Delilah's daycare)

Thanks so much guys! I am super pumped about this last leg of the spring season and looking forwards to our summer session.  I am hoping to host a few "days at the barn" over the next few months where anyone can join and we will have a horsey learning activity as well as some social time to visit and catch up  Because life is busy and horses are our way of connecting with ourselves and each other!