Riding Lessons- prices below

We are located 9 miles South of Allegan or 7 miles North of Gobles, approximately half way between Allegan & Gobles.  We raise Paints & Quarter Horses as well as teach lessons, all through Natural Horsemanship methods.We have both indoor & outdoor arenas and teach Riding Lessons/Coach, however don’t rent horses by the hour for trail riding.

My insurance mandates and my goal for students is that people learn to groom/saddle/bridle and become "Saavy" with the horse on the ground as well as mounted, much the same as you'd learn to ride a bike / motorcycle, or snow ski. The true horseperson should come to appreciate a "relationship" with a horse, learning to master both ownership care techniques as well as deal with (through "horse speak" and body language) a 800 to 1200 pound animal. Once this is mastered,  the horseperson can deal with most any situation that may arise in the arena or on the trail. 

The lessons are 1 hour in length and I am currently teaching Western/Stock Seat at my farm at this time. I will teach Western or English Lessons at your Farm providing you have a horse, for an additional “trip charge” for my expense in travel. I teach grooming, saddling, bridling, and ownership care, as well as the mounted riding portion of the lesson.<o:p></o:p>

 Most of the lessons are private or semi-private; however I do teach group lessons if carpooling, or scheduling issues arise, or you wish to have me coach a 4-H or Youth group (of which I give a discount for the larger group).<o:p></o:p>

<o:p> </o:p>Prices are :<o:p></o:p>

 $20/hour per student Private,

 $18/hour per student Semi private (2 in class), <o:p></o:p>

<o:p> </o:p>I do ask that all students wear long pants of some type, a heeled boot, and some type of protective head gear. I have a few riding helmets here to use until you can obtain one of your own. We also require that a “liability release” form be signed, and if the student is not over 18, this must be signed by a legal guardian if not the parent. We would appreciate if you could arrive about 15 minutes early to the first lesson so this can be signed.<o:p></o:p>

<o:p> </o:p>We have several very gentle Quarter Horse and Paint mares that I use for lessons here at my farm. I hold a Certification as an Instructor, and have 30+ years experienceas a 4-H leader. I also spent 16 years as a 4-H and Open Horseshow Judge, so I am well versed with Children, Beginner Riders, and Horses in Riding Instruction. My personal riding background also includes Gymkhana, Dressage, Hunter Jumper work, and Western Reining, and Rodeo events—so after the students learn their basics in the arena, and some on the trail, I usually take their interest to a higher level through these areas.

 

Boarding - $150/ mo.

 

We try to hold 3-5 openings for boarders most of the time. We strive to have boarders who are "Regular visitors" to thier horse, thus it is our policy to "pasture board" all the boarders horses as we do our own. This is a more natural method of horsekeeping. Horses are natural "foragers" and eat 24 / 7 / 365  in their natural environment, thus they stay healthier then when given 2-3 "meals" a day, with limited time to eat. Horses in the open environment also build natural immunity to infections and diseases, as well as a thick winter coat-protecting them from winters cold temperatures. Horses at our farm run free in 20+ acres of pasture in summer with an auto-filled water tank. In winter we provide 800# round bales, and a heated water tank all winter. Our own along with the boarded horses are out in the pasture all of the time and have access to shelter / round bales or pasture / and open water at all times. This also means that we do not feed grain to yours or our horses, and if you desire them to have grain or suppliments, you must bring your own grain/suppliments and come out daily and feed it.

The indoor and outdoor lighted arena is available for boarders use except when a lesson is in session. We do have alot of riding space on the dirt roadways around the farm as well as a round pen for those who are training their animals.

<o:p></o:p>

Our farrier comes every month, our Veterinarian is out in the spring for shots, and our Equine Dentist does a visit in the fall. Boarders are required to pay for (in advance) these services on thier own. We do occasionaly take camping trips or trips to fun shows and other outings with the horses, of which we sign boarders up who would like to go alone. We charge a small fee for transport, according to the distance of the trip. The 4-H group is an option for youth learning with Parental support. Come join us for life and learning-riding and fun. Someone's always riding here-won't you come join us??

Training Consults (Coaching) - $20/ hr.

If you'd like help training your horse, we can do that too. With years of experience in raising foals, training horses, and re-training problem horses, we can watch to see the problems while your training/riding/showing and offer suggestions or show you a better way. Our training methods are all "Natural Horsemanship Methods"-meaning we use the non-agressive approach and methods the horse understands via his own background and body language.

Horse Transport - Price is determined by the trip distance.

We have an easy loading stock trailer, and can haul local or long distance, Class A-CDL truck driver is available. If you need to sell your horse, we can arrange a load to the auction sale too.