No, not to begin riding. However, for committed riders and those who have the goals of showing, purchasing your own horse is recommended, as our lesson horses are shared and have a cap on the level of riding they may be used for. We are happy to assist you in finding that special horse when the time comes.

What is the goal of horseback riding lessons?

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ONE HOUR PRIVATE LESSON

PERSON

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Gone, but never forgotten. 

Should I take private lessons or group?

$65

Taylor DesHotel 

What do riders do during riding lessons?

This is up to you. As with most sports, activities, etc., the expectations of improving in skill quickly with one hour of riding per week, may be unrealistic. The more hours in the saddle the better, but most of our riders take one to three lessons per week. If you feel like you or your child is not progressing fast enough, we encourage you to join a small group or take another lesson each week.

We require that riders wear long pants, leggings or breeches and a boot with a heel, for safety. No other gear is required. Please see our “Intro to Riding Gear” handout for taking your riding attire to the next level. Riding helmet rental is provided free of charge, although purchasing your own is recommended.

Harper Comer

GROUP LESSON 

Kiya Ross

"Cloud the Unicorn"

We offer mini lessons (30 minutes) for riders about 5 years and younger. It depends on the child’s particular attention span and their desire for riding. We love our adult riders as well, and it’s never too late to start the sport.

As a parent, what should I do during lessons?

meet our
​Lesson horses

Will we get to jump every lesson (if taking English lessons)?

Should I ride English or Western?

Is riding dangerous? What should I do if my rider falls off?

SEMI-PRIVATE LESSON 

Will I ride the same horse every lesson? Can I pick my own horse?

Lesson Program Info Request

In Loving Memory of: 

2002 - 2024

Although RH Equestrian trainers take every precaution to ensure the safety of our students and riders, horseback riding can still be a dangerous sport due to the unpredictable nature of horses. If your rider falls off, stay calm. If you would like to come comfort your rider, you are welcome. If all is well, we recommend getting back on the horse to finish the lesson.

$40/

We would love to help you get into the show ring. Only those who own their own horse or lease a lesson horse are secured a spot at a show, but we try our best to help all riders have an opportunity to compete. Please discuss with your trainer the best steps to work towards showing.

Bean Castaneda

$45/

How do I get into showing/competing?

Yes. Helmets are required when on a horse at RH Equestrian.

RH Equestrian
SHOW TEAM

PERSON

How old do you have to be to start lessons? Can I start lessons as an adult?

We teach the English and Western disciplines of: Hunters, Jumpers, Equitation, Dressage, Trail, Pleasure riding, Barrel racing, and more. 

How many lessons should I take per week?

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This is up to you, and you can definitely try both! The difference is in the style of saddle and the sports that are involved. We recommend starting with an English saddle if undecided, as the smaller saddle can allow the rider to develop a more balanced seat.

DO I NEED my own horse?

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No. If you are using a lesson horse, we must keep in mind how often they can be allowed to jump and still keep them physically well. Some lessons may be flat (no jumping) lessons, where we work on your equitation (rider’s position) and other important skills that will translate over to jumping successfully.

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Our lessons consist of approximately 15 minutes of getting the horse ready before riding and about 10 minutes of cool down/untacking horse after riding. Once rider is competent in getting their own horse and getting ready, they may come 15 minutes before their lesson to start this process. We teach all aspects of taking care of your horse as well as riding, to make a well-rounded equestrian. On the horse, we focus on a balanced, secure seat, mastering various skills that are the foundation of correct riding, and working towards achieving your personal goals.

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Emma Crawford

There are benefits to both. Private lessons can be helpful for complete beginners to get down the basics, or for specific training issues, and group lessons are great for camaraderie, learning from others/observing, and more. Our goal at RH Equestrian is for riders to transition to semi-private or group lessons with similar-skilled riders.

We emphasize the idea that learning how to ride horses is about learning how to ride all horses, not just one. Every horse has a lesson to teach you in progressing your horsemanship journey. Your trainer will select a horse for you for every lesson in order to teach a particular skill for that day. To secure the same horse for every lesson once the fundamentals of riding have been mastered, please look into our Lesson Horse Leasing Program.

FAQ

DO YOU NEED YOUR OWN HORSE?

​What gear do I need to start lessons at RH Equestrian?

Skyler Berkvens

Although riding and interacting with horses in itself is therapeutic, teaches patience, determination, and countless other skills, there are many different direction you can take with riding. We encourage our riders to discuss their riding goals with their trainers. This can include competitive riding and pushing yourself to higher levels, or to develop a deeper connection with nature, animals and yourself. Whatever your goal may be, we are here to support it.

We welcome our parents to watch and learn during lessons. It is helpful for parents to learn the basics of helping get a horse out of the pasture and put it up, and basic care, to assist in this process. Please feel free to discuss your thoughts with the trainer and the student after the lesson is completed in order to keep focus during lessons. We want our riders to be successful, and we welcome all input, comments, questions, and concerns about you or your child’s riding journey.

achieve goals
RIDING LESSONS

Do I have to wear a riding helmet?

Our lesson program at RH Equestrian is based on mastering the fundamentals of correct and safe riding in the English and Western disciplines, with a focus on show jumping and hunter/equitation style riding. In addition to learning in the saddle, we emphasize learning to care for the horse on the ground, as well as all aspects of horsemanship.

Our trainers have extensive teaching and competition experience in the disciplines of: hunters, jumpers, equitation, dressage, and western. They have trained with top trainers in the country and continually pursue education in the sport and setting and achieving new goals.

We have a limited amount of weekly lesson spots in our lesson program, and we would love to have you join us. We have carefully crafted six different package options to suit the goals of each rider, listed below! Package availability depends on skill level of rider and ability to pair with similar level.