This is our new horsemanship program, inspired by the belief that there is more to the horse-human experience than riding. The lessons will be at our facility in Pittsboro, NC. *This is in the pilot stage, so the first group of students pay introductory rates.
This program is for beginners with no horsemanship experience and active equestrians who want to deepen & broaden their knowledge and possibly challenge their perspective on what a horse truly is.
INTRO – Students with Very Little to No Horse Experience
- Have you been interested in horses but just didn’t think riding was the right activity for you?
- Are you looking for a new activity / hobby to get you outside and moving?
- Do you love animals?
- Did you know riding isn’t the only activity that gives meaning to the word “Horsemanship” or being an “Equestrian”?
“INTRODUCTION TO HORSES” SHORT COURSE
This 4-week hands-on course will teach the most basic knowledge about being around & handling friendly horses in a safe environment through the lens that horses are prey animals and herd animals. This will be the starting point for the ongoing program if you have no prior horsemanship experience.
- 1-4 students: classes will be between 1 hr to 1 hr 30 min long.
- $80 for the 4-week program.
- By the end, you will know;
- How to safely approach and connect with a horse (catch a horse).
- What a halter & lead rope are and how to put them on a horse.
- How to lead / walk a horse, and some common problems.
- How to tie a horse and work around a tied horse.
- A Basic grooming routine and observing the horse’s response to your activity.
Main Course for Former & Currently Active Equestrians
(Including “Intro To Horses” Graduates!)
- Have physical or emotional concerns stopped you from riding, but you miss being around horses?
- Do you want a deeper understanding of horse-human relationships that might lead to a better experience if you do ride?
- Are you willing to challenge your perspective and mindset about what a horse truly is?
- Would working with skilled horses and learning in bite-sized chunks give you confidence?
- Do you crave social learning experiences?
We are open to taking this program as far as its participants are willing to go, to explore the depths of the horse-human relationship.
This group course will cover:
Horsemanship 101
Experiment with how to effectively communicate with horses for everything you might have to do to them (grooming, daily handling, vet & hoof care) and everything you might want to do with them (hiking, exercising, obstacle course, lunging).
Horsemanship 101 would be any activity in which you would have a halter & lead rope on the horse that physically links you together.
Equine Ethology
Investigating how horses and ponies have evolved to live and behave is going to be an important theme. Understanding equine nature will help us work with equines in effective and safe ways while creating good relationships. Topics will include brain and nervous system science.
Liberty
Once you have an understanding of how equines think and behave, and you start getting proficient at your “horsemanship 101” skills, experience liberty work! Working without equipment is a way to test the skills, knowledge, and feel between equine and handler. Compare horse liberty work to working with a dog without a leash.
Stable Management
This topic includes care aspects such as feeding principles, regular health care provided by owners and veterinarians, hoof care, sickness, wound & injury care and prevention.
Socializing & Learning
The program’s goal is to explore the bonds between humans and horses. However, it’s also an opportunity for like-minded people to connect.
Teaching & Learning Styles
- Combinations of visual / audio information will be used, including videos, slide show presentations, print-outs and talking / short lectures.
- Real-life examples with instructors & horses.
- Hands-on experience with our horses & ponies.
- Videoing your performance with the horses for your private review later.
- We’ll also be building a journal / workbook that gets add-ons with most classes.
- Access to an online version of the course if you miss an in-person class or to review later!
Other learning & bonding experiences we can explore as a group are;
- Having a book club.
- Outings and field trips.
- Friendly competitive challenges.
- Bringing in subject experts for special sessions.
WHO
For people ages 18 and older who might not be interested in riding for various reasons. We are happy to start groups for friends, or groups based on age or physical abilities, or for horse owners vs beginners. *We want this experience to be accessible to as many people as possible.
Please note * While we are willing to form class groups for similarly aged or abled people, this is not meant to be a class suitable for people seeking therapy value equine services (emotional / cognitive / physical therapy). Participants should be cleared for reasonable physical activities and able to process the learning material.
Where / Facility
Our farm in Pittsboro.
We have a fully enclosed indoor arena / barn with plenty of seating, a TV, and a bathroom.
We also have plenty of space outdoors, including a fenced arena, a round pen, and walking paths.
COST
Group classes, **2 – 5 people (one equine per human) = *$30.00 per session
LENGTH OF CLASS
- **1 person = Private Lesson 1 hr / $40 (see more info)
- 2 people = 1 hr 30 min
- 3 people = 1 hour 45 min
- 4 people = 2 hrs
- 5 people = 2 hrs 15 min
SCHEDULE
Possible days & times:
- Every Saturday, early-mid afternoon
- Every other Saturday, early-mid afternoon
- 1 Sunday per month, early-mid afternoon
- Wednesday evenings, 6 pm
- A week day / day time hours
*NO STUDENT HORSES / HAULING-IN
- Please understand that without knowing the horse that is hauled-in, various behavior issues might disrupt the general class lesson plan for the day.
- We know how our horses behave together in the smaller space of our indoor arena, and adding strange horses might change that dynamic.
*In the future, we may create classes specifically for horse owners to haul-in, but we are not there yet. 🙂
WHAT ELSE?
- You’ll need shoes that are comfortable to walk around on varied terrain & sturdy enough to protect your feet.
- Weather appropriate clothing.
- It is common practice to wear a safety helmet while riding. This will not be required for these classes, but anyone who wants to wear a safety helmet is welcome to bring one to wear without judgement.
- A curious mindset! There is no winning or losing here, only learning.
WHEN
Small group classes are forming now. Please use our Google Survey Form to get on the list for new classes:
- People with previous & current horse experience: https://forms.gle/3SbuY2KxbfVu2EFU7
- People who have no previous (very little or long ago) experience with horses and want to do the jump-start “Short Course”:
https://forms.gle/kjHiEW1vz1qzL7VNA - OR contact us if you are interested in creating a class for your private group only.
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For more inspiration on what is possible beyond “riding on the back” of our equine companions, check out these resources:
- Making a Difference / Personal Development
Andrea Wady and Elsa Sinclair acquired two horses that were failed by humans, throw-away horses, and had a journey that changed all of their lives.