Mountain Horse School offers private lessons and group riding + horsemanship classes. We use english style tack, but integrate insights and techniques from across all disciplines to provide an environment where we're led by the students' enthusiasm, interests and confidence. From riders looking for a first experience with a horse to more seasoned horsemen/women looking to further their awareness and connection with their mounts, let us guide you to something unforgettable. 

Our way of teaching adapts to follow the needs of students and horses moment by moment, in a warm, nurturing environment where presence, coherence, and intention guide our experience. Your lesson begins the moment you arrive a the barn which includes greeting, catching, and getting your horse ready to ride. This helps us learn equine body language, behaviour and psychology, and gives our nervous systems and psyches time to settle and come into resonance with our horses. Think of this important preparatory time as the opening ceremony for your ride. 

The kids' group class series gives your child a 2hr lesson each week for 4- 8 classes, depending on the semester you are booking. Any new students wishing to register for any class other than Beginner need to take a 1 hour private lesson for assessment purposes. 

The classes are grouped into the following levels: 

BEGINNER: Riders who've never been on a horse or need more experience and time to develop their confidence and steering. This stage is all about learning to relax and enjoy the experience and magic of riding, as well as learning body language cues that help us know what our horses are thinking and feeling. At this level we spend a lot of time on the ground learning to be comfortable approaching, catching, leading, grooming and tacking up our horses. 

INTERMEDIATE: Riders who are comfortable at a rising trot without assistance and are able to guide their horses with quiet hands. This stage is all about putting in the miles until it becomes easy. Riders will build a foundation to be comfortable and balanced following the horse over varying terrain (including hills). Those who are ready can start to practice simple canter transitions. At this level, riders are starting to be comfortable catching and grooming their horses with little assistance, but may need more support tacking up as it takes a lot of practice to get the little details right.

ADVANCED: An Advanced rider is stable and confident in riding simple canter transitions, and is beginning to work on jumping technique over cross-rails. This is the stage where we start to grow our awareness of how the horse is moving under us and how to shape their body so they can be more comfortable carrying us. We'll introduce bending, laterals, and impulsion as baby steps for starting to understand what it means for a horse to soften and come onto the bit. At this level, riders should be able to confidently catch and get their horses ready without assistance.