R I D I N G
L E S S O N S & H O R S E M A N S H I P
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If You Have
Always Dreamed of Learning to Ride... Learning to ride is a great way to build balance, coordination, flexibility, muscle strength, and self confidence. It is also a great way to have fun and make friends! Can you beat that??
We are also the host facility for the University of Illinois Western Equestrian Team and are very proud to be part of this outstanding team! Our lesson horses are experienced & gentle and our instructors are patient & knowledgeable. Our goal is to provide a safe, educational & fun experience for all our students! If you are uncertain which type of lesson would be most suitable to your riding goals, please contact us to discuss our many options or try one and see how it goes, you can always change your mind later!
Riding and Horsemanship Lessons: Our Riding Lesson and Horsemanship program is built around the belief that there is more to learning to ride than just learning to sit on a horse. The lessons are broken down into two parts and include horsemanship skills. Lessons are an hour long, with the first part taking place in the barn where students groom, saddle and bridle their mounts. Younger students can also complete workbook pages, if desired. We also discuss horse safety, communication, both verbal & non-verbal and teamwork between the horse and rider.
These lessons, previously offered only as semi-private lessons, can now also be taken as private lessons. We recommend that beginners start with private lessons until they are comfortable steering at the trot. At this point, the student can be moved into a semi-private lesson with one other student of the same ability, and when possible, the same age. The semi-private lesson is $30 for the hour, and the private lesson is $40.
Riding Only: If you are not interested in our horsemanship program or already know how to groom & tack a horse, we offer 30 minute private lessons (one student per instructor). Your horse will be ready for you when you arrive so you can get right down to learning or improving your riding technique. These lessons are $30.
Riders can start as
young as 2 years old, however, for safety reasons, the decision
whether or not a child is ready is based solely upon the discretion
of the instructor. Skills the instructor will look for in making the
decision if a child is ready are: Young children may be recommended for the half hour private riding only lesson instead of the hour long horsemanship lesson. This enables the child to still have the experience of riding without needing the attention span required for a longer lesson. No one is too old to learn to ride!
Most students ride once a week, but if you are unable to come that often or would prefer to ride more often, this is usually possible.
30 minute Private Lesson
For more information please contact Bonnie Stanton at (217) 684 5400. For a tour of our barn please call in advance and click here to get directions. |
Stanton
Stables offers a wide variety of lesson types; Private,
Semi-Private, English, Western & our Horsemanship program. We have
an option for everyone! One of our special programs, which we are
especially proud to host, is our Therapeutic Riding Program
coordinated with the Champaign-Urbana Parks Department, Special
Recreation. We are pleased to donate our facility and horses to this
fine program. We want everyone to experience the joy and special bond
which can only be felt between a horse & rider.
The
second part takes place in the arena where the students ride for
about half an hour. The students then go back to the barn, untack
their horse and return him to his stall.
How
Often?
