Wildwind Equestrian Center

Teenagers and Adult beginners start by telling me about their personal riding goals, after getting to know them a little we usually decide together on which type of class they will start in, group or private lessons.

The younger students and their parents decide the best lesson type based on the child's tememperment, age and physical ability.

The first day for everyone, is getting introduced to the horses/ponies, saftey rules, and getting on their horse or pony for the first time.  The first time on the horse they concentrate on how it feels to walk with the rythem of the horse. Their shown how to stop, go, and  stear their horse.  

From their I just try to make them feel relaxed and get to know them a little while their riding for the first time. 

I am the owner and one of the instructor/trainers in the barn, I have over 40 years experience teaching children and adults at all levels of english riding.  I have also trained horses for more than 40 years for both pleasure and show. I believe students learn responsibility, and respect while learning about horses and how to care for them, as part of their riding.  I have taught just about every type of rider their is, including a certification as a therapeutic riding instructor.

We have 4 other instructors in the barn each has their own skill set, to serve all our riders.  We have a number of different programs, including a show team, training for Middle and High school equestrian teams,  Tiny Tots who are 4-6 years old, and a program for Senior Citizen.

We also offer mini-clinics, fun nights, practice riding, leasing, horse training, boarding and sales 

Our group lessons are sold in packages, the package you choose determines the cost.  The average cost is $35.00 per hour.  

Private lessons are also purchased in packages, individual private lessons are $45.00 per half hour.

Their are lesson discounts available for buying a larger number of lessons at one time, special programs we offer, or if a family has more than one rider.  Their is also a lesson discount for boarders who ride their own horse in class.

Each of our instructors is different.  I started riding when I was about 9 and just never got off the horse.  It was a process of many years of riding, and learning from different trainers and teachers, then continuing to lean all the time and never thinking you know everything.  Because with horses you never know everything.  I attended Merdith Mannor now a famous riding college which was one of the only riding schools in the country when I was young.

I have also been a certified therapy riding instructor for almost 30 years, which taught me how to use the horse as a tool to help people with disiblities. Breaking down different movements made by both the horse and rider to work with disabled students greatly expanded my teaching abilities especially with beginners.    

I have worked with students of all ages and riding levels.  From first day beginners both children and adults.  I work with many riders who are now adults that rode when they were children and come back to something they loved.

I have trained both pleasure and show riders in both hunter/jumper and dressage.  My youngest student was 18 months old and in our therapy program and my oldest student was well into their 80's and still enjoying riding.  

I've also coached Middle and High School Equestrian teams, drill teams for teens and adults, worked developing and teaching an inner city youth program.  I would say I am very well rounded in teaching all types of students.   

I was just a week ago when I helped a new young rider groom and saddle her horse.  I helped her lead Jelly the pony she would ride out to the ring and get on for her first lesson.  The grin on her face was from ear to ear.  I wiped the tears away from my eyes as I watched.   

The young girls grandmother was one of the very special people I have had the pleasure of getting to know because of the horses.  She loved our barn and the wonderful people here and the horses were one of the last joys of her life.

On one special day we took Jelly to visit the grandmother in the subdivision where she lived.  Jelly walked out of the horse trailer knowing she was their for a special reason. Jelly just somehow new to stand very still and bend her head down, and a slightly shaking hand reached up and petted Jelly's soft muzzle as long as she could. She had wanted to feel the soft love of a horse one last time.  She was to weak to go to the barn so we took Jelly to her. It was the last time I saw her beautiful smile.

My friend died a few days later, and the gazebbo in front of our riding ring was built in her honor,  Now her granddaughterwas here with Jelly taking her first lesson.  We all felt like her grandmother was their watching her grand daughters first lesson.  Just like the last time Jelly knew today she was doing a special job, And she was a perfect pony the entire lesson.  I looked at the little girl riding Jelly and it made me smile thru my tears.

I hope you understand why this is a fond memory not a sad one.

If you or the parents know nothing about horses it is sometimes hard to know what you need, so use common sence.

A barn does not have to be fancy and cost a million bucks to have good instructors.  For beginners it needs to be safe, have quality insructors who really like to teach beginners, and have safe beginner horses.  Many times you need instructors with better people skills to work with beginners.

The personility of a beginner instructor is important, are they fun, do they explain things well, do they show you how to do things, or do they stand in the middle of the ring and yell. Watch a class, talk to the students and parents of that teacher.

Higher level riders should look for an instructor with more advanced riding knowledge and teaching skills, again watch them teach a class class.  Are the students working hard, are they getting yelled at all the time or do they get praised when they do something correct.

 You need the best instructor for the level of rider you are.  A first day beginner rider won't do well with an olympic instructor, because they most likely don't teach beginners.  

Is the Instructor safe,  do the riders have helmets on.  Do the horses look well cared for.  Having muddy legs might not look pretty but it dosent mean the horse is uncared for. Is the horse so skinny you can see it's ribs, is it limping, does it have a snotty nose, these are signs of a uncared for animal 

With learning to ride it is very important to know about the training and disposition of the horses.  How well are the beginner horses trained, are their higher level horses to assure you continue to learn as you get better.  

What type of lessons dose the teacher usually teach.  For example if your taking group lessons, is the teacher used to working with a group or have they been teaching all private lessons. 

What is the riders physical fitness level, you may need to discuss the length of your lesson if your not in good shape.

Think about why you want to ride, if the answer is because you love horses and want to learn how to ride and care for them and you know it's hard work, any teacher should be glad to have you for a student.