This year we’re offering an exclusive new Summer Skills Intensive Week to our lesson program riders! Much like sports camps that drill down on skill sets, for four days, we’ll focus on skills we aren’t always able to cover in our weekly lessons.

Piedmont Equine Clinic Tour! 

I’m so excited to announce that Dr. Hancock at Piedmont Equine is taking our Skills Week riders on a two hour tour of the Piedmont Equine Clinic. We’ll get a full tour of the facilities, learn about various procedures, maintenance, and surgeries provided to our equines.

In the Saddle Skills: 

• Try a skill you’ve never accomplished before, canter a few strides, jump bareback, jump a crossrail, jump a roll back, try a lead change, etc. With Jess’s approval for safety, the rider gets to pick what they would like to try!

• Practice following show ring announcements and discuss the sometimes tricky worded directions used at shows.  

• Ride a horse you’ve never ridden before - your rider may find a new favorite! 

• Learn how to ride in a group lesson setting.

• Trail rides in the pasture and on a new section of trail we’re clearing this spring.

Groundwork Skills:  

• Learn how to design a show jump course - we’ll discuss the components of and different types of jump courses. Riders will then design their own Hunter, Jumper, and Equitation jump courses as a group - which then the camp counselors and Jess will ride the next day!

• High level show grooming, bathing, clipping, braiding, and maintenance. This is also a career in this industry and there’s always a new technique to learn.  

• How to load a horse on a trailer. We’ll walk through the step-by-step process of securing a horse on a trailer and then safely exiting ourselves, followed by safely unloading. Camp counselors will show examples with some of our bomb-proof loaders. For the riders’ safety, we’ll practice with young riders pretending to be a hard-to-load horse and we’ll discuss how to troubleshoot.

• A day in the life of a horse farm. Your riders see their lesson horses about an hour a week - what are those ponies doing the rest of the time? We'll discuss how the farm operates on a daily, seasonally, and yearly basis and how we maintain a safe and healthy environment for these animals (hint - it's a lot of work!).

• How to do a standing (leg) wrap, polo wrap, and other medical care skills. This is an important skill for all equestrians to know to care for their horses. We’ll also discuss life-saving prescription medications to have on hand at the barn as well as to take to shows in case of an emergency. 

• Completely take apart and resemble tack - this is an essential skill for riders to have. We’ll review the tack pieces and assembly, practice, and then complete a team race to put it back together properly. 

• At the end of each day we’ll have a session called “You’re Doing It Wrong” where one of the counselors will practice the skills we’ve taught that day, but include errors which the riders will identify and correct. It’s a helpful and fun learning moment to summarize the day’s lesson.

• There will also be the traditional fun activities like arts and crafts, foot jumping, and lunch in the meadow. 

• There is no age limit on this week. If your rider does not have the knowledge listed above, this Skills Week is for them.

Skills Week is $350 per rider. Monday, June 2nd though Thursday, June 5th 8:30 AM - 1PM. Payment holds your spot. Register your rider below.