Horseback riding lessons are offered Tuesday and Thursday mornings at the ranch. They are taught by Hadley Fox, who is a CHA certified instructor. Hadley has had the great fortune of taking part in the Centered Riding Clinics, TTEAM training clinics, Reach Out to Horses clinics that are hosted at the ranch every year, and they have been an excellent source of continuing education for her.
The lessons are focused on improving the rider’s position to allow for comfortable, pain-free riding throughout the week at the ranch and helping riders master the skills of the posting trot and cantering in the two-point position, so that they can enjoy the diverse trails around the ranch at faster speeds. Hadley draws from her personal experiences of decades of horseback riding and showing and from the expertise of the many master clinicians she has worked with to create a positive learning environment in the arena. Students leave the lessons with improved skills and new confidence. Lessons are videotaped, so that students can watch themselves ride in the evenings and share the experience with family and friends.
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- Learning to canter safely.
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- Riding bridleless in a lesson
Lesson testimonials speak for themselves…
My husband, a novice, was given extra attention and after an amazing lesson with Hadley mastered the posting trot and two point position required by the ranch. After the second lesson, he was cantering and confident enough to do so on the trails. They actually saved a canter ride for him and several other novices! Hadley is very encouraging and professional. — Marie, New York
If you have the opportunity to take a riding lesson with Hadley DO IT! After 10 years of riding and bad habits, I had the best lesson ever with her on the second day I was there. Within 1 hour, she had corrected my form and given me tips that were priceless for the rest of the trip and I am proud to say that even after not being on a horse in over a year, I walked away from a week of riding with hardly any soreness thanks to the lesson I had on the second day. Other visitors didn’t do the lesson and were suffering pretty bad so in the best interest of your butt and knees if you want to do every ride (they do 2x a day) TAKE THE LESSON! — Aaron, Washington
Another great aspect is that the ranch offers riding lessons on Tuesday and Thursday, if a guest wishes to partake in them. They are instructed by Hadley – a wonderful woman who was basically raised alongside ponies/horses from the time she was born. She’s a gifted teacher and her lessons are always filled with encouragement, optimism, and gentle honesty. She can teach anyone – an 80 year old man, a 10 year old child, or me – a 30 year old woman. After the first lesson, I learned how to two-point canter when I had only ever sat the canter, and felt comfortable doing it all week! The lessons are also videotaped and fun to watch after dinner. — Jen, California
My daughter was particularly impressed with lessons offered, gratis, by Hadley, which gave her the confidence to try a canter ride. Thank You! — Linda, Virginia
