Cedar Ridge Farm

Cedar Ridge Farm Children's Horseback Riding Lesson Program Information

Competent instruction offered in both english and western disciplines. Do you want to learn how to pole bend, barrel race, flag race, jump, or ride dressage? We have the experience in these and other disciplines to teach you how as we incorporate these activities into your riding lessons. We make learning how to ride fun! We offer some of the best amenities in our area with an indoor arena with heated/air conditioned lounge area with viewing windows to indoor. We also have an outdoor dressage ring, outdoor sand arena, and a fenced jumping field.

Cedar Ridge Farm offers competent riding instruction in both western and english disciplines. We have been here giving children's riding lessons for 9 plus years. Riding lessons are given at several levels. We teach all around good horsemanship skills. All students are taught the basic safety rules to be followed when around horses, safely handling of their lesson horse from the ground, proper grooming, tacking and untacking of the horse, mounted lesson instruction, and the after lesson care of the horse. We incorporate fun activities into lessons that enhance a student's balance and control of their horse. We have our own great lesson horses or you may bring your own horse if we deem it safe and suitable for use in our lesson program. Safety is of the upmost importance to us so we do require appropriate riding attire: long pants, riding boots such as a western boot, paddock boot, or tall english riding boot with a distinct heel are required. Tennis shoes or boots with a big bulky sole, such as a hiking boot are not allowed for safety reasons. An ASTM/SEI 1163 or above safety certified horseback riding helmet is mandatory for all lesson students to be worn at all times when handling horses from the ground or when  mounted on horses during riding lessons. We provide helmets if students do not have their own. We recommend that a helmet be purchased by students for the best possible fit. All lesson students must have the farm's liability release form signed before lessons will be given, if a student is under the age of 18 a legal parent/guardian must sign the release form.

Lesson levels offered:

Beginner - This level is offered to children with little or no horse riding experience. Students are taught the basics of steering, stopping, balance at the walk while learning to use their seat and leg to communicate with their horse. When they have exhibited sufficient proficiency at these activities they are introduced to basic trot work. We strongly advice beginning lesson students to take beginner western lessons first before trying english lessons so as to have basic balance and control of their lesson horse first.

Advanced Beginner - This is offered to children who have had prior riding lesson experience and exhibits proficiency in balance and control at the walk and trot during their riding lesson activities. Basic canter work is introduced working on balance and control at this gait with eventual introduction of leads. English lesson students after exhibiting balance at the walk and trot are introduced to the posting trot. Students are taught the basic two point position and are lead over ground poles at the walk. After exhibiting proficiency they start trotting over ground poles. Lesson students are introduced to intro walk/trot dressage to enhance balance and control of their horses.

Beginning Intermediate - Lesson students at this level have shown proficiency in their balance, control, rider position at the walk/trot/canter and are aware of their horse's leads at the canter in their riding lesson activities. English lessons students are introduced to trotting over small 12", then 18" cross rails, and eventually over grids, then small courses. Training level dressage tests are introduced to enhance students' balance and control at the walk/trot/canter.

Intermediate - Lesson students at this level exhibited proficiency in their balance,  control, and rider position at the walk/trot/canter and are more consistent at getting the correct lead at the canter. Faster gaits are introduced in their riding lesson activities. English lesson students at this level are introduced to cantering over cross rails in grids, then small courses, working on changing leads as needed throughout the course. After exhibiting proficiency in this they are introduced to small verticals of 12" to 18", learning to canter grids, then small courses. Walking jump courses and figuring strides between jumps is introduced. Training level dressage tests continue to be worked on.

Advanced Intermediate - Lesson students at this level have shown proficiency in balance, control, good rider position at the walk/trot/canter/gallop in their riding lesson activities. They are consistent in getting the correct leads at canter and gallop. Lesson students at this level are asked to ride different types of lesson horses to learn to adjust their riding style to each horse as needed in different riding disciplines. English lesson students at this level are exhibiting proficiency in balance, control, with good rider position in their lesson activities and have become proficient at cantering 18" verticals in grids, and small courses, getting lead changes as needed throughout the course, and working on getting the correct number of strides between obstacles. These lesson students are introduced to cantering 2' verticals in grids, then small courses. As each student at this level gets proficient at one level they are introduced to the next level etc. Students at this level continue to ride through the different levels of the training level dressage tests.

Lessons are given by the session. Lessons are once a week for one hour each. Lessons are scheduled for each student for the same time and day each week. The schedule for each session is listed below:

Spring Session - starts first week of March and runs through the last week of May.

Summer Session - starts first week of June and runs through the last week of July.

Fall Session - starts the first week of August and runs through the last week of October.

Winter Session - starts the first week of November and runs through the last week of February. (Weather permitting.)

Please note our spring, summer, and fall sessions tend to fill up and run a waiting list so contacting us as soon as possible is important if interested in these sessions.

We also offer a weekend summer horse camp in June that is a good way to get introduced to our lesson program. An optional Fall Fun Show at the end of the fall session for currently enrolled lesson students is offered. This show is non-competitive and is for the lesson student to show off what they have learned in their lessons to family and friends. For more information on these activities look under the appropriate web pages listed on this site.

2010 Lesson Fees:

Private Lessons - (Very young children are given priority for private lessons. You will need to ask about availability.)

Using our lesson horse: $35. per lesson  

Using your own horse: $30. per lesson

Group Lessons - (No more than three students in a group.)

Using our lesson horse: $30. per lesson

Using your own horse: $25. per lesson

All lessons in sessions are paid for in advance on a monthly basis with payment due for the entire month's lessons at that month's first lesson unless another payment schedule has been approved in advance by farm owner/operator Sandy Dolan. We do reschedule missed lessons as long as we have been given 24 hour notice of the cancellation, we only make exceptions to this in special circumstances such as death in the family, unforseen emergencies, or illnesses. Frequent cancellation of lessons will result in termination of lessons. We do expect regular attendance of lesson students through out the lesson session they have enrolled in.

Payment methods accepted - Cash or approved check from local banks only. If a check bounces for a student's lesson you will be expected to pay in cash for the amount of the bounced check and all penalties resulting thereof before anymore lessons will be given.  We will then only accept cash payments for future lessons.

Contact us for more information.

Email: dlbrguy1@aol.com

Phone: (812) 923-6102