WHAT YOU WILL LEARN FROM YOUR RIDING LESSONS

ENGLISH LESSONS By Level

YEAR 1
 Beginner (riders will)

• Learn general safety rules for being around horses.
• Learn riding/general vocabulary
• Learn how to groom, saddle, and bridle horse.
• Learn how to halter and lead a horse and lead horse with bridle.
• Learn how to mount and dismount safely.
• Learn how to make horse walk, stop, turn (left turn, right turn, circle,                       
• weaving through cones, tight turns /wide turns, walk over trot poles.)
• Begin trotting on lounge line or around the arena sitting and posting.

Beginner II (riders will)

• Continue to learn posting and sitting trot.
• Increases horse/riding vocabulary.
• Begin steering/trotting over trot poles at posting trot.
• Begin circling at trot.
• Learn serpentines, diagonals and figure 8s at walk.

YEAR 2-3
Beginner III (riders will)

• Become proficient at posting and sitting trot.
• Increase speed of serpentines, diagonals and figure 8s to trot.
• Increase horse/riding vocabulary and knowledge.
• Begin learning 2 point position around the ring.
• Trot in 2 point over poles while steering.
• Begins working on poles 6" off the ground.
• Begin learning how to canter.

Novice (riders will)

• Improve 2 point position safely keeps legs forward over pre/jumping exercises up to 6" off the ground.
• Learns about posing diagonals and can recognize and fix sometimes by "sitting twice."
• Learn about transitions up and down (ex walk to trot/ trot to halt.)
• Learn about using leg aids to steer.
• Become proficient at steering all patterns learned so far at trot.
• Begins working on poles 12" off the ground.

YEAR  2 - 4
Intermediate I (riders will)

• Improve knowledge of posting diagonals, can fix most of the time by looking.
• Increase to jumping 12”  high in a single jump or in a line of jumps.
• Continue to work on ring patterns, working on consistency
• Work on rein control and leg control
• Steering and control with legs and seat
• Work on recognizing canter leads
• Know and recognize posting diagonals
• Begin work in Light Seat, 2-point at trot and canter.

YEAR 3 - 5
Intermediate II (riders will)

• Safely sits the trot with no stirrups.
• Can canter in deep seat positing and in 2 point position.
• Learn how to jump 18” at trot, 12" at the canter.
• Can feel for diagonals and leads (diagonals without looking) - can fix easily if wrong.
• Can canter circles, serpentines, know and properly execute figure 8s and diagonals.
• Beings rounding horse onto bit, understands “feel” of mouth.
• Recognize canter leads.  Know cues for canter, know how to save a canter when horse is “dying,” proficient at steering while cantering.
• Proficiency of correct diagonals can “feel” movement and effective smooth transitions.
• Able to canter around the ring at least 2 times and can safely pass and turn tight when needed.
• Know how to take apart oil and put tack back together.
• Begins jumping 2'

YEAR 4 - 7
Intermediate III (riders will)

• Safely canters with no stirrups when needed.
• Tacks completely independently.
• Learn how to canter to jumps by counting strides up to 18” high.
• Solid Course work.
• Begins leg yielding.
• Knows half seat, light seat, full seat, and deep seat and can use them at will.
• Learns turn on forehand / turn on haunches.
• Start out of arena work.
• Works on improving jumping 2'

YEAR 5 - 10
Intermediate IV (riders will)      

• Develop an eye for distances judges jumps correctly up to 2’
• Can jump in and outs, doubles, triples, oxers, barrels.
• Starts flying lead changes.
• Waits for horse’s response instead of using force/ offers release of pressure for correct response in training.
• Begins assisting with teaching and instruction, uses caution in instruction.
• Can ride horse in pasture, field, and on trail with control and ease.

YEAR 6 -12
Advanced Intermediate (riders will)

• Can ride any school horse and young horses in training. 
• Understands concepts of least amount of pressure in training.
• Knows and uses collection, extension, leg yielding.
• A master of all horse skills in past levels.
• A proficient elementary teacher and trainer of horse and rider.

Advanced

• A master in a chosen riding discipline