At Signature Stables, beginners get a solid foundation in hunt seat equitation and classical riding. Students can expect a pleasurable and safe learning experience from our personable staff and team of outstanding school horses. Our program is hands on, teaching riders to care for their horses and tack,learning to ride and having fun. We offer private and small group lessons for individual attention. More advanced students may lease a horse and begin to practice outside formal lessons, and can further enhance their skills by periodically participating in competitions. Riding Requirements Riders wishing to begin classes at Signature Stables must be a minimum of 5 years old and no more than 180lb. Riders wishing to ride in a group lesson must be able to safely and competently perform the following tasks: • Groom, saddle and bridle a horse under minimal supervision • Walk, trot, and maintain a two-point position in the trot
Students who are unable to meet these criteria will have to enroll in private/semi-private lessons until their instructor approves them for group lessons. We also offer an Early Rider Program for children ages 3-4 years old who are eager to begin classes.
Lesson Format Students are expected to arrive 20-30 minutes before their lesson time to catch their horse, groom and tack up. Students should be in the ring, mounted and ready to ride, at the scheduled start of their lesson. After the lesson, students are expected to properly cool out and groom their horse before putting them away. Students are also expected to clean their tack and put it away before leaving. Overall, it will take approximately 2 hours for a group riding lesson. Once students are deemed ready to jump, classes will alternate dressage and jumping. However, in the interest of the well being of the horses, lesson content will always be subject to the discretion of the instructor/riding school and in some instances a jumping lesson may need to be replaced by a dressage lesson (i.e. the day after a schooling show, extreme heat, etc.). Rider Turnout We suggest you put your name on all your riding equipment. All riders must have the following gear:
Correctly fitted ASTM helmet
Boots with a 1/2" - 1" heel
Long pants for riding (we suggest breeches or snug fitting track pants as loose pants and jeans can rub)
Gloves
We recommend riders wear paddock boots with half chaps or tall boots to prevents rubs. Rubber riding boots are not ideal as they do not bend well in the ankle. Long hair must be tied back. Payment All lessons must be paid for in advance (view lesson pricing here). If you would like to take advantage of the discounted rate offered by purchasing a lesson package, payment must be received by the first class of the session. If payment has not been received by the second lesson of the session, you will be charged the per lesson rate for all the lessons that session. Lesson packages are non-refundable and non-transferable. Lessons can be paid for by cash, check payable to “Signature Stables”, Visa, or MasterCard .