RIDING LESSONS
Meadowbrook offers group lessons on a year-round basis. We are not able to offer private lessons, introductory lessons, trail rides, or birthday parties.
Group lessons are offered in the following programs:
September-May: School Year Lesson Program (ages 6 and up; Adult riders welcome!)
June-August: Summer Lesson Program (ages 6 and up; Adult riders welcome!)
*Please Note: our programs and facility are not equipped to accommodate riders with Special Needs.
Summer Lesson Program
Summer lesson registration and applications for 2023 will begin on April 17th. School Year program applications are linked in the next section!
The 2023 Summer Lesson Program schedule and set up will be posted in early April 2024.
Summer lessons run from the end of May -August. We will be offering Young Horsemanship and Junior Short Stirrup lessons this summer, as well as our regular training levels. All lessons, except the YHP and JSS lessons, involve a total time committment of 2 hours. YHP and JSS riders will have a time committment of 1 hour and do not need to groom and tack their own horses. They should still bring their own grooming kit. All other levels are expected to groom and tack prior to their class and care for their horse post-lesson. Riders must bring their own riding gear and a complete grooming kit.
All new students must submit an application prior to class placement.
Summer lesson schedule will be posted here once finalized for the upcoming summer along with an information packet!
Levels offered during summer:
Typically, the following levels are offered. More specifics will be available once the schedule is released in March. All levels are ages 6 and up. Beginner classes will be available for direct enrollment. For all other levels that require evaluations, Lesson Applications will be available when registration opens. Please see the dates posted below.
- Flatwork Studies
- Young Horsemanship (YHP)
- Junior Short Stirrup (JSS)
- Walk-Trot
- Walk-Trot-Canter
- Long Stirrup Walk-Trot-Canter
- Fundamentals of Jumping (Fund)
- Novice Jumping (Nov) – ages 13+. Adult classes available (Nov Adult).
- Intermediate Jumping (Int) – ages 14+. Adult classes available (Int Adult).
- Open Jumping (Open) – ages 14+. Adult classes available (Open Adult).
See our Level Descriptions below for more details on time committments, age limitations, and more.
School Year Program
School Year Lessons will be taking new student applications in late July or early August. Please sign up for the newsletter to be notified of our next registraiton period.
Our 2023-2024 School year program is currently full. Please follow the link below labled (“Lesson Waitlist”) to fill out our waiting list form.
Our School Year Program runs from September-May and is open to riders age 6-adult.
The School Year Program includes 1 weekly group lesson of up to 6 riders depending upon the level. Lessons are scheduled at a set day and time for the full duration of the program, a total of 32 lessons. Riders may enroll in more than one class when registering if space allows. Time committments for our lessons are between 1-2 hours, depending on the level.
Our 2023 School Year Program information is available now including the tentative lesson scheddule and the information packet. PLEASE NOTE registration periods are posted under “REGISTRATION PERIODS” below.
New riders who are interested in joining the School Year Lesson Program are strongly encouraged to apply for summer camps (ages 6-13) or lessons (ages 13+) as age appropriate.
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Summer Campers who apply for the School Year Program will be evaluated in their first week of camp and sent their recommended lesson level at the end of their first camp week.
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Summer Lesson Students will be sent their recommended level for the School Year Program when we open to summer students based on their summer level eval.
Our School Year Program offers all levels listed below. Only Young Horsemanship (ages 6-9) and Beginner (ages 13+) classes are available for direct enrollment. For all levels that require evaluations or screenings, lesson applications will be available when registration opens. See dates posted below.
- Young Horsemanship (YHP) – ages 6-9.
- Junior Short Stirrup (JSS) – ages 8-11, screening, application..
- Start Canter (St.C)- ages 9-11
- Walk-Trot (SS WT) – ages 9-12..
- Walk-Trot-Canter (SS WTC) – ages 9+.
- Fundamentals of Jumping (Fund) – ages 9+. Adult classes available (Fund Adult).
- Novice Jumping (Nov) – ages 12+. Adult classes available. (Nov Adult)
- Intermediate Jumping (Int) – ages 14+. Adult classes available (Int Adult).
- Open Jumping (Open) – ages 14+. Adult classes available (Open Adult).
See our Level Descriptions below for more details on time committments, age limitations, and more.
2023-2024 School Year Program Pricing: Total tuition cost: $3,751.20. If installment plan is chosen, total is $3,901.20. If paying by check, the total tuition cost is $3,600. Please make the office aware of your choice to pay by check. A non-refundable deposit of $650 is due at registration. There is no charge to join a waitlist.
Registration Periods
Currently enrolled students will receive email invitations to register for upcoming programs. New or alumni students will also receive an email invitation if they have signed up for our newsletter email list. Sign up for updates today!
2023 Summer Lesson Registration Periods:
Summer lesson applications and registration will open on April 17th, 2024 at 11:30am.
2023-2024 School Year Lesson Registration Periods:
- New Students – Applications will open for all levels in late July or early August. Sign up for our newsletter to receive details and the link in your inbox.
PROGRAM & LEVEL DESCRIPTIONS
PROGRAM DESCRIPTIONS
For additional details and specific level objectives, see our “Lesson Level Objectives” linked below.
Young Riders Levels (ages 6-11) - only available during School Year Program
Young Horsemanship (YHP) – Allows for the maximum supervision, safety, and riding time for our younger equestrians. Lessons consist six students taught by one instructor and one assistant; a half-hour of riding instruction and a half-hour of in barn horsemanship instruction. Please be aware that with new young riders it takes time to get them back and forth to the ring and time to mount their horses. Riders ages 6-9 who are new to our program are entered in this program. Not available during summer (June-August). Our Mini Camps (ages 6-9) are available to this level during the summer.
Short & Long Stirrup Levels (ages 9-Adult) - level availability may vary between School Year and Summer programs. See schedules (once posted) for more details.
SHORT STIRRUP = Ages 9 to 12, abbreviated as “SS” before lesson level.
LONG STIRRUP = Ages 13 to Adult, abbreviated as “LS” before lesson level.
Allows riders the needed time and help in the barn. Riders should arrive 1/2 hour before the lesson and expect to stay 1/2 hour afterwards to groom and care for their horses; a total of a two hour time commitment. There is an assistant in the barn to help these riders, but part of the lesson is the horsemanship in preparing for a lesson. Riders initially may end up taking longer to get to the ring and have to end riding earlier to ensure proper care for the horses, but this time will decrease with each lesson.
Beginner (Beg)- Long Stirrup only. For riders ages 13+ who are new to riding altogether.
Walk/Trot 1 & 2 (WT1 and WT2)- Short/Long Stirrup available. For riders ages 9+ who are new to riding in a group of 4-5 horses. WT2 is designed for riders who have been riding in a Walk-Trot level for at least 1 year.
Start Canter (St C)- Short/Long Stirrup available. For riders ages 9+ who can ride in a group confidently and are working on learning how to canter.
Walk/Trot/Canter 1 & 2 (WTC1 and WTC2)- Short/Long Stirrup available. For riders ages 9+ who are working on their cantering skills. WTC2 is designed for riders who have been riding in a Walk-Trot-Canter level for at least 1 year.
Training Level Program (ages 12-Adult) - All levels available in School Year and Summer programs.
For students advancing in the theory and practicum of riding. These riders should need little to no help in the barn. The average student teacher ratio is 5 students to one teacher. All riders should expect to come 1/2 hour before and stay 1/2 hour after each lesson to properly care for their horses and tack: a total of a two hour time commitment.
Fundamentals of Jumping 1 & 2 (Fund1 and Fund2)- For riders over the age of 12 who are working on the basics of jumping. Adult classes available.
Novice Jumping 1 & 2 (Nov1 and Nov2)- For riders age 12+ who are working confidently over 2 jumps and ready to advance their skills. Adult classes available.
Intermediate Jumping 1 & 2 (Int1 & Int2) – For riders who are working over a course of jumps and are ready to advance their skills. Instructor’s recommendation required. Riders must be riding at least twice a week at this level (in group lessons, team practices, privates, etc. Adult classes available.
Open Jumping (Open) – For riders age 12+ who are working over complex jump courses and working toward horse show goals. Head Trainer recommendation required. Riders must be riding at least twice a week at this level (in group lessons, team practices, privates, etc. Adult classes available.
LESSON PROGRAM FAQ
- What is the age requirement? All riders must be at least 6 years old at the start of their riding with us. Summer lessons are limited to riders age 13+ due to the levels offered. Riders age 6-12 may join camp programs durng the summer!
- Do I need special equipment? Yes, all riders must bring their own riding gear. Find out what is required here.
- Can I schedule a private lesson? We are not able to offer private lessons.
- Are Adult-Only lessons available? Both our Summer and School Year programs have adult riders! Our “Long Stirrup” classes are limited to riders age 13+. This type of class is where most beginner adults start with us. Adult riders who have experience jumping may apply for our Adult Fundamentals, Novice, Intermediate, or Open levels. See our level descriptions above.
- What times are available? For the School Year program, lessons are offered Tue-Fri between 3-8pm and Sat-Sun between 9am-3pm. For the Summer program, lessons are offered Tue-Fri 3-8pm and Sat 10am-2pm. Tentative schedules will be posted under the program section above once finalized for the upcoming program!
- What level do I qualify for? That depends on the program, the rider’s age, and prior experience. See our level descriptions for estimates. Remember, new students wishing to enroll in levels other than Young Horsemanship and Beginner will need to submit a lesson application once registration opens to new students!
- Are there any smaller packages available? Summer lesson packages usually include 6-8 lessons depending on our schedule. See details about the upcoming summer program above. School Year Lesson program includes 32-35 lessons depending on the schedule. See details about the upcoming school year program above.
Don’t see your question listed above? Click HERE. And be sure to read our program policies page to learn more about the programs we offer.