Lesson Program
Here you will find all needed information out our lesson program!
DREAM. BElieve. Achieve.
To Schedule or Reschedule Lessons Online, Please click HERE (COMING SOON)
At Meadowdale Farms/Meadowdale Performance Horses, we offer group, semi-private, and private riding lessons for riders of all ages and experience levels, from beginner through advanced.Our program specializes in APHA/AQHA All-Around events and Hunter/Jumper, with every horse and rider benefiting from a strong foundation in dressage principles. We believe that becoming a great rider starts with becoming a great horseman, which is why horsemanship and horse care are an important part of every lesson.
Private Lessons
Private lessons are ideal for: First-time riders, Riders who benefit from one-on-one instruction, Working through specific challenges, Riders wanting extra jumping instruction, Students preparing to show or advance more quickly
Our private lessons include one hour of instruction. For beginning riders, the lesson time includes learning how to safely groom, tack up, and untack the horse. As students gain confidence and independence, they will begin completing these tasks on their own.
Group Lessons
Group lessons are limited to 4–5 riders of similar ability to ensure personalized instruction while creating a fun, encouraging learning environment.
Each group lesson includes: 30 minutes before the ride for catching, grooming, and tacking up. One hour of riding instruction. 30 minutes after the ride for untacking, horse care, and cleaning equipment. Horse care is the responsibility of each student and is always supervised by an instructor. Riding in a group allows students to learn not only from their own instruction but also by watching and supporting their fellow riders.
Our Program
We are fortunate to have a variety of well-trained lesson horses suitable for riders at every level. Each horse is carefully matched to help students build confidence while continuing to develop their skills in a safe, educational environment. Our arena is fully equipped with: Hunter and jumper fences, Ground poles, Cones, APHA/AQHA Trail obstacles, and other educational training equipment. Jumping is introduced only after riders have developed a solid foundation on the flat. Safety, balance, and correct fundamentals always come first. School horses are limited to jumping 2' unless a rider owns or leases a horse. Group lessons typically include jumping during the second half of the lesson after proper flatwork has been completed. In the event that arena conditions are too wet or unsafe for jumping, lessons will focus on flatwork to ensure the safety of both horses and riders.
What to Bring
Meadowdale Farms provides all horses, tack, and grooming supplies.
Riders must bring:
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An ASTM/SEI-approved riding helmet (bike helmets are not permitted)
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Jeans or riding breeches (no sweatpants)
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Boots with a low heel (no tennis shoes)
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Hair neatly secured before riding
New Students
Before your first lesson, please print and complete all required paperwork found on our Forms page. Bringing completed forms to your first lesson helps us get you in the saddle as quickly as possible!
We look forward to welcoming you to the Meadowdale family and helping you build confidence, develop excellent horsemanship, and achieve your riding goals—whether you're taking your very first lesson or preparing for the show ring.
A Quick Run Down On Lessons
What Riding Level Are You?
***New to Meadowdale***
Our Lessons will now be labeled with Levels. This will now allow students to reschedule lessons in the proper (or as close to correct) lesson spots and see where they are at in their riding. If you are struggling with "moving up", please feel free to contact your trainer to chat to see what we need to work on! We always recommend to try to ride as much as you are able to. Riding 1 time per week is only 52 hours for the whole year! This is a quick run down of our levels, and these are on a "Not Limited To" basis.
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BEGINNER: No riding experience or still needs help catching, grooming, and tacking up. Learning to steer, trot and post around the arena independently. Learning proper aftercare of riding. (Private or Semi-Private lessons only with similar level)
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NOVICE: Students are able to catch, groom, and tack up horses with limited help. Can confidently walk and trot around the arena while posting. Learning sitting trot and diagonals. Starting to figure out balance. Learning to go over trot poles while not loosing balance. Beginning to canter down straight lines and learn leads. Student's are able to do proper aftercare with limited help after riding. Students can point out any wounds/fungus and learn to address them. At this level, students are eligible to start showing.
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INTERMEDIATE: Students are able to confidently catch, groom, and tack horses. Students are able to address any wounds or fungus on horses without help. Student can walk/trot/canter around the whole arena independently on the correct diagonal or lead and can fix it promptly if wrong. Student can confidently go over cross rails and are learning to canter down lines (If they choose to jump). Learning straightness and moving horses body parts around. Student can start to understand outside rein and leg concept. Students can do proper after care independently.
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ADVANCED: Students are able to confidently catch, groom, and tack horses. Students are able to address any wounds or fungus on horses. Student can walk/trot/canter/hand gallop. Can apply any wraps horses need on legs. Student understands how to properly set horses up for correct leads and "feel" for diagonals. Student can properly keep horses straight and bend off inside rein/leg. Student is able to move horses around as they wish (Leg Yield, Haunches In/out, etc). Student can confidently canter a course with simple lead changes in corners if they choose to jump. Great aftercare and apply poultice/ice wraps as needed after jump schools.
Students Responsibility
At Meadowdale, our lessons are all about more than just ride time—it's a thrilling journey into independence and the art of detail! We’re passionate about keeping our lesson horses happy, our tack in top shape, and property sparkling clean. To make learning even more exciting, we've introduced fun checklist for each student to complete while at farm, helping them understand what it takes to care for these amazing athletes and their surroundings. Each horse has a special clipboard filled with their unique needs, and students eager to fill it out before they leave—just remember, anything left undone means fun barn chores await!