The lessons
Slow, steady, and built entirely around being new.
These are western riding lessons for people who have never ridden — not a scaled-down version of a show program. There's no trotting until walking is easy, and no pressure to be anywhere but where you actually are.
Pay at the lesson — cash, check, or Venmo.
Step by step
Your first lesson, in order.
- 1
The greeting
You meet the horse from the ground first — a hand on the neck, a quiet minute, and a chance to see how big they really are when you're standing next to them. Most first-timers breathe out here.
No saddle yet. Nothing to get on.
- 2
Grooming and tack
Brushing, picking out hooves, and putting the saddle on together. This isn't busywork — it's how you learn what's under you, and why the cinch needs to be snug.
You do the work. I talk you through every bit of it.
- 3
The ride
Mounting from a block with someone holding the horse steady. Then walking on a loose rein, in a circle you can see the whole of. Steering, stopping, and turning come before anything faster.
Walking is the whole first lesson for most people.
- 4
Untacking and the reward
You finish by taking care of the horse: loosening the saddle, a final brush, and whatever treat is allowed that day. Beginners remember this part longer than the riding.
This is where people fall for horses.
Goals for our students
What you'll actually be able to do.
Progress here is measured in small, real things — not in how impressive you look from the fence.
Safety first, always
Where to stand, how to move around a horse, and how to read when they're relaxed and when they aren't.
Confidence on the ground
Handling, leading, and grooming a horse by yourself. This is the skill most students keep for life.
A balanced seat
Sitting in a western saddle without gripping with your knees — relaxed, upright, and able to breathe.
Control at a walk
Steering and stopping on purpose, so the horse goes where you ask instead of where it feels like.
Your first jog
Once walking feels genuinely easy, we add a little speed. Not before.
Independence
Tacking up, mounting, and riding a whole lesson with less and less help from me.
What to wear
You don't need riding clothes.
Come in what you already own. These four things are all that matter for a first lesson.
Long pants
Jeans or leggings. Anything that won't rub against a saddle.
A shoe with a small heel
Boots or a sturdy shoe with a heel, so your foot can't slide through a stirrup.
Nothing loose
No long scarves, dangling straps, or baggy hoods around a horse.
Clothes you can move in
You'll be lifting a saddle and swinging a leg over. Comfort beats looking the part.
What's waiting for you
You bring yourself. That's it.
- A helmet that fits
- A quiet, experienced lesson horse
- All the tack and grooming equipment
- Someone standing with you the whole time
If you forget something, we'll make it work.
Every rider I teach was a first-timer once.
Pick an open lesson time and we'll start from the very beginning.
See open lesson times