Riding with your horse should feel enjoyable, connected, and clear.
Maybe your horse spooks, resists, or just doesn’t seem tuned in. Our lessons are here to help you understand those behaviors and learn simple ways to work with your horse, so riding feels easier and more rewarding for both of you. You can have big goals without rigid expectations. I’ll show you!
How these lessons are different:
We start with the horse, because ALL behavior is communication, not resistance. When you learn to recognize what your horse is telling you under saddle, things will change for the better.
Using principles from equine psychology and learning theory, we look at why your horse responds the way they do and how you can guide them with clarity, fairness, and calm. You’ll discover how to:
Notice the small signals your horse gives before they escalate.
Use proven methods like positive reinforcement and non-escalating pressure-and-release to shape responses.
Create rides that feel safe, productive, and enjoyable for both horse and rider.
This approach builds trust and relaxation, which in turn creates a horse that’s more responsive, confident, and willing. When horses feel understood and rewarded for good choices, they learn faster and carry those lessons into every ride.
What a lesson looks like:
Check-In
We begin with a quick conversation about how your horse has been doing, any recent challenges, and what you’d like to focus on that day.
Groundwork if Needed
If your horse needs a reset or shows stress, we may start on the ground. This sets the tone for relaxation and partnership before getting in the saddle.
Ride with Awareness
Under saddle, we focus on how your horse is behaving and how you can adjust your riding to support them. Whether it’s spookiness in one corner, dullness to the leg, or tension over fences, the goal is to understand and respond instead of pushing through. We won’t baby them, but we will absolutely listen.
Develop Skills Together
Depending on your goals, we’ll work on hunter flatwork, over-fences exercises, or low-level dressage movements, always through the lens of behavior and communication.
Wrap-Up and Reflection
We finish by cooling down with calm, relaxed movement and talking through what worked, what shifted, and what you can carry into your next ride.
We teach until we’ve made progress, unless everyone is too stressed. Then we get off, we breathe, and we all have a snack. That alone, recognizing that we can try again next time, is progress in itself.
Because lessons range from 40 to 75 minutes, we don’t book online.
Send us an email by clicking below, and we’ll send you a price list and get you on the schedule. Don’t forget to tell us about yourself and your horse!
Areas of Focus
Hunter under saddle and over fences
Flatwork fundamentals
Low-level dressage
Confidence-building for horse and rider
Behavior-focused problem solving under saddle
Lessons are available in Syracuse, NY, and the surrounding areas. I travel to your farm or boarding facility.
(6 years of instruction and ARIA certification in Hunter and Hunter O/F complete Nin ovember 2025.)
Why This Approach Works
When horses are given a voice, riding becomes a conversation instead of a conflict. By understanding the behavior beneath the movement, you’ll not only improve your skills but also strengthen your bond with your horse.