Lesson Procedures
Please drive slowly (5-10 mph).
We expect you to arrive 20 to 30 minutes prior to the start of your lesson so that you can groom and tack up your lesson horse. Showing up with less than 15 minutes before your lesson is scheduled to begin can result in forfeiting the lesson, horsemanship is an extremely important aspect of riding and prep time for your lesson in key.
Find your name and the name of the horse you will be riding on the board outside the arena and tack up area. Special instructions for your horse are also listed there, such as using bell boots and polo wraps. Locate the tack (saddle, bridle and girth) plus any other extra equipment needed and place on rack near where you will groom your horse. Bring your horse to the cross-ties to tack up your horse or tack your horse in the stall.
Prepare your horse for your lesson. When you are ready, line up at the entry to the arena and wait for your instructor to tell you to enter the lesson arena. Do not mount your horse until instructed to do so.
After your lesson, you are expected to untack your horse (unless another student is using your horse in the next lesson). Until you are proficient at untacking you will not be on your own, someone will assist you. Plan to stay 30 minutes after your lesson to care for your horse. Weather conditions may require you to provide additional horse care, such as sponging down, walking a hot horse or removing mud during the rainy season. Please check in with instructor or person assisting with tacking/untacking the lessons to ask if your horse has been properly “turned back” (groomed etc) prior to leaving.
Scheduling Lessons . . . You may schedule lessons by phone or in person with Julie Kennedy. The phone number is (360) 607-0493. Text messaging is a great option to communicate with Julie.
Canceling LEssons
Since your lesson reserves time with your instructor and a spot on the lesson slot, we require that you cancel any lessons you cannot attend at least 24 hours before the start of the classes. Coming regularly to class is important and will help you grow as a rider.
Please do not come to lesson if you are sick. Follow what you would do for school/work. Fever, vomiting, diarrhea etc, please stay home and get well. Cancellations may be made by phone or in person. Please call/text Julie Kennedy at (360) 607-0493 and leave a message with your name and the day and time of your class.
Make up lessons- We understand that things happen and people get sick. In order to take the best care of our horses and instructors we offer unmounted makeups. Make up lessons will be offered weekly on Monday evenings via an unmounted horsemanship lesson. Hands on horsemanship will be taught during those times to include healthcare, emergency care, advanced grooming, trailering skills, lunging and more. This allows us to produce well rounded horsemen as well as riders and helps to prepare those that may wish to own a horse someday. The dates will be posted on the whiteboard and you just need to sign up for a date. .
During inclimate weather do not assume that your lesson has been cancelled. If unable to make your lesson, it is up to you to call and cancel. We live in the Pacific Northwest, dress in layers and have raingear. In icy conditions lessons will typically be cancelled, but please call/text to confirm. Depending on the amount of snow, we may or may not cancel lessons, please call/text in advance.
If Cantera needs to cancel a lesson for weather etc. we will typically communicate via the Remind system (this will send a text out to all clients) in addition to posting a message on our facebook group page. When in doubt please reach out, text or utilizing the remind system is best in those situations.
Payment
We bill for our lessons in monthly flat rate increments. Payment is due by the 1st of the month for the current month’s riding lessons. A bill will be sent out around the 15th of the month for tuition for the following month’s lessons. If paying for a 3 month full session by the first date of the session, a 10% discount is given.
Payments made after the 1st of the month will result in a late fee added to your account of $25.00.
Returned payment fee of $25.00 will be applied for any NSF items.
If taking an extended vacation we can withdraw the student from lessons, but can’t guarantee the same lesson time slot will be held for when the student is able to return to lessons.
If you plan to discontinue/take a break from lessons 20 days advance notice is requested or you will be billed for the next month’s session.
LESSON SESSIONS
Session I- Sept- Nov
Session II- Dec-Feb
Session III- Mar-May
Session IV- June- Aug
We are run on a subscription lesson schedule. What does that mean to you? Lessons will be broken into 3 month sessions just like swim, dance or karate. You will remain at your assigned lesson slot/level for 3 months. At the end of the 3 months, two weeks before the end, your instructor will do an evaluation with you and let you know if you are continuing at the same level or moving up to the next level. If you move up a level you will then choose a different lesson time in the next session.