Introduction to Horsemanship

Students will learn how horses communicate and interact with the world in a way completely different than us and how we can communicate and work with them. Emphasis is placed on safety and a proper understanding of equine communication and behavior. The first 5 weeks will focus on unmounted work to acquaint riders with horses, so they feel confident and safe around horses so they can more easily communicate with them. The last 3 weeks will have both mounted and unmounted portions of class. The mounted portion of class focuses on learning correct position while riding at the walk, proper use of the aids to communicate with the horse, as well as balance and strength-building exercises. This course will utilize class discussion, assignments, and student participation to develop each student into a rider who can work with a horse both mounted and unmounted at an introductory level. English and Western styles of riding will be offered, with an emphasis on western riding.Prerequisite: All levels of rider's are welcome.