Horsemanship encompasses the skills, knowledge and understanding needed to form a harmonious and respectful relationship with a horse. The strength, power and grace of horses is often what attracts people to them, but it can backfire fast without understanding what horses need from us, how to help them stay focused and calm, how to direct unwanted behavior, and how to prevent problems before they start.
Not too long ago, mainstream horse training was all about dominating the horse physically, so the task of breaking and training was borne exclusively by tough and brave cowboys who could take the bumps and bruises. Today, the horse's role in our lives has changed from utility to mostly recreation and sport. As more and more families, children, seniors, and handicapped riders take to horsemanship as a way to unwind, relax and provide daily enjoyment, the nature of horsemanship has taken a very profound turn. As people who may be less rough, tough, or physically able than the archetypal cowboy enter the horsemanship scene, new methods that employ the use of psychology are beginning to emerge all over the world. By using psychology as opposed to force, our horsemanship classes will teach you how all behavioral or training issues can be broken down into extraordinarily simple, step-by-step solutions that do not require you to use physical strength or put yourself in harm's way.
Just like people, every horse has their own unique history and innate needs, motivations, and fears. Our horsemanship classes will help you understand your horse's unique personality, providing greater insight into why one horse might react differently to certain things than another horse. The ability to immediately and accurately read your horse's body language and recognize the difference between fearfulness versus dominance, instincts versus learned behaviors, and playfulness versus aggression, is essential for your safety and furthered education. You will learn how the horse's mind operates, how it perceives and retains information, how a horse learns, and how you know that the horse understands your requests. By giving you a deeper awareness of your horse's needs as a learner, you'll learn how to understand, teach, and train horses to do a variety of different tasks.
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In this course, you will learn basic horsemanship skills while using appropriate patterns and timing of releases to develop mutual respect and to grow the horse's confidence in you. You will gain an elementary ability to recognize the horse's boundaries, define your own boundaries, and respond appropriately when those boundaries are challenged. |
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In this course, you will learn basic horsemanship skills while using appropriate patterns and timing of releases to develop a common language and to grow the horse’s confidence as a learner. You will also learn to recognize when the horse is pushing against pressure and gain knowledge and skills to respond appropriately. |
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In this course, you will take your horsemanship up a notch by learning to demonstrate basic horsemanship skills while using appropriate patterns and timing of releases to develop a better partnership and a more confident horse. With these skills and tools, you will be able to use basic horsemanship skills to motivate the horse to be present and participate in a training session. If you have ever considered horsemanship as a career or just want a more meaningful and purposeful relationship with your horse, and to be able to problem-solve basic training issues, this course is for you! |
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In this course, you will learn how to use basic horsemanship skills to create purposeful tasks that help the horse build more confidence in different environments. You will learn to identify the core issues surrounding any tasks in which the horse is struggling and use appropriate tools, timing, speed, and exercises to help the horse achieve those tasks. |
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In this course, you will elevate your horsemanship skills past the elementary level with more difficult obstacles and more effective communication at a greater distance and from Positions 2 and 3. This course will also help you to identify characteristics that are consistent with the unconfident horse and to tailor the tools, exercises, and timing to make training sessions more successful. Finally, you will gain an understanding of what motivates the unconfident horse by offering a release that positively influences the horse. |
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In this course, you will elevate your horsemanship skills past the elementary level with more difficult obstacles and more effective communication at a greater distance and from Positions 2 and 3. You will learn to identify characteristics that are consistent with the confident horse and trailer the tools, exercises, and timing to make training sessions more successful. Finally, you will learn what motivates the confident horse by offering an appropriate release that positively influences the horse. |
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In this course, you will advance your horsemanship skills to meet the horse with an appropriate amount of pressure, speed, and release to match the horse’s needs as they oscillate between confidence and fear, engagement and disengagement, and states of flight, fight or freeze. This lesson will teach you how to read horses at a very advanced level, with a clear understanding of what motivates the horse in the moment by offering an appropriate release that positively influences the horse. |
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In this course, you will gain a deep understanding of horse behavior and learn to communicate using the most subtle cues and body language. You’ll refine your role as the best leader and partner you can be, fostering the most cooperative trust-based relationship possible with your horse. Ultimately, this lesson will emphasize harmony, precision, and creativity as you develop truly professional-level skills in horsemanship. |
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Interested in volunteering? This course gets you prepared to go behind the scenes at Windfall, so you can learn some of the basic operations that keep the barn running smoothly. If you want some more time around horses or are considering pursuing horses as a career, it all starts here! |
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You will advance your volunteer capabilities in this course to include more horse-care tasks. If you are considering horses as a career, volunteering is the perfect way to get started. You will be able to help with the horses more directly and start getting some experience that will give you better insight into how a successful stable works. |
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In this course, you will learn to use longeing equipment, how to communicate effectively with your horse while on the longe line, and how you can use longeing as a training tool and for conditioning your horse. |
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In this course, you will learn how to introduce longeing to young horses and longeing for various other purposes such as to improve the horse’s strength, balance, and flexibility as well as how to longe a horse and rider. You will also further your knowledge of how to communicate effectively with your horse while on the longe line and how to use longeing as a training tool and for conditioning your horse. |
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In this course, you will learn how to prepare horses better for ridden work. You will gain skills that will allow you to have a safe and solid launch point for the progressive athletic development of the horse for any discipline. You will also learn how to prepare the horse for long line work, and how to set the stage for more advanced work such as lateral movements and in-hand work. |
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In this course, you will learn how to start incorporating advanced lateral movements as well as the building blocks for advanced in-hand work such as the Spanish walk, piaffe, and passage. |
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In this course, you will turn your ground work into magic by moving beyond the constraints of the halter and lead rope. You will elevate your horsemanship and communication to a point that the slightest movement can elicit a response from your horse. You will build rapport and partnership you thought was reserved only for professional trainers. |
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In this course, you will use liberty work for real-world situations, building practical skills and solving specific training challenges. You will also learn to ask the horse to negotiate simple obstacles and challenges, without ever touch a rope! |
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In this course, we take liberty work to the next level - working with more challenging horses, in more challenging situations, and of course, training much more complex tasks and tricks. |
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In this course, you will get to be creative, and silly, and teach your horse to do all sorts of things, from practical skills to things that are just simply entertaining! You will learn how trick keep your horse mentally engaged, increase their confidence, and enrich their (and your) problem-solving skills. |
Are you new to Windfall or just beginning your equestrian journey? Whether you're a rider looking to build a strong foundation in horse handling and care or a parent, guardian, or friend curious about what happens before and after lessons, this course is for you!
The skills taught are a requirement of Windfall’s White Level riders to advance. Participants get a chance to meet others that share their interest in horses, take a tour of the facility and meet some of the instructors and lesson horses.
In this course, you will learn:
This class is designed to give beginner riders a safe start and the inspiration to discover all the different directions that can be taken on your horsemanship journey. Focusing on the most fundamental aspects, participants in this class will get a solid foundation that ensures a safe, fun and fulfilling experience that they can carry with them into the future.
Minors must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian.
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| Private Lessons | Group Lessons | |
| Level 1/White | $70.00 | Not Available |
| Level 2/Yellow | $70.00 | $50.00 |
| Level 3/Purple | $80.00 | $60.00 |
| Level 4/Orange | $80.00 | $60.00 |
| Level 5/Blue | $80.00 | $60.00 |
| Level 6/Brown | $80.00 | $60.00 |
| Level 7/Red | $100.00 | $80.00 |
| Level 8/Black | $100.00 | $80.00 |
Our lesson packages allow you purchase lessons at a discounted rate. There are standard packages and premium packages. Each standard package is a monthly subscription that includes 4 tokens for 4 private lessons or 4 group lessons. Each premium package is a monthly subscription that includes 8 tokens for 8 private lessons or 8 group lessons. The packages are as follows:
Each subscription lasts for one season and is a season-long commitment. The seasons are:
Prices listed are per month.
| 4 Private Lessons/Month | 4 Group Lessons/Month | |
| Level 1/White | $252.00 | --- |
| Level 2/Yellow | $252.00 | $180.00 |
| Level 3/Purple | $288.00 | $216.00 |
| Level 4/Orange | $288.00 | $216.00 |
| Level 5/Blue | $288.00 | $216.00 |
| Level 6/Brown | $288.00 | $216.00 |
| Level 7/Red | $360.00 | $288.00 |
| Level 8/Black | $360.00 | $288.00 |
Our lesson packages allow you purchase lessons at a discounted rate. There are standard packages and premium packages. Each standard package is a monthly subscription that includes 4 tokens for 4 private lessons or 4 group lessons. Each premium package is a monthly subscription that includes 8 tokens for 8 private lessons or 8 group lessons. The packages are as follows:
Each subscription lasts for one season and is a season-long commitment. The seasons are:
Prices listed are per month.
| 8 Private Lessons/Month | 8 Group Lessons/Month | |
| Level 1/White | $504.00 | --- |
| Level 2/Yellow | $504.00 | $360.00 |
| Level 3/Purple | $576.00 | $432.00 |
| Level 4/Orange | $576.00 | $432.00 |
| Level 5/Blue | $576.00 | $432.00 |
| Level 6/Brown | $576.00 | $432.00 |
| Level 7/Red | $720.00 | $576.00 |
| Level 8/Black | $720.00 | $576.00 |
Whether you're just starting out or you're wanting to continue your horsemanship journey, we're here to help. Click here to book your assessment lesson today. We look forward to helping you achieve your goals!
The Professional Development Program is the cornerstone of the riding intruction and training program at Windfall Equestrian Center. Tailored to riders in dressage, hunt seat, and western disciplines, this program consists of 8 levels, each more challenging than the last. Click here to purchase one of our course catalogs for a deep dive into our courses within our professional development program and lesson program, both in-person and online.
For more information regarding fees and benefits, click here.
