FAQ

Q: What attire is needed for a first lesson or continued lessons? A: Easy! Here ya go...

...Make sure to wear closed-toed shoes (preferably with a small heel), long pants, and nothing you'd care about getting dirty! We provide helmets initially, as they are REQUIRED for any riding, all ages, but it will be necessary to purchase your own if you plan to continue with lessons, and the sooner, the more comfy you can be with one that you can pick out yourself!

If you want your own on your first lesson, you are welcome and encouraged to bring one! However bike helmets will not be allowed. Eventually you will need riding boots and your own helmet. After one of our Introductory Courses or Camps, if you decide to continue riding, a well-fitted helmet should be the first thing you purchase. Please purchase a proper riding helmet, not a bike helmet.

Q: What age do you start lessons? A: We teach ALL AGES!

... Getting your child on a horse young can be great, especially for their balance, cognitive development, motor skills, and much, much more. If you look up the studies that have been done on the benefits of riding to a person's well-being, and especially the effect it has on children, you'd be amazed that everyone isn't doing this! We do separate what we offer for children 6 and up, and then those under 6. We have found, as many other schools do as well, that the motor skills and attention span necessary for getting the most out of riding lessons often doesn't really develop until around 6 years of age. For this reason you'll want to visit our Mommy & Me and Tiny Trotters page for anyone under 6, and our Lesson Programs page for 6 and up!

Q: I have a bicycle helmet, can I use that? A: NO.

...Sorry, definitely no. They are not designed the same. We do have plenty of approved helmets for our students, but if you want to have your own, there are plenty of decently-priced riding helmets available both at local tack stores and online. We purchase most of our all-purpose riding helmets from Troxel and Ovation, so you can start your research there! Here is some more information on why NOT to use a bike helmet for riding:

http://asci.uvm.edu/equine/law/amea/feb96nws.htm#bike

Q: Do I need to have a horse? A: NOPE!

... We have very safe, experienced lesson horses for you to start on! Our 4-legged staff changes periodically, but we have what you need at least for your first year of riding! Once your skills start advancing, we highly recommend finding a horse to lease. We can help with this!

Q: I havemy own horse, can I take lessons on him? A: Of Course!

...Absolutely! Our goal is to prepare each rider for what their goals are with horses, and to make sure they develop a relationship with their horses during their lessons. Your own horse is certainly the most important one to develop a relationship with!

Q: Do you do guided trail rides? A: No.

Our focus is on EDUCATION. We offer lessons and camps all within the stable, and sometimes add in trail rides on lessons, both for a nice fun break from arena work and to practice and understand trail safety. We do have miles of beautiful trails available from our stable!

Q: Do you do birthday parties? A: Kind of!

We offer private group events that we design around you, but everything we do is educational! We don't do birthday parties in the sense that many horse-centric places offer, where it is decorations and pony rides. Your birthday with us will be structured much like our fun summer camps, where we learn, ride, and incorportate fun games and activities into our day, but tailored to exactly what you want! Check out our Group Visits page for more info or contact us!

Q: Do you rent horses? A: No.

...No we do not. We focus on teaching you how to interact with, understand, communicate with, handle, and ride horses, and do not believe our 4-legged family should be rented out to strangers without developing a relationship.


Please feel free to contact us with ANY questions that you have!

Phone: (949) 354-3603

Email: silverstirrupridingacademy@gmail.com