Private Riding Lessons
My grown daughter, Dana, is now offering private riding lessons for ages 3 and up. She offers beginner, intermediate, and advanced lessons. You can choose to learn to ride English, Western, or both. Lessons for new students will initially be in a riding arena so that she can determine your level of expereience. When you're ready, you can advance to more challenging manuvers in the arena or ride out onto the trails or do a combination of both. Each lesson will be customized based on your goals. Lessons are one-on-one, private lessons with the same person, Dana, every time so that you get benefit from the continuity and understanding of your goals and where you are in achieving them. Riding lessons will be focused on learning good horsemanship and how to ride correctly while having fun. After all, riding should be fun... or you're not doing it right!
Beginner Horseback Riding Lessons
Ages 3 - 5
Children under the age of 6 will be involved and learn about tacking up, but Dana will be responsible for physically tacking up to ensure a safe ride for horse and rider. Children under the age of 6 will also be assisted by Dana while on the horse as children are only able to ride on their own when they are at least 6 years old. Dana loves kids and enjoys sharing her experience and horses with them. There is a sitting area available by the round pen provided for parents who want to enjoy watching as their child discovers the wonderful world of horses with Dana.
Ages 6 & up
At the outset, beginners aren't expected to know anything about riding. Dana will teach you about horses and how to ride from the ground up. During the first portion of the lesson (15 to 20 minutes), you will learn how to groom the horse, tack up, mount properly, control the horse, and maintain your balance while riding. You will spend the remainder of your lesson riding and practicing the skills Dana demonstrated during the first portion of the lesson. You will practice controlling the horse with the use of your hands, legs, and tone of voice. Dana will watch and instruct you as you learn to maintain your balance using your legs, abdominal muscles, and correct posture. The actual ride time on the horse will vary - depending on your comfort level around horses, your balance, and your ability to absorb and apply what Dana is teaching you - but will be somewhere between 40 minutes to 45 minutes. The entire session is 1 hour, so the the more quickly you learn to groom, bridle, and saddle your horse properly, the more time you'll spend in the saddle!
Intermediate Horseback Riding Lessons
Once you have mastered the grooming, bridling and saddling, control of the horse at a walk and trot, and have good balance on the horse, you are ready to move to more advanced lessons. At the intermediate level, you will be expected to be able to bring your horse from the pasture to the saddling area, saddle up on your own, and mount without assistance so that more time can be spent on growing your riding skills. Dana will teach you how to safely spray a horse for flies, bathe a horse, pick out their hooves, and so much more. You will learn to canter comfortably and safely without hanging onto the horn. Riders should never be encouraged to use the horn as a crutch. Besides, if you control your horse, the need (or desire) to hang onto the horn goes away! If you advance to this level, you will most likely want to learn more about horse care as you may want to own one of your own one day. Dana is very knowlegeable in this area and will be happy to share her knowlege with you. During this time, you may decide you want to switch from the Western style of riding to English or vice versa. It makes for a much better rounded rider to experience both. Or you may want to simply perfect your riding skills in Western or English so that you can pursue learning barrel racing, pole bending, Western Pleasure showing, hunter jumper riding, or English Pleasure showing. At that point, you will begin the Advanced Riding Lessons.
Advanced Horseback Riding Lessons
If you have a desired discipline in which you wish to become proficient, Dana can train you to compete in barrel racing, pole bending, Western Pleasure, Showmanship, hunter jumper riding, or English Pleasure classes. Granted, you may or may not be interested in showing. Either way, you will learn to ride on more difficult trails and enjoy more spirited horses. At the end of the day, Dana's goal is to help you meet yours and 'enjoy the ride' along the way.
When Are Lessons Offered?
It isn't necessary to sign up for a series of lessons at a predetermined day and time. Instead, you can purchase and schedule as your schedule permits, or to get a better deal, you can purchase a package of lessons. But even then, you can schedule at your convenience. You can opt to do lessons as frequently or sporadically as you choose. Lessons are offered 7 days a week, subject to availability.
Cost of the 1-Hour Private Riding Lesson
Purchase individually - $85/lesson- Buy a Package of 5 - $80/lesson ($25 Savings)
- Buy a Package of 10 - $75/lesson ($50 Savings)
Packages must be purchased and paid for at the time of purchase in order to take advantage of the discounted pricing.
Reservations For A Riding Lesson
You can contact Dana directly at (919) 264-2395 to schedule your lesson, and she will give you the information you will need in order to submit your $50 deposit. She accepts Cash App, Venmo, Paypal, and Cash. You can pay your balance upon arrival using the same payment methods.
About Your Instructor - Dana Carlough
Dana grew up on Dead Broke Farm and began riding on my horse with me, Carla - the owner of Dead Broke Farm, when she was just 15 months old. She took naps on horseback, nursed on horseback, and rode 8 hour rides offsite by the time she was 2 years old. By the time she was 4½ years old and weighed all of 35 lbs, she had her own 16-hand Thouroughbred x Quarter Horse and was riding by herself on 6-8 hour camping trail rides. She became a paid staff member as an assistant guide at the tender age of 10. She has been guiding trail rides, giving lessons, and working at our children's summer camp most of her life. As a teen, she trained horses to show in hunter under saddle, western pleasure, halter, showmanship, and ran barrels and poles.
As an adult, she buys and sells mainly horses, but she also raises and sells miniature Australian Shepherds, cows, and some exotic animals (camels, zebras, emus, etc) for a living. Over the years, Dana has worked with horses and has become a well-known professional in the horse industry - especially at the horse auctions both locally and in many other states: Ohio, Pennylvania, Alabama, Virginia, Georgia, and even as far away as Texas. Her desire is to continue sharing her passion for horses with others by offering lessons, so now is your chance to have private riding lessons with her.
