Welcome to Blue Skies Stables

Throughout the year we offer lessons, training sessions, clinics and summer camps that riders of all levels can partake in.  These sessions are all managed by a professional trainer, and by partaking, you have the opportunity to join the Show Team.  If you’re a beginning rider, you normally have a lot of questions – starting with, “what if I don’t have a horse?” and other very important questions.  If you’re advanced – you probably just left this page after that question…  Please come back!  Read on below, as we’re putting together some valuable information for all levels of horse riders!

Pricing:
Ultimately, we customize our pricing based on the riding package you are looking for.  But our lesson programs range from $60 to $80 per lesson.  Our training rides for your horse are $40 per hour, and our summer camp pricing is $375 for a 5 day camp, with more specific details being available 30 days prior to the first camp.

Beginning Horse Riders:
We offer customized private lessons in which we will teach you everything you need to know BEFORE getting on a horse. You can bring your own horse, or use one of ours – but we need to make sure you know how to stop and start your horse safely while understanding what your horse is trying to tell you before we just throw you a 1,500 lb horse or pony. Safety always comes first! Then we will begin you with either a lead-line walk, where the instructor leads the horse around the ring while you ride, up to a walk on your own, a trot (faster paced walk), walking over poles (first step to jumping) and then crossbars, up to a canter (a horse’s equivalent of a jog), to some jumps followed by a gallop (horse is running). For some students it takes years to progress all the way through, and we will move at the comfort level of the rider – or most of the time, the comfort level of the nervous on-looking parent who is at this point questioning their own sanity for putting their loved one on a giant animal (we’ve all been there, and I think we all still hold our breath every jump we watch them take – that’s completely normal!).

Here are some basic items you’ll need for your first lesson if you’ve never ridden before:

• A helmet. Helmets are mandatory of all riders at Blue Skies. They are expensive, so make some available to use if you don’t have one already.
• Riding pants. You’ll figure out quickly what is comfortable for you, but for starters, just something that covers your legs. Saddles get hot in the summer, and your legs get brushed against the rails sometimes -so it’s best to wear long pants.
• Saddle & Tack. If you are not bringing your own horse, which very few first-timers ever do, we will have saddle and tack provided with the schooling horse for your lesson. Saddles are expensive, and they are typically made to fit the rider and the horse – so until you’re ready for that next step, we will provide this!
• Riding Boots – Again, not necessary to buy the most expensive pair of boots until you know if you’re going to continue onto shows (show boots are often times different types of boots than your riding boots). So just make sure you do not have any open toes shoes. It is preferred that you have a closed toe leather shoe with a one inch heel, because again, the boots are for your protection. Horses are large animals and as you lead them out to the ring, there’s always a chance of having your toes stepped on – and boots will provide you maximum protection.
• Gloves – optional for training, but not necessary unless the temperature mandates it.
• A GREAT ATTITUDE! Horses feed off of their rider, so no matter how your day is, just remember – you’re getting to ride a horse! Enjoy it!

So for beginners, it’s not as complicated or as big of an investment as you’d think. You need to have a helmet (ours our yours) on your head, long pants and closed toe shoes/boots and bring your best attitude. Everything else – we’ve got you covered! That said… If you want to know what you’re
getting into as your child progresses, here’s a checklist of recommended supplies if you’re planning to show, own or lease a horse.

Summer Horse Camps
Every year we have a series of summer camps that are all day for one week at a time. We have released the camp schedules for summer as we know that your summer plans fill up quickly. Non-refundable deposits are required, and know that these camps fill up quickly. But this is an incredible time for the kids to get to know all of the horses in the barn, learn how to take care of a horse, sharpen up their riding skills – and ultimately just get to be a kid! We have a beautifully designed second floor classroom complete with video monitors and recording to then view their lessons afterward.

For more information on our Summer Horse Camps, please click here!

Year Round Horse Workshops
Throughout the year we will host several workshops ranging from having a vet come in to talk about recommended horse care, to bringing in judges to have them explain what they look for, to professional riders talking about what they did and how they got where they are today. These are a great opportunity for both new and veteran riders alike, as well as for parents of riders who are still trying to figure out what they got themselves into!

Advanced Riders
Whether you’re looking to get back in the saddle again, or just looking for a friendly environment to bring your horse and skills too, our hunter jumper team is for you!  We will sit down with you and evaluate where you are at today, listen to where you want to be next year and five years down the road, and then put together a custom plan for your lessons.  We offer in-house shows for tune ups, and we travel as near and far as you want to go – whether it’s county shows, C-rated or the A circuit – our advanced equestrian program is for you.