Lessons with your horse or mine
If you are interested in riding lessons, please contact me by filling out the form below. Our new covered riding arena is now ready for riding! I am so excited to be able to offer lessons year round!
Lesson prices:
- Introductory lesson $25 for 30 min. Each new student gets one introductory lesson to see if we are a good fit for each other and/or to see how interested the child is in riding.
- Regular lessons are $45 for 1 hour, billed monthly, 4 lessons per month (once per week). If you would like more lessons per week, we can add them on, just let me know. Lessons will be prepaid at the beginning of each month.
- Beginners ages 5-8 can do 30 minute lessons at $25/lesson billed monthly
I specialize in working with beginner to intermediate riders.
How it works
We start with an introductory lesson so that we can get to know each other and see if we are a good fit. This will also give me a chance to evaluate the students skills and discuss goals. I realize I may not be what you are looking for in a riding instructor. I also realize that sometimes personalities just do not match up, so I want to be sure that the student and I can work well together. I also have certain expectations in regards to attitude and willingness to learn. Working with horses is fun, but can be dangerous, so the student must follow directions and be willing to take instruction and apply it. The student must also have a desire to learn. If the parent is the one pushing the student to ride horses when the student does not want to, then no one is going to be happy and we are wasting our time.
Students must wear an approved helmet and riding boots for safety as well as jeans or riding pants, no shorts.
Lessons are billed by the month, and are prepaid to ensure regular attendance.
Working with horses teaches…
Team Work
In order for you to succeed on horseback and have fun, you and your horse MUST learn to work together and not against each other. That means we as humans need to learn to communicate what we want to our horses in a way that they can understand. If it is a new concept, then we will have to learn the steps to teach them to understand. We also have to be willing to listen to our horse so we can know why they are acting the way they are. Maybe they are injured, sick, confused or scared. Knowing the right way communicate with your horse can solve so many issues!
Confidence
Horses are big animals and can be very intimidating if you aren’t used to being around them. Teaching a child (or an adult) how to work with this large animal and get it to listen to your voice and your body is excellent at building confidence! And then taking the next step and participating in 4-H and horse shows really teaches kids to have confidence in their abilities or even just to get out in front of people, while doing something they love. I was a very shy child so I know all about this!
Communication
Learning to communicate what we desire our horse to do and in a way that they will understand. Learning to read the horses body language to understand our equine partner better.
Patience
let’s be honest, we could all use more practice with that! Patience with ourselves in learning new things, and patience with our horses and others.
About me….
My name is Melissa Hall and I have ridden, trained and shown horses for over 30 years. I participated in Clackamas County 4-H from the age of 12 through High School and won championships at county and state horse fair in English, Western, Showmanship, Dressage and Trail. I’ve also won high points and championships at many open shows. I have years of experience training horses from the ground up.
I love working with kids teaching the skills they need to work with their horse, safely and enjoyably. I believe working with horses is so much more than just getting on and riding. Working with horses teaches so much about life.
A Little History
My first horse was a 15 year old 14.2 hand Arabian gelding named Sandy. When we first bought him, he had been an experienced show horse. I hadn’t planned on showing him when my parents bought him for me though. I hadn’t really thought much about showing. The first year or so that I had him, I just played around with him, running around in the field, riding double with my friends, going for rides up our long gravel road. I knew how to ride, but I just rode for fun. I didn’t know much about equitation or training, and I certainly did not have much patience many times!
Then came 4-H and riding lessons. I had one of the best riding instructors around! Rose was something special. She taught me how to find the hidden buttons on my little Sandy. She realized he knew some things, but I obviously didn’t and I was the one that had to learn how to work with him and how to communicate things that he already knew. Once Sandy and I finally clicked, that last year I owned him and rode him in 4-H and open shows, we did awesome!
It is a pretty incredible feeling when you and your horse get on the same page. I had outgrown him, however, and sold him to another 4-H family which began my love for giving riding lessons. I was fortunate to be able to give lessons to the girl that bought him. During the last year I owned my little Arabian, I got a yearling paint gelding (Buddy) to learn to train and once we sold Sandy, I used my paint gelding for the rest of my 4-H career. I trained him myself from the ground up, with the help of Rose, my incredible instructor, and we went on to win championships in every discipline over the next several years.
During my last two years of 4-H Buddy and I began training in dressage and won champion at the Clackamas County Horse Fair in 1998 in training level, as well as a medallion at the State horse fair. We continued into first level the following year and went to some dressage clinics and did a few more tests.
Over the years I have trained several horses from leading to riding, and had students whom I’ve helped teach to train young horses as well. My past students have done well in 4-H and open shows and have gone on to successfully teach and train on their own. Training is a passion of mine, whether it be training horses, or training children to be excellent horsemen and women. As you can see I have experience in several disciplines. If you aren’t sure which direction to go, that’s ok!
