Frequently Asked Questions
What do I have to have, if I want to take lessons?
All you need are pants with some give, and shoes with a heel so the foot can't slide through the iron. We provide helmets. If you stick with this, you will probably want your own, but in the meantime, we've got you covered.
How old does my child have to be to start lessons?
I am willing to give it a try with children of any age, so long as their parent understands that it may be pretty much glorified pony rides until they are big enough for gravity to kick in. In general, I find that 6 is a good lower limit for expecting kids to focus. But as I said, we try everything on a case by case basis.
What days and times do you offer lessons?
Presently we offer lessons on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Barn hours are 9am to 1pm, through the summer. When school begins again, we ride the same days but the hours change, obviously.
Can I ride just once a week?
The way our program operates, we require a pretty huge amount of fitness, and that fitness cannot be reached without a minimum of two rides per week. So you can come once a week - but you'll be walking. The horses are athletes, and if we expect them to give us their best, we need to give them our best as well.
Can I ride a single time?
We offer single rides as trial lessons to see if you want to join us, and also for special occasions. We can't say yes if you don't ask us, so contact us and see whether we can help you!
Do I have to have my own horse?
We have a staff of wonderful horses who are ready to teach you. You will never be pressured to buy your own horse; in fact, most of the time I will try to talk you out of it :-)
Can I have lessons on my own horse?
We can do a limited number of haul-in lessons. Contact us to see if we can help you out.
Can I use my own saddle?
At Serendipity we use a saddle system that is adapted to the individual horse. Chances are really high that your saddle is not going to fit the horse that you ride. But you can bring it, and we can check it out.
Can I get a gift certificate?
Absolutely! We love the idea of riding as a gift. Contact us for a personalized gift card.
How many people will be in my lesson?
We do things a little differently at Serendipity. Everyone is having their own lesson, even if they ride together. In the beginning, I like to do one on one work on the longe. But as soon as you reach a safety level, it's more fun and more educational to work with others. We don't do "group lessons" where everyone is doing the same thing. So it's hard to say exactly how many people you'll ride with, as it will vary, as will what they are doing, so that you will be exposed to many different things.
Can I get private lessons?
If you can come during the daytime hours, during the week, we can accommodate private lessons. After school and on Saturdays, there's just no way we can make that happen, at present, but give us a try and I bet you'd find that you actually like our way :-)
How long will my lesson be?
Lessons are as long as they need to be. In the beginning, we're working on strength and safety, and so your stamina is the limiting factor. After that, we're working on something specific, so we work until you get it, or until the horse gets it, or until your legs give out, whichever comes first! You can figure on about two hours of barn time, between preparing the horse, riding, and caring for the horse after the ride.
Can I bring treats for the horses?
Of course! Their favorite things are apples, carrots, peppermint candies and animal crackers. And yes, they eat the cookies shaped like horses. They have no shame. They also like oatmeal cookies, some of them like citrus, most of them like grapes, and ginger snap cookies.
Can I come just pet the horses?
We love visitors during barn hours. We ask that you refrain from visiting outside of barn hours, as the horses work very, very hard at their jobs and their downtime is extremely important to their health.
Your barn hours don't work for me. Can I ride another time?
Right at present, the schedule that we keep is pretty tight, and we can't add anything on top of it without compromising the health and soundness of the horses.
Can I take a lesson at night?
We don't have lights in our arena, and in the summer, the frequency of thunderstorms has caused me to stop teaching evening lessons.
Do you offer any camps?
Every day at Serendipity is like camp! If I offered any kind of camp, my year round students would have to go without riding, so I don't do that.