Good afternoon! My husband and I run Fox’s Rest Stable, LLC, and we offer horsemanship lessons to youth and adults. We have a program that truly suits homeschooling families, as it combines history, animal science, and horsemanship. I’ve attached information about our Paladin Program for your perusal. Please also direct folks to our website at http://foxs- rest.com.
Interested parents in the Las Vegas area can contact me by e-mail at saugustine@magistra .info, or by phone at (702) 630-9825. If you have questions, or need additional information, please let me know!
Best,
Scianna Augustine
The Paladin Program
at Fox’s Rest
The Paladin Program is not aimed strictly at making
you a good rider, although that is certainly one desired outcome. Rather, the
program is designed to start you on the path towards becoming an accomplished
horseperson, skilled in a variety of equestrian arts. The lessons you will
learn reach far beyond the paddock or arena, by helping you develop
self-control, confidence, discipline, courtesy, attentiveness, and respect.
The program proceeds through a series of logical
stages, as follows:
First Level
The Page
Lessons
will start on the ground, beginning with basic horse behavior, communication,
paddock safety, nutrition, grooming, and exercising. You will be introduced to
your lesson horse and spend time getting to know him or her. We’ll talk about
basic horse behavior and anatomy, and you’ll start learning how to communicate
with your horse. Then you’ll learn about caring for your horse, including
grooming, feeding, and cleaning.
Once
these steps are mastered, and you’ve proven able to move quietly and confidently
around the horse, you’ll begin working with the horse in the round pen. This
will include learning how to halter and lead a horse, and how to ask the horse
to stop, move forward, move backward, and change directions. Round pen work
will continue as you learn how to ask the horse to walk, trot, canter, and halt
on command.
By
combining mastery of these skills with those previously learned, you will now
be able to feed, groom, exercise, and cool down your horse on your own.
Second Level
The Cadet
You
will transfer everything you’ve mastered in the round pen to the arena,
learning to work your horse on a longe line. You will also work with other
horses in the round pen and arena, so that you can develop the skills to handle
mounts of differing sizes, abilities, and temperaments.
You
will learn how to tack up a horse in a variety of equipment including bridles
with curb and snaffle bits; hackamores and sidepulls; English, Australian,
western, and endurance saddles.
We
now begin working horses under saddle; you will learn how to mount and
dismount, and how to sit your mount at various gaits while working on a long
line.
During
this level, you are encouraged to take seat lessons from our Master Trainer.
Third Level
The Squire
At
this level, you will learn how to ride independently at the walk, trot, and
canter. Once you are sufficiently confident in the saddle, you will begin to
learn the basics of the equestrian martial arts. This will require that you be
able to control your mount with only one hand on the reins – or even with no
reins – so that you can safely handle the lance, sword, javelin, and other
weapons.
During
this level, you are encouraged to take advanced lessons with our Master
Trainer, as well as to seek out opportunities to study under other trainers in
different disciplines.
Fourth Level
The Paladin
Having
developed horsemanship on the ground and in the saddle, and having demonstrated
skill in handling a warrior’s weapons, you attain the rank of paladin. As you
will see, this is not an end but a beginning…for now, even more opportunities
await for you to hone these skills and master new ones.
