HESTAR RANCH

How about riding on Hestar Ranch?

I offer private riding lessons for my guests, mainly for riders who would like to improve their leadership and riding skills on the trail.  The Workshop Vacation includes one riding lesson per day, but more riding is most likely possible.

Your first lessons will be on the ground, so that you can learn about my philosophy with my horses. The rider must learn to respect the horse, and must learn to be grounded in order to have control over his own body language before sitting on the horse.  It is important for you to understand your own body language and how the horse perceives it, as well as learning to be centered and relaxed, and also to be flexible in order to "stay with the horse" and follow the horse's movement in our mind and with our body.   Learning the horse's body language allows you to understand what the horse is trying to tell YOU, because that is most important if we want to learn to have a two-way communication.  We have to learn to stay in a mindset that is ruled by LOVE and COMPASSION, because that is the time and moments where we truly are able to connect with our horses. We have to learn to be grounded in pure love and  positive energy, to get positive feelings for both, the horse and the person working or playing with the animal. 

Beginners will work primarily in an enclosed area like the arena, as there are no shortcuts with horses--riders need to have confidence, knowledge and a true connection to the horse.  A solid skill set is needed before going out on a trail ride.

Our horses are sensitive and require a rider with awareness to go on the trails. 
We do not offer trail rides to beginners and inexperienced riders. 
My goal is to help you learn to understand a horse that is still a responsive horse with a free spirit,
and not an animal that is shot down and just does it's unloved job !
That means that our horses communicate and NOT just do their job, so the rider needs to be aware at all times.
 

My main goal is to teach handling, groundwork and riding in a way that your teamwork is natural and tension-free, and without stress at all for the horse, and most of all that there is communication between horse and rider.

My philosophy is to teach my students how to become a loving and caring leader for the horse, one that works with the horse fairly and in friendship, and one that is all times fully aware of what he is doing.  Self-control is the most important thing to learn with horses, to be aware of your own body, your body language and your behavior and what it does to the horse.
  When you learn to become a reliable leader, then you become your horse's best friend. You do not need to be the boss, you need to become the best friend of your horse! This starts on the ground with connecting in freestyle groundwork.  Being in the saddle is a privilege after the horse accepts you as leader and friend, following you on its own free will without a lead rope.  We do not round-pen horses to tire them, we use freestyle play as the horse itself chooses. The horse is allowed to express itself and even leave us if we ask for too much.  We appreciate that and learn from the horse what it likes and can do with us.
 

Please go to the workshop site if you like to have a look at riding here at the ranch.
Trail Riding lessons are available after doing a workshop or while having a ranch vacation. 
I do not do single riding lessons for people stepping by. You have to get to know the riding horse and my concept for riding,
in order to book for a single trail ride.
 

I have a weight limit for riding my horses, because Icelandic horses are actually ponies and weigh only between 750-800 pounds.   See below for more information on weight limits.  Thanks for your understanding!
 

You can also bring your own horse here for a workshop with lessons. 
I will help you improve your riding and leadership skills.  I'll teach you how to ride the gaits well and without tension; I teach riding with awareness and love towards the horse.  I can also help you to start your horse with groundwork and under saddle.  Please see my training videos below on starting horses.

 

With regard to the training of horses, my philosophy is different from most popular horse trainers.  While they most often use pressure, fear, dominance and repetition to tire the horse out physically and mentally, I use love to built trust and understanding, as well as the occasional treat!  I believe in teaching every horse every step without creating fear, giving the horse time so that it can understand and learn without stress and frustration.  We can learn so much from our horses if we learn to listen to what they say to us--they will become our best teachers.  When we learn to understand their language and their answers to our interactions, we can adjust our demands and requests so that we get a horse that likes to work with us.  This is what I want to teach to every student who comes here.

Prices for single lessons:
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only available after a workshop or while staying at the ranch

45 min. lesson for beginners in riding arena or a ride on a guided horse  $ 65.-

1 hour lesson for advanced riders on the trails on our ranch property   $ 80.- 
you need to have 2 hours because we clean horses and tack up together before riding out.

2 hour trail riding lesson  $ 120.-
(only available after a few 1-hour riding lessons so you have gotten to know the horse)

3 hour trail riding lesson   $ 160.-
(only available after 2-hour lessons, if your riding skills allow going further away from the horses home)

1/2 day (4 hours) trail rides with picnic in saddlebags  $ 200.-
(only available after a few 2 or 3 hour riding lessons and getting to know the horse)

A Abo

save some money and start riding with a Riding Abo  $600.-, it will cover 10 beginner lessons in enclosed areas
 

... or maybe you like to do a Workshop where plenty learning with horses is included  

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About our weight limits and why I do this
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For 1 hour rides, riders shall not be more than 160 pounds or 72 kg, unless they ride their own horse.  A saddle and other tack will be an additional 20+ pounds, so the most I will let the horses carry is 180 pounds.  This means the horse must carry a quarter of its own weight!  This is only okay for a short ride where the horse is mostly walking, and the rider has good balance, especially on the uneven terrain that we have here.

 

For 2 hour and longer rides, riders will not be more than 140 pounds, 63 kg.  With tack and gear, this will be about 160 pounds that the horse will carry, which is about one/fifth or 20% of its own weight for a bigger 800 pound horse.  This is especially important for a longer ride and/or when the horse travels at a faster gait.

It is also important to consider the rider's weight when purchasing an Icelandic horse.  When this is taken into account, horses stay healthy and happy, even into their senior years.
 

Not to forget when coming here for riding
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Bring your own helmet, long riding pants (nothing wide and flappy, tight correct riding pants or jeans), riding boots with hills (NO tennis shoes!), a long sleeve shirt to cover from sun, a jacket in case its cool, and a water bottle that you can hook up on the D-rings of the saddle. For a little snack, I have little saddlebags so no worries on that.

Then bring a good mindset towards horses! So, no kicking with your hills or yanking horses around!!!
Be nice with the horse or you can expect a spook...
Always keep your hands down and quiet, give only very fine cues, and have a seat with your hills always down and under your but.  Have only toes (tip of foot) into stirrups, and be anytime able to stand up in your stirrups for a light seat, this in case your horse goes faster as you want. 
NO squeezing your legs together and grabbing onto the horse with your legs when it goes faster as you wanted!  
If you do not have the balance to sit without squeezing the horse with your legs in a faster gate, then you are a beginner and need to ride inside an enclosed area, this is when I can not take people on the trails!
NO hands up and pulling hard on the rains with any of my horses anytime!!
If you still do some of these reactions, then your skillset is NOT good enough to go on a trail-ride, and we better start in the riding arena! You need to be able to trot or lope on a horse without loosing your balance, otherwise you are a beginner and need to ride in an enclosed place in order to be safe.
So please be aware of this when asking for trail lessons.

Before take off, please read, understand and sign the WAIVER, it is upstairs in the barn loft
and please read the page for the RANCH RULES before you come to the ranch.
My horses will
Thank you !

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