Unicorns class
DURATION
55 minutes
consists of 2 parts:
1. Grooming/Tacking up
2. Riding
PRICING
$265 / month
for 1 lesson every week
at the same day and time.
To see the schedule & availability please click below
Beginner Level for students 2-5 years old. This is where it all begins. It’s very important for the little ones to get comfortable around the ponies. Being at the barn means there are a lot of new impressions for them. They need the time to settle and get used to everything. It’s not only the pony that’s new to them; there are also new sounds, smells, trainers, other kids and dogs. This is a lot to take in for a 2-5 year-old. It’s very important not to rush them through the process of grooming and tacking up the pony just to get more ride time. They have plenty of time to learn how to ride, as they’re still tiny. It’s absolutely necessary to let them spend time with the pony on the ground and teach them the most important rules concerning safety and the basics of horsemanship. In the Unicorns program there are two students per pony and trainer. The kids clean and tack up the pony together with the trainer. This process takes between 15-30 minutes and it includes: Bringing the pony to the wash rack Picking the feet Cleaning the pony’s body and face Getting the saddle and the bridle from the barn Putting the saddle and bridle on the pony When they’re done with that they’ll bring their pony to the arena and start riding. The students alternate during their ride time, and we always try to encourage the kid who’s not on the horse to play a game with the trainer and the other student who’s on the horse. There are a number of different games that can be played, such as catch, rhythmic walking next to the horse, tossing a ball back and forth, moving clothespins from mane to tail, etc. The games are designed to improve the kids' physical and mental abilities. Also, kneeling and standing on the pony as well as riding backward are fun, playful exercises to teach balance and coordination. Most of the Unicorns’ ride time is spent walking and trotting. If the trainer feels the student is comfortable enough they'll do a short canter with the pony in hand. At some point we start preparing the students for the Mustangs program, which means the trainers will start taking the student on a short lunge line to get them used to being lunged in a walk and trot. Again, it’s totally different from kid to kid how long it takes them to develop the skill set they need in order to move on. Monthly tuition fee: $265 per student per month for one lesson a week
Mustangs class
DURATION
55 minutes
consists of 2 parts:
1. Grooming/Tacking up
2. Riding
PRICING
$265 / month
for 1 lesson every week
at the same day and time.
To see the schedule & availability please click below
Beginner and Intermediate Level for students at the age of 6 years and up. In the Mustangs program the focus shifts more toward riding, BUT there’s still a big focus on horsemanship. Older students typically start directly in the Mustangs program since they’re more capable of finding their balance on the horse and they’re generally more capable of processing the trainers' instructions due to their age and level of maturity. Still, they have to learn all the safety rules and everything on the ground. Also in the Mustangs class we have 2 kids per trainer and pony. They clean and tack up the pony together with the trainer, which typically takes them between 10 and 20 minutes before they start riding in the arena. Also, here the kids take turns riding and we always try to keep both of them busy. Mustang classes are mainly taught on a lunge line. We teach the students to walk, trot and canter bareback with handles and in a saddle. Additionally, especially when they ride with handles, the trainers do a lot of more experienced balance and strength exercises with them. They walk, trot and canter without hands, turn around on the pony, as well as kneel and stand on the pony while it’s moving. A lot of these exercises are beginner vaulting movements. When the student is in a saddle they have no handles to hold, so that’s where she/he needs to learn to work with the reins. The goal of the Mustangs program is to work with the students toward being able to ride freely and move up to the Pegasus program. As soon as the trainer thinks the student is very comfortable in walk, trot and canter on the lunge line and knows how to control the horse's gaits by using legs and reins, the trainer will take the lunge line off and let the student ride freely on a circle. This will be the kid's first experience steering the horse and being responsible for the horse’s gaits, which is a very complex combination. The student has to perform a lot of tasks at the same time, requiring them to have a solid foundation as well as quick reactions. A rider at this level has five different aids: The body, two hands and two legs, whereby all of them have to do different things at the same time. Any of you who have played the drums might have an idea about how hard this is. Once the student is able to freely walk, trot and canter on a circle, as well as able to clean and tack up the horse independently, she/he is ready for the Pegasus program. Monthly tuition fee: $265 per student per month for one lesson a week
Pegasus class
DURATION
55 minutes
consists of 2 parts:
1. Grooming/Tacking up
2. Riding
PRICING
$265 / month
for 1 lesson every week
at the same day and time.
To see the schedule & availability please click below
Advanced Level for students of all ages. In the Pegasus program, the focus shifts almost completely toward riding. The students are already able to ride by themselves in walk, trot and canter. They don’t share their pony with other students anymore. There is one student per pony and never more than 4 students in a group. The pure riding time is around 45 min. The main goal in the Pegasus program is to teach the students simple dressage movements, control of the horse at any time, navigating ground poles and the execution of little jumps. Appropriated skills, aids and especially the rider's seat/position on the horse are going to improve while the confidence level rises. At this point we highly recommend riding 2-3 times a week since at this level we can really talk about riding as a sport. It’s very hard to seriously master a complex sport if the student only practices once a week. Some Palina’s Ponies locations offer a Performance class "Elite" for advanced Pegasus students. Please check your location for availability.
Elite class
DURATION
55 minutes
consists of 2 parts:
1. Grooming/Tacking up
2. Riding
PRICING
$750 / month
for 3 lessons every week
$950 / month
for 4 lessons every week
Please contact us if you would like to learn more
Pegasus Class Graduates. The hobby of riding horses and ponies turns into a serious sport. Like in any other sport it’s about effort, grit, talent and time spent practicing. Also the standard and the expectations from our side will be higher towards the students. We demand a serious but of course age appropriate level of focus, effort and determination. The most significant change is that Elite Students have to ride 3-4 times a week instead of 1-2 times a week, since every minute spent at the barn is an important minute for the students' development. We only get the chance to make our students great if we see them often enough. Also the content of the programming changes from learning the correct position on the horse and the basics of steering the horse in walk, trot and canter to learning more complex movements as well as jumping whole courses. The goal of the Elite Program is to give the students an introduction to the equestrian SPORT with all its facets, prepare them for dressage or jumping shows and for leasing or owning their first horse in the future. Every now and then there will be a lesson where the students won’t get on a horse since we will teach them things like braiding the mane for showing, putting on polo wraps correctly or proper lunging “on the ground” just to name a few. Since there are many important things to learn at the barn that exceed the regular lessons like general horse care, health care or show preparation (only to name a few) we would like to give Elite Students the chance to come to the barn whenever they want during our opening hours in order to assist the trainers. This is a chance to gain a lot of experience outside their lessons and there is always stuff to do at the barn. We also offer our Elite Students the chance to accompany us to shows. They can help, watch and learn in order to be prepared for their own shows in the future. Tokens and make ups: The Elite Program will be a “closed system” which means there won’t be a lot of open spots for make ups like it is the case in our regular program. You’ll still receive 5 tokens per day of riding each year which can be used when another Elite student is being marked “absent”. That also means whenever you can’t make it to class please mark your kiddo as absent so another student can use a token.
Mares class
DURATION
55 minutes
consists of 2 parts:
1. Grooming/Tacking up
2. Riding
PRICING
$265 / month
for 1 lesson every week
at the same day and time.
Please contact us about availability and scheduling
Mares Class for Adults. About 1000 times we’ve heard the words: “I used to ride when I was a kid and I’m so happy my kiddo wants to ride too! Maybe at some point I want to get back into the saddle” Well, moms, here’s your chance! The Mares Class is designed for moms or anybody who wants to get back into the saddle. There is one horse per student and sessions are 55 minutes. Our wonderful trainers are absolutely going to adjust the intensity of the lesson to your fitness and skill level, creating a fun and relaxing Equestrian experience. If you are new to the sport please take advantage of our private lessons for a couple of times, until you are ready to attend the group lessons.
Private LESSONS
DURATION
60 minutes
consists of 2 parts:
1. Grooming/Tacking up
2. Riding
PRICING
$100/ lesson
Private lessons are usually available only in the AM during the week
Please contact us directly for availability and scheduling
Private Lessons: Our private lessons include ground instruction & assistance in grooming, tacking and safely handling horses before and after the lesson for all levels.