Carol Hopkins

My main focus has been on kids. Being a teacher in the public schools, I have a great deal of experience with children and I am able to make learning fun. This is accomplished by making learning a game rewarded with successful results for both horse and rider.

Horses are happiest when the communications skills of the rider are at a high level. Rider position, use of the reins, leg position and cuing, add up to proper handling of the horse, and they make the difference between a fun experience and a disaster. Knowledge is so important.

There are great riding masters of the past that have accomplished feats of glory with horses. I have read and studied with some of these great teachers, so I know what excellent riding looks and feels like, and I can explain and show that to my riding students.

There is a difference between just sitting on a horse looking pretty and being a good and effective rider. The challenge is knowing the difference. Enjoying a horse is learning how to ride a horse. Good horsemanship and safety for horse and rider are also crucial and we practice these skills every time we're on the stable grounds. Children gain confidence handling the horses on the ground, grooming, and tacking up.

My teaching style is one that explains why and how. When I introduce a new subject, I explain just why this is important; why holding the reins correctly influences the way the horse acts, how seat position enforces behavior and affects the way the horse moves, how leg position and pressure helps the horse understand what we are asking. Again, proper communication is critical. When a child begins to understand these things, and the horse responds immediately and willingly, the delight is shared by the horse and rider, and I make sure to point these moments out to my students, helping them form memories of what great riding feels like.

By keeping the lessons interesting and informative, I am able to create successful and fun experiences for the kids, and I keep my group of school horses and ponies happy to see the riders coming!

Bryan Beymer

Bryan Beymer began riding dressage in 1980, and started teaching the discipline in 1992. He studied for six years with Dietrich von Hoppfgarten, schooling through and above Prix St. Georges Level (PSG). Bryan's further studies are most notably with J. Ashton Moore, another of the world's finest dressage practitioners.

My focus is on effectiveness of rider position, and understanding the mechanics of the horse as students progress to higher levels of dressage. Figures and exercises of dressage are explained.

When it comes to reschooling horses, I take the time to correct the problem. I do not take short cuts to get the horse and/or rider into the show ring! The horse's health and well being as an individual are priority one. My program produces horses with very solid training and students who know how to ride correctly and handle a variety of training situations. My students learn to really ride and train their horses in and out of the show ring, not just pilot the horse around a test. I also work to match the goals, abilities and resources of the rider to the horse's capabilities and to be able to work with any combination of these variables.

With my knowledgeable guidance, your riding will show marked progress. Lessons are individually tailored, and are linked together in logical sequence.