Hello Potential New Rider!

Thank you for showing interest in Avalon Management’s Riding Program. We strive to create a fun and safe horse community. Our students are courteous to others, strive for knowledge, and understand the importance of safety. If this sounds like a place you want to be, please fill out the riding application following this introduction letter.

Please understand that since our program is so full, we cannot accommodate a changing schedule. Once your application has been accepted, you will be assigned a weekly riding slot at the same time each week. If you will be out of town, you need to let us know as soon as possible so we can schedule accordingly. As part of this community, communication and respect are a key aspect of creating a happy environment.

Our trainers have had years of experience riding and training, however, we are not licensed to teach students with physical, emotional, or learning disabilities. Our horses are safe, but they are not therapy horses. Forward Stride located in Beaverton, Oregon has an excellent program for this and we highly recommend them!

By joining Avalon Riding School, you will also have access to our weekly group classroom session where students can widen their knowledge base about the horse. These sessions cover a wide variety of topics from horse care to other disciplines. This one-hour class is usually a combination of classroom work and hands-on learning and is dynamic based on the weather.

When your application is accepted and we schedule your lesson, we expect our students to be prepared for their first day of class. This means that the rider will need an ASTM/SEI Certified riding helmet, breeches, paddock boots, half chaps, and horse riding gloves. These materials should fit snugly yet comfortably. Loose equipment can often cause rubs where whereas tight equipment can be uncomfortable. This material is required for safety.

We do not require long-sleeved shirts to ride, but it is encouraged. It can protect from scrapes if the rider falls. We do not allow any shirts that show the belly button or just sports bras. We also do not allow shirts or gear with profanity on it. Anyone visiting the barn, whether they are riding or not, must wear closed-toed shoes. Please remember to remind your guests of that if they come to watch.

Before coming to your first riding lesson, please be sure to look over the rules and fill out the liability release which will be in your packet upon acceptance. Anyone visiting the premises will need to sign a liability release including guests that are just watching. Extra releases can be found in the arena, just ask your instructor.

Our riding school is tuition-based. This is because our horses have to eat whether you ride or not. They eat every day all year long. We do our best to accommodate make-ups when the weather is extreme, but we cannot promise the weather will always permit this. We understand that this can be an inconvenience, but try to provide make-up lessons as an option.

The current price for riding lessons is $350 a month. You will receive an invoice before the first of every month and you can set this invoice to auto-pay. This includes a scheduled weekly riding lesson and a quarterly goal-setting meeting. Additional weekly lessons are an additional $350 each a month. There is no discount for siblings.

We offer a weekly horsemanship class that focuses on things off the horse. Sometimes it is a classroom lesson where we learn how to clean tack, score dressage tests, learn about horse coat genetics, or other things. Sometimes it is a showmanship lesson where the student leads the horse around and makes it do different things, like turn, trot, or lunge.

Beginning Riding lessons are on Saturdays from 9 am to 4 pm and Monday afternoons. Intermediate and Advanced lessons are Tuesday through Friday afternoons and evenings.

We accept riders older than 10 years of age. Unfortunately, because our horses are older, our weight limit is 200 lbs.

If you like what you have read, please continue on to the application.

Thank you!

Avalon Management