LESSONS AT RIVER SONG FARM AND STABLES

English, Western and jumping riding lessons are available by appointment for ages 5 to adult.  Rates are $30.00 for a half hour lesson, $60 for an hour lesson.  

River Song’s lesson horses are very special, and unique in Iowa.  They are “schoolmaster” horses, specifically trained to teach YOU how to ride correctly.  They are gentle, patient and kind, and you will learn quickly and easily and have a lot of fun!  Some were lesson horses in “A” circuit barns, and other advanced English, jumping and dressage horses were successful competitors on the East Coast before they came to River Song.  We also have lovely small school horses for children, and ponies that the tiniest tots can ride, and if they are able, even jump!

We have lesson horses for all ages and levels of experience in every riding discipline, so whether you have a four-year-old signing up for her first lesson on a quiet, gentle pony, want jumping lessons on a seasoned equine competitor, or would like a great Western horse to take you easily over hill and dale for a trail ride lesson, we have just the right horse for you!  You are also welcome to trailer in your own horse for lessons.

Riding lessons, whether English or Western, always begin with proper grooming and tacking of the rider's horse. Your first few River Song lessons include a free intial half hour of grooming and tacking up before the full hour of riding.  Riders learn about the anatomy of the horse and how to groom it properly. Soon they will have the confidence to groom and tack up their own riding partner. Riders acquire a great sense of accomplishment as they become able to care for the animal they have grown to love.

Lisa takes time to learn each rider's personality and abilities so that she can match each student with the right horse.  As she spends time with her students teaching them to groom their horses, she gets to know them well, then develops ongoing lesson plans for each student.

Safety is the number one priority at River Song. All riders are required to wear a properly fitted helmet, long pants, and boots or shoes with a small heel - no sandals, shorts or bare heads allowed.  Proper safety procedures for working with and around horses are repeated and emphasized over and over again, with advanced students as well as beginners.  In the many years Lisa has been teaching, not one of her students has ever been injured, and we intend to keep that perfect record!

River Song has 14 lesson horses and two lesson ponies, all waiting to meet YOU!