Full care board includes

• Stall with turn in/out daily
• Clean shavings provided
• Quality grain and hay
• 2 water buckets filled daily or more if needed
• salt lick if owner desires-at manager's expense
• hay net in stall
• round bales in paddocks during winter
• supplements fed if provided by owner
• blanketing as needed
• catching/holding for farrier and vet

Use of barn amenities:

1. Hot/cold water wash stall-IN BARN-with mats and heat lamp
2. Heated tack room
3. Washer/dryer
4. Sink with hot/cold water
5. Fans in stall during summer
6. Trails from property
7. LOADS of Montgomery County parks with trails within a short hauling distance
8. Professional trainers on site daily-Horses are their full time profession.
9. Center of 3 day eventing Area II for the eventers out there!
10. Large outdoor arena with lights
11. PAVED drive all the way to the barn
12. Barn parking lot and driveway are usually plowed in winter for easy access
13. The Surrey, the local tack shop is a short drive away.  Tell them you are with us and receive a 10% discount!

Loretta the natural horseman clear communication/visible results

Booking System

I am so excited with the progress we are making with the new Bookeo system! As of right now, you can register and pay the deposit for ANY week of camp from the home page of the main website:
http://www.2020horsemanship.com

Here are some things current customers can and should do with the system:

• When you click on the calendar tab and you see the main booking page, look at the top left and you will see it says, exisiting customer? then in the right corner is says sign in here. You are then prompted for your email which is your username and your password. 
•  You are then brought to a page that says Hi Name! You will see different categories: Your bookings, prepaid packages, your profile, prepaid credits, new bookings and sign out. To review lessons you would go to your bookings. To cancel a lesson you would also go there. Just find the date, click on it and chose delete. If you have multiple lessons scheduled on the same day and time it will ask if you want just that one deleted or all of them. 
•  Prepaid packages allows you to purchase the 4,8 and 12 sets of lessons. Prices reflected are as of April 1. It does cost more to run payments through paypal and credit cards, in addition to the expense of the system.  We will be talking to each of you about this personally.
•  Please read through each package because beginning April 1 I will be enforcing the policy of so many prepaid lessons must be taken in a certain amount of time.  This helps ensure your progress. A student cannot possibly learn when they purchase 12 lessons and 52 weeks have gone by and they are not used yet. 
• There are TONS of NEW perks for prepaying 4, 8 or 12 lessons! I will list just a couple here: Each earns a certain number of 90 minute lessons. 
•  Each earns 'credits' which - like a punchcard - can be accumulated and used for different things, such as a free lesson, 20/20 shirt, cap or jacket. 

Please make sure you receive my emails, follow the blog and you tube channel.  If you allow it, please have your children go through some of the you tube videos.  I will be creating how tos in the future so stayed tuned in!

Maximize YOUR lesson

MAXIMIZING THE RIDING LESSON:
Help your students get to most out of your lessons
by Jan Dawson

To the Student 
Assuming you have chosen your instructor wisely, interviewed various instructors, checked references with former students and with current students, even taken a trial lesson or two; now it is time to consider how to get the most benefit from your riding lessons.
It is important that you be a physically comfortable as possible. Clothing should be appropriate to the discipline, Western or English and should include an ASTM/SEI approved helmet, hard soled boots or lace-up shoes with at least a half inch heel, riding pants or jeans, if the latter, snug ones with some stretch are best, gloves, and a riding shirt that tucks in. Outer clothing should not flap or be so long as to catch on the back of the saddle. Clothing made specifically for riding will either be waist-length or have slits to allow for the saddle. Above all, IT MUST BE COMFORTABLE because if it isn't you will be miserable and will sit and move To accommodate your clothing..
You should be in a positive frame of mind and be prepared to learn. There is no reason to feel embarrassed because of perceived inadequacies. After all, if you knew all the information already, you would not be taking the lessons. You should be ready to start from the beginning without being offended because only then can the instructor know exactly where you are and what your individual strengths and weaknesses are. Experience with horses does not necessarily mean you have mastered all the skills that your chosen instructor deems necessary. While you need to be alert and prepared to learn you should still be relaxed. You are doing this because you enjoy it and have made the decision to learn more and improve your skills.
Most students take lessons once a week. More lessons will probably allow you to progress more quickly especially if you are using a "school horse." However, more lessons per week are more expensive. A once a week schedule requires that you only miss your lesson when absolutely necessary. Missing lessons is a principal cause of problems for many adult riders. Everyone is busy and there are many demands on time what with work and parenting responsibilities. Be sure to schedule your lessons at your most convenient time and if you foresee problems check on the instructor's make-up policy. When the student is a young person, it is up to the parent to prevent over scheduling.
Riding is an athletic discipline and is such is more easily learned by the young. If you are not a child you will find it helpful to do some stretching before each lesson. Stretches that emphasize the legs, inner and outer thighs, front of thighs, buttocks and back. Be sure to check with your doctor before beginning any new exercise regime. Your instructor should begin each lesson with some appropriate stretches but you will still benefit by doing some on your own before you mount up.
When in class, be attentive and if you do not understand something ask that it be explained further. Children spend many hours a day in school and are accustomed to being taught. Adults have often forgotten how to be students. They have also forgotten how to make a mistake since they usually arrange things so they stay out of areas of doubt. Be prepared to flub-up and don't worry about it. It is all part of the process.
Riding is a discipline so remember that while your instructor is explaining something she or he is not intending to give you an opportunity to sit sloppily out of position and let your mind wander. Get your money's worth by listening. Parents should pay attention to the younger student's attitude in a lesson because if the student is not attentive, not only is the youngster not safe but the parent is buying an expensive pony ride. Sometimes it is better to put off riding lessons until the child has matured sufficiently to remain attentive throughout the lesson.
During the lesson whether it is private, semi-private, or a group lesson; whether you are experienced or not, and even if the student is a child, it is important that the student attempts to do what the instructor asks. Maybe it is not the way you have always done it. or maybe the instruction doesn't seem to make sense; if you understand the instruction and you see no safety reason not to, follow the instruction. The instructor needs your cooperation to get you where she or he is trying to go with the lesson. Kids are used to following instructions all day, adults, well, not so much.
After the lesson, as soon as possible, maybe in the car before you leave the stable, make notes. Did the review of the previous lesson go well? Were there any weaknesses? What was the subject of this day's lesson? What skills were involved; what sub-skills? Were you able to master them? What problem did you have? What do you need to think about for next time? If you ride your own horse what do you need to practice? You might even consider keeping a journal. If possible, clarify any questions you discover while making your notes with your instructor before leaving the barn. If the student is a child, this is a good activity for a parent after each lesson. Remember, be interested and supportive, and proud, not an interrogator.
Many adults are quick to be disappointed if progress is not perceived to come quickly. We live in an environment where overachieving is rewarded. We are taught that the harder we work, the better we do. If we just push harder we'll see more progress. This is not necessarily so with riding. Our bodies don't cooperate and the horse has not read the book. Usually the more you push the worse it gets. This can also be true for kids but remember, they take instruction all day long for nine months out of the year. A lesson is seldom as stressful as for child as for the adult professional who wants progress, lots of it, and now.







Loretta
 the natural horseman
 clear communication/visible results

Where are you looking when you ride?

Think about it just for a moment.  Are you looking up?  Ahead? Through your corners or down the trail?  Your horse's neck?

I often ask a student, "What are you looking at?" It surprises me when they are not able to answer. Or perhaps they realize they were looking at mane and just don't want to say.

A couple things are going on here, and none of them are in your favor.

To start with, the horse can actually FEEL where you are looking, or more accurately where your head is pointed.  So if you really tilt your head to check on that diagonal or lead, well, your horse knows it, he feels the weight shift of your head.  Ever try to stay balanced carrying something heavy that was not balanced?  It's hard.

Next we have the fact that since our body parts are all connected, when your head moves, your shoulders move, and then your hip slightly moves and then, TA DA....your seat bones!  This is why English riders like close contact saddles and pants that allow freedom of movement.

Try this:  Sit on the edge of a wooden chair. (it doesn't work if the surface is not hard).  Put your legs in a position as close to riding as you can, so make sure what you are sitting on isn't too low or too high.  If your legs are too far in front of you, you will not get the same effect.  Make sure you can feel your seat bones under you.  Wiggle around until you find them. On a wooden chair it might feel really hard to thin or small kids.  But then at least we know they found them!  Now sit up making sure your back is straight, still feeling your seat bones. Slowly turn your head to the left, and gently allow your left shoulder to move back with it.  You should be able to feel your seat bone shift slightly.  It is not a big movement but a very subtle one.  Turn your head the other direction and do the same thing.  Try this again, with your eyes closed.  Many times our sense of feel will increase when we take away visual distractions.

Staying in the chair in this position, try really arching your back and see what happens. Did your seat bones disappear?  Because now your crotch is where your seat bones should be and those seat bone have shot out behind you.  Go back to the original position and this time try sitting back more on your bum.  Did they disappear again?  Yep.  Now they are in front of where they should be.  

Now you know not only why the location of your head (and eyes) is important but how to fix your position so you are sitting correctly.

Happy Trails,

Team 20/20
www.2020horsemanship.com

new boarding website!
www.2020horsemanship.org

Here’s How (And Why) You Should Ride With Bent Elbows | Horse Listening

Here’s How (And Why) You Should Ride With Bent Elbows | Horse Listening



 Loretta



the natural horseman



clear communication/visible results