Frequently Asked Questions
Lessons
If you don’t own your own helmet (a certified horse riding helmet) then you will be required to pay a $5 helmet rental fee.
A boot with a small heel is also required. This is a safety piece of equipment that prevents the rider’s foot from slipping through the stirrup iron and becoming stuck. Most rain boots, hiking boots, or work boots have a small heel that is suitable but proper riding boots are always a great investment.
I often have boots for sale from students who have outgrown theirs, so it may be worth a check with me first. Helmets should always be purchased new to avoid any previous drops or falls.
All children 18 and under are required by law to follow the above listed guidelines. While at Fire Fly Stables all riders, regardless of age, are required to wear proper helmets and footwear. This is our policy.
Horse Training
That is one of my favourite things to say to my students, make it look easy, make your friends think “I could do that, it looks so easy!”. This concept is what I try to apply to everything. My horse should steer completely off of my seat, weight, eyes and legs, and my horses do! I take the bridles off all the time and ride without because I can. This is what I want all the horses I train to be able to do. It means no short cuts, the horses learn everything thoroughly. We don’t just hop on and ride for hours one day and expect the horse to absorb it all by the end. Short but frequent lessons are the best and the horses learn and enjoy learning.
I train mostly dressage. I had a clinician dare me to make a horse go round and do upper level dressage moves without a bridle, he said it was impossible, and I’m out to prove him wrong.
I specialize in dressage training, however I have also competed in hunter/jumper as well as the western disciplines both performance and speed events. I bring a well rounded knowledge to my training and I have picked up tools and techniques from each discipline that I have ridden through.
Boarding
Extra grain or supplements, if your horse requires extra grain (outside of the grains we already feed) or extra supplements for it’s health, we are happy to feed it. You must include it in your contract so that all barn workers can be made aware of dosages. You do need to provide these extras but we are happy to feed them at no extra cost to you.