There are many riding academies in the South Bay that cater to a
wide variety of ages and abilities. Refresher courses, beginner
lessons, ground work and advanced training are available at hourly
rates or through special packages. Finding out what instructors’
strengths are, and how well they will match your child’s needs is
encouraged by the schools.
There are many riding academies in the South Bay that cater to a wide variety of ages and abilities. Refresher courses, beginner lessons, ground work and advanced training are available at hourly rates or through special packages. Finding out what instructors’ strengths are, and how well they will match your child’s needs is encouraged by the schools.
“My uncle bought me a horse for my birthday a couple of years ago,” said 12-year-old Hollister resident Megan Daniels. “I’ve always liked horses, and I’ve gone riding with my aunt, but I wanted to learn more. So my mom signed me up with Amber Kluga, and she’s taught me a lot.”
Amber Kluga runs Horses-N-Training near Hollister. She teaches both Western and English saddle.
“I’ve been in love with horses my entire life, or should I say obsessed with horses?” Kluga said. “I haven’t always been able to indulge my passion, but even in the horse-dry years I found time to take in a rented trail ride whenever possible. Starting several years back, as my older two children turned into teenagers, I re-entered the world of horses.”
Kluga sees riding as a great physical activity for children and adults, and interacting with a horse helps to build self-esteem. She enjoys teaching beginning riders and suggests that a child should be at least 8 years old before they start lessons.
“They need a good attention span; horses are not big dogs,” she said. “Safety and learning to be comfortable around a 1,200 pound animal is an important part of what I teach.”
Kelley Williams, Daniels’ mother, was looking for a safe step-by-step program that taught the care and feeding of a horse, as much as about riding techniques.
“Amber provides a full program,” she said. “Megan is exposed to grooming, feeding, cleaning hooves, tack and riding. I had my own horse at 7, and I’ve had my share of injuries. Amber makes her students wear a helmet. She teaches the students how to be safe around the horses and what to do if a situation arises when riding.”
Daniels enjoys her weekly lesson with Kluga, and she feels she learns something new each time she goes.
“I’ve learned how to be around horses, and my riding has improved, and I’ve made some new friends at Horses-N-Training,” Daniels said.
For Daniels’ mother, the changes in her daughter’s maturity and self confidence are just as important as her improved riding skills. She credits Kluga’s teaching skills and the friendly environment of the ranch.
“Amber provides a family atmosphere, sort of a 4-H feel, but different,” she said.
Kluga encourages parents who are thinking about lessons for their children to visit Horses-N-Training.
“Come out and talk with me, take a tour and meet the horses. I emphasize safety, and then show them the scary paperwork,” Kluga said with a laugh. “I want the children to learn not to be afraid of a horse by learning how to behave around a horse.”
At Red Fox Morgan in Gilroy, Susie Morgan teaches students based on the techniques she learned from her teacher, Helen Crabtree. Crabtree is one of America’s leading experts on saddle seat equitation.
“Position is everything,” Morgan said. “It’s amazing how poorly most people ride. I want them to learn control; every time you get on a horse, you need to learn how to make them behave.”
Morgan specializes in working with people who are frightened of horses.
Emphasis is on more advanced techniques for the experienced rider at Flying Tail Farms in Gilroy. Dressage, cross-country training and stadium jumping are part of the program Flying Tail offers.
“Dressage is like the figure part of figure skating,” said Shannon Lillui, a trainer and instructor, who is also a competitor looking toward being an Olympic athlete. “We’re a real team and a family.”
Bright Ranch in San Martin has several different programs for different age levels, from 4 year olds to adults, as well as lessons for riders with special needs.
The students begin with a ground school. This portion of the program begins with a thorough understanding of the horse’s anatomy and conformation. Then the students move on to understanding why horses do what they do. The focus is on how to safely handle a horse on the ground, the proper way to catch and halter, lead and tie, as is the proper way to groom and handle the horse’s feet and how to correctly bridle and saddle a horse.
Once students master their ground-school, they begin to learn how to ride in a balanced and safe manner. By the end of the first phase, students have successfully learned how to safely handle a horse on the ground. In the saddle they have learned how to walk, trot, lope and back a horse.
Instructors emphasized safety and learning control as part of their programs for beginner riders, and many saw the ground work of the care and feeding of a horse as an important part of the learning process.
For these instructors, horses are a passion, and they want to share that with the children they are teaching.
“It’s a real thrill to be able to expose a child to such a marvelous thing called a horse,” Kluga said.
