Great riders and horses are built when form follows function. At Freedom Farm, learners are subject to every aspect of horsemanship from the ground up. You will get answers and they will be applicable your WHOLE HORSE LIFE regardless of your riding discipline, and you will OWN the answers to your questions about how to care for a horse and ride it successfully. Everyone gets the same information…it’s what you do with it that matters!

At Freedom Farm, Privately Owned Horse Program:

Riders at Freedom Farm at Thunder Bit Stable will receive, in addition to a great boarding experience, the education and experience of two trainers working with them regularly. ​

Boarders at Freedom Farm at Thunder Bit Stable receive private or semi-private lessons for 45 minutes – 1 hour (semi-private) at a cost of $50.00 per lesson. Each curriculum is delivered specifically for each client.

Lesson Horse Program:
The care of our lesson horses is paramount to our program. No horse is over-used. Every rider must learn to care for the horse. JUST RIDING is not enough. Many parents thank me for “insisting”on this program as their youngster often just chooses to stop riding when they learn how much work goes into riding a horse.  Others thank me because their youngster finally learned to care for something bigger than them.  Adults usually love the program of learning everything from the ground up.

Freedom Farm REQUIRES all lesson students to do the horsey ground-work (care and grooming) before they ride. That will never change at Freedom Farm. Everyone does the work required to care for the horse and the equipment.​​

Beginners

Lesson students must learn all aspects of horse care before they mount. Every lesson includes ridden instruction, but the process of preparing and caring for the horse is required. Beginner lessons are up to 90 minutes long as a result. We are NOT a “keep it ready and hand it to you” barn.  Often times, you will have two trainers working with your beginner. Parents of children under the age of 16 are required to participate.  The training that goes into getting you ready to care for your own horse reflects our commitment to your independence and your ability to make quality decisions around horses. You are using a lesson horse.
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Beginner lessons with a lesson horse with hands on horse care training: $65.00 per lesson. Up to 90 minutes.

Intermediates

Intermediates have demonstrated an ability to handle the horse in and out of the paddock safely and carefully, even with a parent involved. You can care for the horse on the ground with minimal assistance from staff. You show the ability to ask for help when needed and you can primarily put on bridle and saddle without assistance. You are walking, trotting, and cantering to some degree with control of the horse. You can adequately determine if the horse needs additional care after riding and do so. You are using a lesson horse.

​Intermediate lessons with a lesson horse with minimal supervision: $65.00 per lesson. Up to 1 hour.

Advanced

You have all the horse handling experience to do all of your own retrieving, grooming, tacking, reporting on unusual observations to the trainer. You are walking, trotting, cantering of your own accord, and doing basic dressage per the trainer’s requests. You can answer situational questions correctly and demonstrate them in relation to the care and control of your horse. If you are a jumping student, you may be well into jumping or very much on your way. You have complete understanding of how the horse needs to be taken care of after the lesson and seek minimal assistance and can treat minor issues as per the trainers’ direction. You are on your way to being a helpful asset to the barn group.
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Advanced lesson students without a horse are riding a leased horse or lesson horse with minimal supervision:  $65.00 per lesson if lesson horse. $50.00 if leased horse. Leased horses are only available to intermediate to advanced riders.

Leasing: Inquire for details

Training options: At Freedom Farm at Thunder Bit Stable, the best partnership is one we agree on. Riders prepared to assist in the training and finishing of their horse are encouraged to do so. Owners/riders not prepared to help in the training and finishing of their horse usually know this and come to us for help as needed.

We will NEVER promise results. Horses change and people change. At our farm, usually everything gets easier for all involved. That’s partially because we take the time to evaluate every horse and every rider at every moment and season, and build on what it the best parts of the foundation.  We have MANY, MANY references who will attest to this.

Full and partial training options are available to all and costs are to be discussed and are fluid based on need. Since we are a program that thrives on building independent horse owners, we do not offer a flat fee/promise-based program. Everything we do is behavior and rider competency based.
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We DO NOT TAKE REARERS or overly aggressive horses that cannot get along in a public/group setting, EVER.  Please inquire for discussion on our training programs.