Services
Training
"I saw an angel in the block of marble and I just chiseled it until I set him free." - Michel Angelo
At First Choice Riding Academy we offer many types of training for horses as well as humans. We start young horses or retrain issues on older horses, as well as offering polishing programs for the show horse. All of the training that is done at our farm is based on the Training Pyramid which is now made famous by the United States Dressage Federation although it has been long standing in the German methods.
Heidi has broke an array of young horses, anything from Warmbloods that have gone on to year end awards at a National level, to a 4 year old mustang, who went on to do nothing in particular, but her owner sure loved riding her!
Here at First Choice we nurture the horse through consistency and encouragement. We do not use leather straps and training devices to make the horse do what we want, we use the same tack the horse will use in daily life, and we encourage the horse to learn to do what we want, showing the horse what we are looking for will make them strong, and feel good.
Part of the training philosophy incorporates the owner of the horse, so included in training board are lessons for the owner or rider of the horse. When we bring a horse in for training we work the horse 4-5 times a week, providing the horse with consistency as well as a couple of days to absorb what it has learned and for muscle development. As the training progresses we will ask the owner to take one or two of those sessions and actually get on the horse in a lesson format so that the rider becomes familiar with the training that the horse is going through. This way, when the training ends the owner is fully aware of the program and how to proceed.
Training Fees
Training board - $1,140 per month.
Training sessions alone - $50 each.
Transport
We offer transport to shows and clinics, as well as for medical visits or any other reason. Bob is chief transporter, and drives one of three transport rigs. He has a 6-8 horse Imperatore van which we use to go to shows and for long distance hauls. The horses ride very comfortably above the ground in this wonderful and enclosed format. It is a side by side, so those who feel more comfortable backwards are able to do so. It can also open up to three box stalls for cross-country travel. In 2008, we bought a brand new 4 horse Featherlite slant load horse trailer. It even has a dressing room! Also, Bob uses the Kingston two-horse for short jaunts. Bob has logged many miles trucking horses and is exceptional when it comes to difficult horses. He has patience and a large repertoire of ways to get a horse to go on the trailer.
Transport fees are as follows:
- under 30 miles - $75 minimum
- 30 miles and - $15 hire fee, plus $2.00 per mile, $100 minimum
We no longer offer a discount for multiple horses.
If you want to move your horse around, please contact Bob.
Boarding
At First Choice, we offer a full board option to our students. When they feel the time has come for them to become a horse owner, they can rest assured that we will find a place for their new horse. Board includes use of all amenities, with only a few restrictions on the indoor arena time, hay and grain, stall cleaning daily, and turn out, either privately or in groups depending on the horse. We have paddocks ranging from as small as 100 x 110, to pasture that is 18 acres. We even have lay up pens for those horses that need a little less room while they heal from an injury. We offer the opportunity for day or night turn out, as well as 24 hour turnout with sheds. Owners are allowed to visit their horses whenever they like, although we strongly ask that people finish with their horse by 9 PM and that they not come before 7 AM, so as to keep a regular schedule for the horses. It is our goal to provide the best care for the most reasonable rate. We also offer extras for a small fee. For a schedule of fees, please email Heidi at HGFCRA@aol.com.