WBH & WBPC Lesson Etiquette & Expectations

Lesson Etiquette

1. Safety is paramount. Follow all barn rules, instructions, and wear helmets and boots. Practice awareness of your surroundings. Make wise decisions.
2. Kindness & Respect: Begin with kindness and maintain respect for our horses, for each other, and for all instructors, staff, volunteers, and parents. We want to reflect the love and compassion of Jesus to others.
3. Arrive Ready to Learn: We are so excited to help you grow! Please come to lessons with a spirit of learning and understand that feedback from the instructor comes from a hear to see you succeed in your efforts. Learning is a process and we celebrate the journey.
4. Listening: Always be listening for instructions and refrain from speaking in lessons, particularly when the instructor is speaking. Questions are encouraged, but chit chat is not appropriate during class time.
5. Attire: Come prepared, showing respect in tidy, appropriate lesson attire: Tidy tied back hair, tucked in shirt, clean jeans/breeches, boots, helmet, gloves, etc. **Pony Club Members are required to wear their medical armband/bracelet, pin, and gloves. Boots and half chaps or tall boots are preferred for English riding.
6. Follow Basic Arena Etiquette such as:
   • Passing left shoulder to left shoulder when passing in opposite directions. If you are riding with many riders in an arena and come toward another horse and rider, unsure of their path intentions, call out your intended path by calling "inside" or "outside".
   • Passing on the inside when traveling in the same direction.
   • Communicate when riding across someone's path or halting with horses behind you.
   • Do not cut other riders off.
   • Come to the center of the arena for tack adjustments.
   • Avoid allowing horses to socialize or touch noses.
   • Emergency dismount when necessitated by emergency such as a rider down or lost control of horse or when prompted by an instructor.

Lesson Expectations:

1. Respect Time: If you arrive more than 15 minutes late to your lesson, you may not be able to ride in your lesson. Grooming, tacking, and untacking should be done efficiently to maximize riding time. Missed lessons are not refunded except in rare cases of extenuating circumstances communicated in advance.
2. Proper Horse Care: This is a non-negotiable, be prepared to care for horse needs withing your skillset. Hoof picking, proper cool downs, and tail brushing are horse care; liniment, or even leg wrapping (for Pony Club members) may be required.
3. Attitude: Students are to come to lessons with a mindset conducive to respecting their horse and instructor. Know when to recognize and communicate "I am not in a good place to learn" or "I don't think my emotions would be fair to my horse today".
4. Take Five: If you are experiencing frustration, emotions, or are otherwise limited in your ability to participate, you (the rider) may request a "Take Five" from your instructor which can be taken in the center of the arena or outside it. Additionally, an instructor may ask a student to "Take Five" if they are observing any impediment to the student's learning. Remember that instructors are invested in your education, your success, and your personal and spiritual growth.
5. Community over Competition: Warm Beach Horsemanship aims for a culture of strong sportsmanship and discipleship over a culture of competition and comparison.