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Program Levels
Each level of the Thunderbay program is designed to teach students the ins and outs of working with horses- it's more than just getting in and out of the saddle.
Our goal is to produce well-rounded, conscious riders confident in both their riding and horsemanship skills and provide a fun, no-drama place for them to grow.
Level One: Foal
Foal is for riders who have never been on a horse or perhaps need to be reacquainted with them.
Special focus is given to teaching horse safety, basic grooming and tacking up, mounting, and steering/stopping. Expect lots of weaving games and position exercises!
Level Two: Filly
Filly encourages riders to tack up and groom their horse with a little outside help, includes learning about hoof picking, bridle parts, and saddle parts. In the saddle, students work on open rein steering and positions like two point to make the transition to trot easier.
Level Three: Pony
Pony is where most riders join us; greater focus is applied to position in the saddle and over poles, riders will also start learning the ring letters to identify their position or course in the ring. Their trotwork prepares them to canter and master its departure.
Level Four: Friesian
Friesian students become masters of changes of rein as well as experimenting with no stirrup or bareback lessons to challenge their form. Canterwork includes learning leads and fine tuning hand position for refined control like half-halts through longer and more complex jump courses.
Level Five: Pegasus
Pegasus challenges riders to complete higher level arena figures and harder technical challenges. Students learn to obtain the proper lead, canter off from the walk, count their strides between jumps, and see the distance before them.
Level Six: Lipizzaner
The final level of our program is for the new horsemen ready to graduate and ride worldwide. Riders are aware of all horse anatomy, tack parts, can help other/younger students, and ride while displaying excellent horsemanship.
They are capable of complex changes of rein and jumps like diagonal lines or rollbacks and can accurately estimate their strides leading up to and through a jump.
Graduation Shows
Moving up is treated as a big deal- because it is!
It's proof a student has put in work becoming a better horseperson and is one step closer to their riding dreams! Every member of our barn has a goal, and it's our job to help them achieve it.​
We host multiple private shows a year for riders to show off their improving skills and move to the next level of the program with apt recognition. It's also a great way to get the whole barn family together to support each other!
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