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Frequently asked questions
General
Pants! Always! Year round.
For lessons when it’s warm out short sleeves are ok. Remember, the more of your skin you have covered up when riding the better protected you are from the sun, abrasions in a fall or scratches from branches when trail riding. A light long sleeve sun shirt is a good choice for all seasons as a base layer.
Boots with a heel are best. They’re for safety to keep your foot from sliding all the way through the stirrup. Beginners may get started in sneakers or other closed toe shoes, but we recommend if you are going to ride frequently you get either paddock boots or tall boots for English or cowboy boots for western. Boots also protect your toes better when you are working around horses on the ground.
No, but for trail rides children under age 16 need prior experience for an independent ride. We also offer assisted trail rides for all ages where we lead the horse.
Adults with no experience should use their judgment in whether to book an independent trail ride or an assisted trail ride. If in doubt we recommend assisted. We will provide instruction along the way but can help with steering/stopping/control much better when we are leading the horse than when we can only help by offering verbal instructions. Guest with English as a second language should also consider their ability to understand instructions as we do not speak any other languages. For lessons or trail rides riders need to be able to climb the steps of the mounting block, swing their right leg over the saddle, and keep their body weight balanced.
Because your ride or lesson is outdoors, we keep an eye on the forecast and will contact you if the weather looks unsafe or uncomfortable. We do not go out in freezing, icy, or slippery conditions, or during lightning or thunder. If you’ve paid a deposit, we’ll apply it to a new date. If you can’t reschedule, we’ll refund your deposit for weather-related cancellations.
Trail rides are $80 per person for independent riders age 16+ and up. We also offer trail rides for $120 where we lead the horse (assisted trail ride).Lessons are $60 for a 1 hour lesson. Note that the one hour includes non-riding instruction as well (getting horse from field, tacking up, etc. and is usually about 40-45 minutes of riding).Pony Rides are offered as parties where pricing varies by number of people - see our service page for On Farm Pony Parties. We also offer individual pony rides for $45 where you get a 20 minute ride and another 25 minutes of grooming/petting, tacking up, and feeding treats.
Yes. We can host a party at our farm and provide pony rides. We can also transport horses to your event for "pony" rides. Note that a "pony" is a small horse. The term pony ride usually implies a person having a ride on a horse where another person is leading the horse. We do often use "horses" for "pony" rides. Please contact us for a quote based on the number of people, the length of the party, the distance (for off site), etc. We can also bring a goat or two for petting for off site parties for an additional fee.We also offer single pony rides for $45 which includes a 20 minute ride and an additional 25 minutes for grooming, petting, tacking up and feeding treats. These are available to riders of all ages.
Yes! We love to educate! Our rate is $50 per participant and includes a ride (the horse may be led on a lead rope depending on ability) and hands on sessions in other horse topics including grooming, tack, health, care, feet, etc. If a troop is working on a badge we can cater the program to the badge. Please reach out to us through email or text to plan a program.
All trail rides are led by one of our experienced guides. Our school horses are well trained and mostly follow each other, but do require the rider to follow our guide’s instructions regarding steering and stopping. Please don't plan to carry a purse or backpack on the trail ride. If you must bring personal items a waist bag (fanny pack) is best. If you are brining your phone, car keys or wallet please make sure they are in a zipped pocket so they don't fall out. The guide will offer to take photos of riders generally using the guide's phone and send to the riders after the ride. We don't prohibit the use of phones during the ride, but do caution that beginner riders are better able to handle their horse and less likely to drop their phone if they don't have it out when they are riding. Vaping/Smoking are prohibited on farm property and on the trail ride. Trails used are generally wooded and may include a stream and/or bridge crossing which our horses are accustomed to.There is a restroom (porta potty) you can use before/after the ride.We recommend long pants year round and a light long sleeve shirt year round. Branches may touch you as you ride by. The ride does go in the woods. As with any activity in the woods, you should check for ticks.
At Rock Hill Farm we do not have an explicit minimum age for riders. However, there are a few important criteria to ensure safety and enjoyment for all participants. A child must be able to wear a helmet, follow instructions, and for a lesson, they need to remain focused and interested for the entire hour. Additionally, riders under the age of 16 must demonstrate that they can control their own horse before heading out on the trail. Your child’s safety and a positive riding experience are our top priorities.Pony Rides are the best option for young children to get started. We offer the same instruction in pony rides as we do in beginner lessons, but pony rides are shorter and less expensive. If a child has been signed up for an independent trail ride and we see they are not able to control their horse we will need to charge for an assisted trail ride so we can be hands on to help them on the ground.
We will not give refunds for a child that decides they do not want to get on the horse or who wants to discontinue the ride early. We will make every effort to encourage them but will likely not spend the entire allotted time trying to convince them to get on if they are reluctant for more than 10-15 minutes. In a pony party setting we will skip over a child who does not want to get on in the interest of keeping rides going for the other children. Children who are reluctant to ride are welcome pet the horses and feed them treats .
Trail Ride Guide: Yes. We like to say, “If you liked your ride, kiss your horse and tip your guide!” Many people do not realize that it is customary to tip your trail ride guide. If you had a great time on your ride, show your appreciation. The standard is 15-20% – similar to what you would tip a waiter or waitress. If your ride experience was less than fantastic please let us know so we can make improvements. We make every effort to make your experience great.
Lesson Instructor: No - it is not customary to tip for riding lessons, except perhaps a holiday gift if you would like.
Spring and Fall are my favorite seasons, but yes, we go out all year. Read on for more about typical conditions each season:
Spring: Muddy, wet ground, footing may be slick in spots, stream crossing likely to be higher (it's still only 12" but in summer it sometimes dries out). Not too hot. Not buggy in the woods.
Summer: Hot. Buggy. Not too cold. Footing is usually very good/dry. Not so bad if you're comfortable taking a hand off the reins/saddle horn to shoo the bugs away. Usually the lead horse gets the worst of it. Wear your bug spray/essential oils, long sleeves are recommended even though it's warm so you don't get scratched from any branches.
Fall: Leaves are turning, weather is cooling, bugs are going away. Footing is usually still good. Can't think of any cons about Fall as long as it's not too cold yet.
Winter. COLD. May be icy or snowy. Usually limited to walk only, no trotting. Did I say COLD? If the weather is below 40 degrees you will definitely want layers and gloves. Think - skiing or snowmobiling attire but on a horse. Likely you will want to skip the riding boots and just wear winter boots. If it is below freezing toe warmers are recommended. How crazy are you about riding?
English and Western are two different styles of riding that differ in saddles, technique, horse type, etc. But for purposes of trail rides, we're just asking which style saddle you prefer. English saddles are smaller, lighter, with a forward seat and stirrups designed to avoid restricting the horse's movement and allow closer contact with the horse. Western saddles are larger and heavier, with a horn in the front (sticks up, you can grab on to it), and a deeper seat. Beginners typically prefer a western saddle; however, if a rider is well balanced they may find an English saddle more comfortable and easier to dismount from if hip mobility is an issue. All of our horses go in English saddles but not all of them go in Western.
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