For ages 6 - 18
Nod Hill Equestrian Academy for Youth
A division of US Horse Welfare and Rescue
This program is designed for children who have a true passion for horses and want to learn all they can, from advancing their riding skills to learning about nutrition and important basic first aid.
The Academy is designed to provide beginners through advanced intermediate students with weekly mounted lessons and horsemanship classes. Beginners learn everything from the basics of riding, safety around horses, proper grooming, and tacking up, while more advanced equestrians focus on advancing their connection with the horse, dissecting their riding skills on the flat and over the jumps.
Students will also be enrolled in weekly private or semi-private lessons in addition to their group lessons and horsemanship classes on Tuesday evenings with other like-minded kids. The group lesson and horsemanship classes will be split 50/50 between riding and horsemanship/groundwork/academics where students will be grouped according to their skill levels, allowing each child to flourish to their fullest.
In addition, students strengthen life skills such as patience, perseverance, confidence, focus, teamwork, leadership, and much more under the tutelage of our instructors. Horsemanship classes are largely conducted unmounted.
🌟 Welcome to Our Equestrian Academy
The Equestrian Academy is designed to take young riders to the next level—building confidence, deepening horsemanship skills, and fostering friendships that last a lifetime.
Here, every child is matched with peers of similar ability, guided by caring instructors, and supported by the bond between horse and rider. Parents can expect a program that not only teaches riding but also instills responsibility, patience, and teamwork.
Academy Schedule
To give each age group the best experience, we’ve divided the Academy into two sessions:
Tuesdays, 5:30–7:30 PM – Riders ages 10 and up
Thursdays, 5:30–7:30 PM – Riders ages 6–9
Each group meets once a week for 12 sessions during the fall.
🐴 Private & Semi-Private Lessons
In addition to Academy sessions, each student must also enroll in a weekly private or semi-private riding lesson (scheduled at your convenience). This ensures your child gets one-on-one attention to advance their riding skills.
💲 Program Costs
12-week group session plus 12 Private/Semi-Private Lessons: $1400.00
(Pricing can be reduced by any remaining lessons from a current package.)
🌟 Benefits of the Academy
Parents can look forward to seeing their child:
Develop stronger riding skills through a blend of group and individual lessons
Gain confidence, focus, responsibility, leadership and teamwork skills
Learn the full scope of horsemanship—both in and out of the saddle
Build friendships in a safe, supportive environment
Experience the joy of connecting with horses on a deeper level
In our peaceful and supportive environment, your child will discover the joy of riding. Here they can relax and learn without ever feeling overwhelmed or pressured.
💡 What to Bring
We recommend that parents send their child with plenty of water and a light snack to keep them energized.
👉 The Academy is the perfect way to keep your child engaged, learning, and growing in the barn this fall. Spots are limited—reserve your child’s place today!
Holiday “skip” weeks are built into the calendar.
The programs run in all types of weather. Please dress to be outside! Our main barn is heated to 45-50 degrees so in the event of extreme cold, the academy will be held in the main barn. Riding time will be made up if it is missed due to extreme cold or heat.
Please email ushorsewelfare@gmail.com with any questions or for more information.
Watch for exciting news regarding the academy and our new curriculum, new divisions, new team of trainers!
About the Academy
Email us to sign up or for further information.
Why join the Academy?
It is our philosophy that horses are not tools, but rather, they are your partner. Learning to listen to them is how one truly learns to ride, and therefore, we believe horsemanship is essential to becoming a good equestrian.
Our Academy offers an outstanding opportunity for your child to grow into a well-rounded, well-educated equestrian. Blending riding, horsemanship, and husbandry provides our students with greater knowledge of the sport, increasing their ability to partner with the horses. This allows children to become better equestrians.
Enrollment
AGES 6-18. We allow open enrollment, permitting those new to our facility to enter the Academy on a prorated basis during a semester.
CLASS SPACE IS LIMITED. Please reserve your spot now.
Class Times and Frequency
Group classes run for approximately 2 hours per week. On occasion they may run over depending on what they are working on. Private riding lessons are 30 minutes, and semi-private lessons are 45 minutes.
How does it work?
During each 3-month semester, students have 12 mounted private or semi-private lessons, one per week, in addition to a 2-hour group horsemanship and mounted class each week. This is determined by the instructor and the readiness of the student. There are built-in “skip weeks” during the semester for vacations, illness, etc. Students may also purchase additional weekly riding lessons during the semester if there is no skip needed so they don’t miss a beat before the next semester starts!
Members:
ACADEMY MUST BE PAID IN FULL PRIOR TO THE FIRST CLASS/LESSON. LATE PAYMENTS ARE CHARGED $10 a day. Your child’s weekly lesson time is reserved for them on an ongoing basis unless you or the instructor request a change in time. Once the semester starts there are no refunds.
Cancellation Policy
As always, lessons must be canceled 24 hours in advance to avoid being charged for the lesson.
Program Cancellations within 2 weeks before the original start date will be refunded 50% of the payment. No refunds are issued once the program starts.
Any riding lessons a student misses will need to be made up during the semester and are scheduled based on the instructor's availability. A limited number of open slots are available for makeups. Lessons are not carried forward into the next semester however, students are welcome to take more than one lesson a week.
Make an impact today
Proceeds from our programs go to saving abused, neglected, at-risk, & slaughter-bound horses across the country and providing top-notch care for the horses here at our sanctuary and rescue.
