CR Horsemanship - Training & Lessons

12/26/2025

12/25/2025

Merry Christmas from us to you! We hope you have a peaceful and lovely holiday, whatever that may look like for you 🥰 be safe, have fun and see you in the new year!

12/24/2025

🙌🏼

Good c**t starters are getting harder to find — and that should worry people.

The horse industry is on fire right now. Incentives are growing, big shows are packed, and everyone wants a broke, confident young horse ready to go.

What’s in short supply?
Horsemen who can start one right.

C**t starting isn’t a quick tune-up or a 30-day flip. The foundation and first few rides shape how a horse thinks for the rest of its life. Rush it, cheap out, or put it in the wrong hands, and you’ll spend years trying to fix it — if you ever can.

Every c**t learns differently. Some figure it out quick, others need time. That’s not weakness — that’s horsemanship. The good ones adjust instead of forcing a timeline.

If the c**t starter you want is booked solid, that’s not a problem — that’s a sign. Ask who they trust and wait your turn if you have to. Settling almost always costs more.

Start them when they’re ready. Keep the rides short, clear, and intentional. Give them 90–120 days if you want something that lasts.

And here’s the part people don’t like hearing:
Pay your c**t starter. Pay them well.
It’s not expensive — it’s insurance.

Because those first rides don’t just make a horse — they decide its future. **tstarting

12/19/2025

Repost for one of my awesome kids: Pony friends: we are starting our search for Hattie’s next pony. Daniel has made her into a sticky, good riding kid but she’s outgrowing him right in front of our eyes 🥹
Looking for a top medium or large pony with changes would be preferred, preference to reg welsh or half welsh. While she is a gritty rider, I’d like to see her with something sweet & forgiving. Let me know if you’ve seen anything. Purchase only, not interested in a lease.
*has to be correct & cute* Hattie’s parents don’t feed ugly equines 🫣

12/18/2025

I’ll always choose the barn.
Not because it’s easy.
Not because it fits neatly into a busy life.
But because it’s the one place that has always felt honest to me.

The barn doesn’t ask me to be anything
other than who I am in that moment.
It doesn’t care how productive my day was,
how put together I look,
or how heavy my heart feels.

It just lets me arrive as I am.

When life feels loud,
the barn feels steady.
When the world pulls me in a hundred directions,
the barn pulls me back to myself.

There’s something about the rhythm of it all—
the feeding,
the brushing,
the quiet chores done without rushing—
that reminds me life doesn’t have to move so fast
to be meaningful.

I’ll always choose the barn
because it teaches me patience
when I want control,
softness
when I’m tempted to harden,
and presence
when my mind wants to live everywhere but here.

The barn has held me
through becoming.
Through joy.
Through heartbreak.
Through seasons when I wasn’t sure
who I was anymore.

It has never asked for explanations.
It has never rushed my healing.
It has simply offered space—
space to breathe,
to feel,
to remember what matters.

I’ll always choose the barn
because horses don’t just take up space in my life—
they shape the way I live it.
They teach me to listen more than I speak.
To lead with intention.
To trust slowly and love deeply.

The barn reminds me
that strength doesn’t have to be loud.
That peace can be quiet.
That joy can live in the simplest moments—
a soft nicker,
a warm breath,
the sound of hooves on dirt at the end of the day.

I know this life isn’t for everyone.
The early mornings.
The dirt under your nails.
The sacrifices no one sees.

But for those of us who understand…
the barn isn’t just a place.
It’s a feeling.
A refuge.
A home.

So yes—
when given the choice,
I’ll always choose the barn.

Because it’s where my heart feels most like itself.

Is the barn your go-to place?

12/16/2025

Christmas packages available! Discounted if deposits before Christmas.

Riding lessons- Semi private and group

4 pk Jan/Feb (2 per month)

6-9 week packs for March/April, May/June

Pick your own dates (from available dates) packages for summer- 5 sessions.

Private lessons- flex plans or consecutive.
Runs from September to April. July/August weekdays only.

Drop in sessions- can purchase for a family, mother/daughter, etc! Take your pick!

English and western lessons, all coaches certified and insured/crim record checks etc.

Heated indoor arena and barn for year round horseplay!

Adults and youth options. Ages 5+.

Monthly riding plans that are ongoing for adults or teens with experience, 30 days notice to giveBarkbarn.caup space. Payment for first and last month up front.

All packages are currently 5% off if prebooked with 50% down. Gift certificates available. Cute key chain available of school horses for $25 as well if doing a designated horse.

Barkbarn.ca is also offering packages for dogs! Indoor space to take the chill off and avoid cold paws!

12/11/2025

Going for a full on Horsemanship week this time with the up/down weather… so far we are day 4 into all sorts of horse care theory, liberty work, free jumping, ground driving, proper lunging, ground work, and more to plan yet… love educating outside of riding- so much to offer for our horses ❤️ **tstarting

12/08/2025

SKS does it again, beauty looks nearly new 🙌🏼🙏 they fixed up this Featherlite that I picked up needing work- commercially inspected and cleared to roll now. Sadly I need to sell it because it’s still not the right trailer for my needs. If you want a list of everything they did, pm me. $32,000. 6 horse. 7’2 inside height. Please share.

12/07/2025

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1ZaUWSkzNX/?mibextid=wwXIfr

12/02/2025

How old does my kid need to be before they can start riding?

I get this question A LOT.

It’s a hard question to answer because it really depends on the child.

If you are wanting a situation where your toddler will simply get used to the idea of being around horses, petting, grooming and some assisted riding, then we can do as young as 3. Children need to be able follow simple instructions and act promptly when asked. Those are really the biggest requirements. Lessons are shortened and focus primarily on motor skills and learning through simple games. Riding at this age does come with significantly more risk. Children’s spinal cords don’t fully develop until around age 5 so a simple fall from the height of a horse could seriously injure a toddler.

To start real riding lessons, a student needs able to have the balance, strength, and coordination to execute the motions being described. This usually comes about the same time they are able to ride a bike, unassisted and without training wheels.

Another part of this is your specific child’s attention span. Can they focus on one single task for an hour? Do they lose interest in things in 20/30 minutes?

Finally, do they have an actual interest in horses? If they do, it is much easier for the instructor to keep them engaged.

So no, we don’t have a set age to start lessons. Children at young ages mature as such different rates that it’s hard to have a set age. Instead we follow these simple guidelines to help evaluate if your kiddo is ready to start riding.