Junior Ranch Riders
Eight Week Program
Riding Lessons for kids ages 10 to 14.
This is an 8 week series for kids who are just learning how ride and for those beginner youngsters who need to work on their coordination and confidence. We are fun, relaxed and our low pressure setting is perfect for conservative and beginner riders.
Note: We treat all our horses with respect and kindness, we teach our young students to understand the importance of the time needed to build a bond with their equine partner. It teaches us all to be open and honest with ourselves as well. We like our small groups and 1.5 hr sessions to allow the necessary time needed for this process.
The first few weeks we concentrate on the basics, of catching and haltering your horse, and how to lead and navigate as a team. We feel its important that you are comfortable on the ground around the horse in order to understand behaviours and how communicate before just jumping on a large animal! We also pull out a few different saddles and bridles to learn from in order to better understand the importance of equipment fit, how to saddle properly and bridle kindly.
Once its time to mount up we begin learning how to master a walk and a trot as we layer on the technical skills. We ride in various sized pens, throw in a few obstacle challenges until finally everyone is comfortable enough to ride out on various ranch trails. Our trail system has various terrain and as we ride along we do real ranch activities such as checking cattle, counting calves, and enjoying various wildlife and nature as we ride over 500 acres.
If we see a fence down, we will stop and fix it. If we see a cow out, we’ll push it back to the proper pasture. Repetition gains confidence and we like to do it outside in the fresh air! Lots of friendships have been built as we help each other open gates and hold horses, change paces as well as views!
Riding tips and instruction is constantly given in a relaxed, low pressure setting and its so rewarding to celebrate with all the riders at the end when we can all comfortably lope across a pasture! Love the horse first; the sport second.
Cost: $495 for 8 weeks. Additional option to continue weekly till the end of November (weather permitting).
Total time : 1.5 hrs
Must have your own helmet, wear long pants, riding/cowboy boots and appropriate layers for the weather.
HorsePlay is based out of our family’s private ranch, Big Rock Ranch (est. 1885), just 12 minutes SW of Okotoks. For more information and directions, please go to the Venue page.
For information on our policies, please go to our purchase agreement policy page.
There are no upcoming dates for this event.
Venue: Location
Venue Phone: 587.394.7674
Address:
Description:
HorsePlay! at Big Rock Ranch (est. 1885), is a 140+ yr old family owned ranch located just 12 minutes SW of the town of Okotoks, AB.
Note: In Google Maps, you can just type in Big Rock Ranch or HorsePlay! Ranch Adventures.
DIRECTIONS
From Okotoks:
- Take highway 7 heading west towards Diamond Valley. You’ll see the Big Rock Erratic and then take the next turn South (left) on 64th street.
- Look for the ‘HorsePlay / Big Rock Ranch’ sign on the West (right) side of the road. (If you go past the 434th Ave intersection you’ve gone too far.)
- Drive straight past several white farm buildings and park by the white building with the HorsePlay sign in the window.
From Calgary: Follow the signs to Okotoks and Diamond Valley. You can either drive through Okotoks or go via Aldersyde to get to highway 7. Then follow the Okotoks instructions listed above.
From High River:
- Take highway 543 heading west towards Hartell and Longview.
- Turn North (right) on 64th street.
- Go past 434th Ave and take the first turn West (left) into a wide driveway. There is a big ‘HorsePlay / Big Rock Ranch’ sign.
- Drive straight past several white farm buildings and park by the white building with the HorsePlay sign in the window.
From Black Diamond/Turner Valley:
- Take highway 22 heading South towards Longview.
- Turn East onto 434th Ave (heading towards the MD dump).
- Turn North (left) on 64th street and then take the first turn left again into a wide driveway. (There is a big ‘HorsePlay / Big Rock Ranch’ sign.)
- Drive straight past several white farm buildings and park by the white building with the HorsePlay sign in the window.