Lessons and Training

Manor Minor offers training board as well as individual lessons and training sessions. Board is in matted 12-by-12 stalls, with turnout on good grass, in compatible small groups or individually. We use premium feed (Nutrena Safe Choice, plus flaxseed top dressing), and offer blanketing, basic grooming, and feeding of supplements or medications, if needed, at no extra charge. We take on only a few training clients at one time, so that we can give plenty of time and attention to each horse; all of our training is done by the two of us personally.
    Our riding and training facilities include an Olympic-size arena; a smaller 20-by-40-meter grass arena surrounded by an oval canter track in our bottomland meadow, which has a sandy footing; Blok cavaletti for cross-training; and access to miles of hunt-country trails over a wide variety of terrain, with coops and log jumps.
    Dressage work has value for all horses. A point-to-pointer that has trouble bending in one direction wastes time on turns, a horse that jumps with its back hollow and its head up is more likely to come to grief, and a stiff trail horse is uncomfortable and ungainly on a twisty trail.

Lessons

Krister gives lessons here for boarders and trailer-ins; he also travels once a week to Goochland County, near Richmond. Contact us for information.

We like to work on the fundamentals of rider position, balance, and security first, and encourage lunge lessons to develop this foundation before or alongside working on your horses's specific training issues with you. Lessons are generally 45 minutes, but may be longer or shorter depending on the needs of the horse and rider and the type of work.

Lesson Prices
individual lesson: $50

Training

Young Horses Started
We offer a program of classical ground training, backing, basic walk/trot/canter arena work, and experience hacking out on trails with a calm lead horse. Generally this foundation training will take at least two or three months, depending on the horse's temperament and history, the owner's involvement and experience, and the intended use of the horse. We strongly encourage owners to work with us on their own skills as their horse is being trained, and to that end we offer a lesson for the owner as a substitute for one training ride each week in full training.

Supplementary or Ongoing Dressage Training
At this time we offer training from the fundamentals through second-level movements. We use hill and trail conditioning for improved balance and strength as well as mental suppleness; a horse can only learn when its muscles are up to the task and its mind is calm and focused. We encourage boarders to bring in supplementary trainers or trailer out for advanced jumping work or dressage work above Second Level, as we do ourselves.

Refreshers/Problem Horses
We may offer shorter "correctional" training periods for horses that need their skills brushed up, horses that have developed bad habits, and sale horses that could use some polish. With the first two categories, and especially with problem horses, we require that the owner work with us while we work with the horse. This may be simply ground handling and body language, a refresher course in rider position and security on our own school horse, or lessons on the horse being trained to break the cycle of horse misbehavior/rider reaction. We believe that horses' problems can never be truly isolated from their riders' problems, and it is pointless to work on one without addressing the other.

Our Trial Period
Our policy for training board is to work with any new horse for three days before giving you our estimate of what it needs and how it is likely to progress. If you disagree with our evaluation of the horse or feel that our approach is not what you want, you can take the horse away after this period at no charge. We also retain the right within this period to decide not to accept the horse for training.

Training Prices

full training with board: $850 per month. A horse in full training works five days a week. You can substitute a lesson for one training session each week.

half training with board: $700 per month. Three training sessions a week. This option is most suitable for a horse whose owner can ride him only once or twice a week, but would like the horse to be maintained throughout the week. It is also good for someone, an event rider for example, who will be riding and training their horse but who could use some help in dressage.

board with one lesson per week, $550 per month; with two lessons per week, $700 per month; with three lessons per week, $850 per month. We are happy to work with boarders on the lesson schedule. Boarders might choose to have regular weekly lessons with us, but now and again instead have us ride their horse.

sales on commission: $850 per month for full training, plus expenses and 10 percent commission.