We would like to welcome Karen Kau as our new Trainer/Assistant Manager.

Karen grew up in Waterford, Wisconsin. She began riding at the age of eight, and began competing on her own pony when she was ten. She began in the 4-H with Western Pleasure and then moved to the “A” circuit where she showed Hunters. As a Junior, she qualified for the National Marshall and Sterling Children’s Hunter Finals and placed 15 th as well as qualifying twice for Harrisburg in the Large Junior Hunters.

As a youth and young adult, Karen worked around the barn as a groom, barn manager, catch rider, and instructor and then finally went to Lake Erie College and obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Equestrian Science for Teaching/Training and Facility Management. While at Lake Erie she road on the Intercollegiate team, coached the Western team, and was the High Point Competing Student for two years in a row, riding hunters, jumpers, and dressage. Since receiving her degree, Karen has been teaching and showing full time.

Give Karen a call at 203-938-3760 and make an appointment to visit us in person, train your horse or have a lesson Tuesday through Sunday. You’ll be pleasantly surprised!

Announcing Our
Youth HorseMasters Program

A graduated riding and stable management program

The Youth HorseMasters program is sectioned into three divisions: Unicorn for beginners, Pegasus for intermediate riders, and Horse Master for advanced riders. Graduation from each division is determined by passage of both a practical exam and a written exam. When the first level of a division is completed, the rider earns the privilege of wearing the division hunt cap cover and farm emblem.
A star and certificate is awarded for each subsequent level achieved.

Unicorn, Levels I – III
Our beginning riding division encompasses basic work at the walk, sitting and rising trot, walk-trot transitions, halt, rein-back, beginning canter work, and ground pole exercises. Emphasizing a deep and balanced seat, much of the work is done frequently without reins on a longe line and the exercises are facilitated with horse games. Incorporated into this level is beginning stable management, including grooming; the parts of the horse; haltering and leading; the parts of the bridle and saddle; the varieties of horse clothing; tacking-up, untacking, and tack cleaning, as well as learning to free-longe one’s horse in our covered round arena.

Pegasus, Levels I – III
Our intermediate division includes trot and canter off the longe line; walk-trot-canter transitions; simple arena figures; an introduction to collection and extension; beginning lateral work such as leg yielding and shoulder-in; turns on the forehand and haunches; and walking, trotting or cantering cross-rails and small vertical fences. Pegasus
students also engage in intermediate stable management, including introductory nutrition, conformation, basic restraint, bathing, feeding, stall cleaning, leg bandaging, mane pulling and braiding, and learning to longe with a line and work a horse “in-hand” on the ground.

Horse Master, Levels I – III
Our advanced division includes more intricate exercises of collection, extension and lateral work; flying changes at the canter; bridleless riding on the flat and over simple fences; jumping courses of fences and gymnastics; and in-hand work with side reins and driving lines. It also includes horse whispering, advanced nutrition, advanced restraint, movement, first aid, the application of horse boots, shoeing options and show trimming and clipping, as well as loading and unloading a horse from a trailer.