Our Mission Statement is to provide our clients with their best choice for safe and enjoyable activities that encourage their pursuits which involve horses.  Whether you are an amateur or a professional, looking to ride, compete or simply groom and be around them, horses provide an excellent healthy option to an otherwise busy lifestyle.  Whatever your age, we are a perfect fit.  Waredaca…where it all begins….and continues…

If you are a serious eventing or dressage rider, we can make the difference in your continued success in training and competing at the national eventing and dressage levels. This year, accomplished Waredaca horses and riders competed at the US Eventing Association American Eventing Championships! If you are a current or hopeful amateur eventing competitor and want to surround yourself with others like you in a setting that offers all the opportunity and preparation needed for advancement, there is no other place like Waredaca! For more details about lessons and training, check out our Training page

For enthusiastic and skilled pre teens and teens, we have an United States Pony Club Riding Center very active in regional and national pursuits. Find out more on our Pony Club section page

For our younger crowd, our PONY KIDS program is back in action! Check out all the details you need to know to get started!!

Recreational Lesson Program

Our recreational riders may just be learning how to ride or experienced enough to consider horse ownership. Our students ride outside as often as possible and out of the enclosed ring, not only gaining vital skills necessary while riding in the open but also a sense of freedom and pleasure!

As many of you know,  Waredaca has been offering recreational riding lessons for decades, and has been one of the most popular and respected barns in the area to provide such services.  Often considered the standard for riding instruction, we continue to maintain that level of professionalism going forward, to provide a safe, fun and enjoyable experience with horses.
While our Pony Club program remains strong and sustainable, our recreational program has not.  For various reasons such as our aging lesson horse population, the lack of affordable replacement horses from a very inflated market and the complications of the Covid pandemic much of last year, have necessitated us to readjust our program accordingly.   Since January, our group lesson program has been suspended until further notice, as have our spring True Brew trail rides.  Currently we can accept a limited number of private and semi private lesson requests, and are considering each E or telephone message as we can.  
Might this situation change? Unlikely in the near future.  It may be that our recreational lesson program is permanently closed at some point this year.  We are not yet ready to formally make that decision but it honestly appears that is the direction we are heading.  We have a fabulous group of instructors who are available for clients with their own horses who can trailer to the farm.  Just not enough of the acceptable horses for our standards to fully return to the level of last year.  Keep checking our website, under ‘lessons’ for updates.
Thank you for your continued interest and support of our Waredaca programs.  

Our Approach

Waredaca offers riding lessons year round and at all levels. Students may choose from private, semi-private or group instruction and are also grouped according to age and current skills levels.  Lessons occur daily-afternoons and evenings and on weekends.
We provide quality English riding instruction for all ages and levels of experience that emphasizes safety, skills progression and enjoyment.  From the foundation-balanced seat, instructors further specialize in eventing and dressage. Our students and staff thrive as a partnership!
Many acres of woods, fields, and trails complement our excellent facilities of a two large outdoor riding rings, an indoor riding arena, and five levels of cross country jumping courses.   As confidence and abilities improve, the more advanced students may continue to compete in US Pony Club activities, unrecognized or ‘starter’ events, schooling evenings or US Equestrian Federation sanctioned events if so desired.
In addition to teaching, our staffs of professional instructors actively ride themselves, train horses, and supervise competing students on their mounts or WAREDACA horses.   They also stress the importance of respect and responsibility with the horses.   Lesson groups are determined by skills and experience.
On this Page:
  1. Options to consider
  2. Fees
  3. Current Lesson Schedule
  4. FAQs For Kids
  5. FAQs For Adults
  6. Beyond Lessons FAQs
  7. Acceptable Footwear for Riding

Class Descriptions

Instructors

Student and Visitor Guidelines

How to Enroll:

Join us for a class today by giving us a call at: 443-564-1276 or emailing us here: [email protected]

Options to consider

  • Adult Lessons: ages 16+
  • Children’s Lessons: ages 8-15
  • Pony Kids: ages 5-7
  • Getting Started: Have you have never taken a riding lesson and want to try the fun and challenge of controlling a horse OR are you an experienced rider but not sure where to go with your riding. Not sure about how to get started? No problem, as we assist you with sorting through your many options. Start with connecting with Gayle, our lesson manager. Talk to her, plan a visit to meet our staff, watch some lessons in progress, and see our farm and our horses.No hidden agendas or pitches. Our sole desire is for you to have a good experience! You can reach Gayle via email [email protected] OR by calling 443 564 1276

Fees

Lesson Fees

Current session fees are posted under our current lesson schedule listing.

Private rates are $80/30 minute lesson or $90/45 minute or $100/hour.
Semi-private rates for groups of two or three are $85/each student/hour lesson.

Group lesson fees vary according to session dates.

Afternoon Semi and Private Lessons can be arranged during the weekdays, call the office.

Complete payment (cash, check or credit card) is required for each lesson at the time it is conducted.  For private and semi private lessons, please give payment directly to your instructor.  For the group session, payment is required at the first lesson. Waredaca offers refunds at their discretion. With group lessons, no refunds are available after the second lesson. A fee of $25 is charged for any returned checks.
All classes will meet and ride from the Red Indoor Arena. Class confirmation for all activities will be assumed at the time of phone registration. Group Lessons are scheduled on the hour; the actual ride time may vary depending on how much assistance is necessary with mounting. One make-up lesson per session planned by Waredaca; these are scheduled at the end of the current lesson series.
If you don’t see what you’re looking for, give us a call! 443-564-1276 or email:  [email protected]

Waiver Once registered, please be sure to complete the liability waiver required for all of our programs here.

Current Lesson Schedule

Current Lesson Schedule as PDF link

Beginners mini starter series

With beginning students in mind!
Sign up for one of our mini lesson packages!
Offered in the spring and fall
Classes are tailored for the beginning rider to see if you really like to ride horses! A series of three lessons in the package is enough of a start for you to determine how strong your interest is, plus enjoy some great weather as you ride in our arenas and across our fields!
And affordable at only $139 for the mini package!  The perfect way to begin having fun with horses!
Call Lesson Manager Gayle at 443 564 1276 OR email [email protected] for details

Pony Kids

The Pony Kids Program is designed to introduce 5-7 year olds to ponies, horsemanship, and riding in an environment of safety and fun.  This all important beginning will provide a solid and correct base for their future enjoyment and learning. It is taught in a half-hour private lesson format to accommodate each child’s individual development and learning style.
Pony Kids lessons are taught primarily on leadline on the trail and in the fields. The program focuses on developing your child’s confidence, balance, and coordination while feeling secure in their surroundings. As goals are reached in these areas, each child will move on to more direct control of the horse. Some children may initially be ready to ride independently and not on a leadline; this decision will be determined by the instructor. In inclement weather, the lessons generally occur in our indoor arena.
Lesson fees vary depending on the type of lesson and are due at the time of each lesson.
To schedule, message Program Manager Colleen at [email protected] and for our Pony Kids Program details.
 

Horsemanship

The closest experience to owning your own horse! This select package includes mounted and unmounted instruction plus time to practice on your own ! Call Lesson Manager Gayle at 443 564 1276 OR email [email protected] for details
 

Summer Horseback Riding Day Camp

All you need to know HERE
 

FAQs

FAQs For Kids

My child wants to take riding lessons. Are there classes just for kids?

Our children’s lessons blend fun, safety, challenge and accomplishment for the younger riders. With the right setting and instructor, their proficiency and knowledge will grow, as does their love of riding! We like to combine skills learning with riding in the open, through our fields and around the lake. Our students get OUT of the RING!! Kids like this too, which is only one of the many reasons why Waredaca Lessons are so popular! Plus, after learning the basic fundamentals, if there is a competitive desire, that too can be fulfilled with our United States Pony Club program, with our own Waredaca Pony Club Center and our student horse shows. You will never outgrow the opportunities at Waredaca!

What about my child who is 5 but too young to take lessons?

For our youngest students, Pony Kids provides a delightful way of promoting love of horses with the opportunity to learn. While developing balance, children also gain a greater appreciation of their natural environment through carefully supervised mounted riding across our lovely fields. In addition to gaining confidence while riding, they also learn basic horsemanship skills. Ask your child if he or she can name five different horse colors, parts of the saddle or parts of the horse after just a few lessons! The education and unbridled joy is non-stop!In inclement weather, the lessons generally occur in our indoor arena. Check out our popular Pony Kids program!

What else can my child do that involves horses and having fun?

Summer Camp at Waredaca (part of the Bar T Summer Camp Network) OR consider an escorted trail ride through our fields and around the lake OR Pony Club, if looking for a more competitive experience. Just a few to mention!

FAQs For Adults

Are there classes just for adults?

Our ‘Adult’ group lesson classes are for students 16 years of age and older. Select from group, semi private or private instruction based on your preferences and availability. Weekday mornings and afternoons are popular times for Moms while their kids are in school. For the ‘9-5er’ we always offer lessons in the evenings or on weekends. Adults look forward to riding at Waredaca for many reasons. Some started as children and wish to resume after a lapse of time, some are current riders who desire to gain more self assurance and control, and some have never ridden before at all! The common thread is a secure and enjoyable experience with a horse! We also look at it as relaxed recreation with our professional standards!

I want to take riding lessons but am not sure I will like it. Do I have to pay for an entire series to try it out?

No! You have choices! One suggestion would be to take a one-on-one private lesson. Or consider one of our MINI STARTER PACKAGES (link) designed with beginning students in mind. Or, join one of our PayAsYouGo lessons. Talk to Gayle, our lesson manager at 443-564-1276 or email [email protected]

Beyond Lessons FAQs

Are there competitions I can ride in?

Yes, there are several seasonal options for those who want to compete, right here at the farm. Student Shows occur in the spring and fall. Our Thursday Summer Schooling Evenings (link) also offer a chance to practice skills in a ‘competitive’ atmosphere. The focus of both is on a relaxed experience, minimizing ‘pressure’ and maximizing ‘fun’. Waredaca even offers competitive programs for those serious school-age students who wish that type of experience with our Pony Club Riding Center (link). USEF sanctioned Eventing competitions(link) occur three times a year as well as semi annual Unrecognized or ‘Starter’ events (link) for less experienced horses and riders.

Do you offer opportunities to practice if you do not own your own horse?

Yes, student ‘Practice Ride’ opportunities are available for Intermediate II riders (with instructor permission) and above. The fee for the one-hour practice ride for $45, and are generally offered on Sunday mornings during spring and fall and a weekday evening during the summer. This is a rental not a lesson so riders, while riding close by, are not directly supervised by an instructor. Please note, rentals must be reserved in advance BY FRIDAY NOON.
Or join one of our Horsemastership packages of unmounted grooming and tacking,lessons and practice rides!

Can I lease a horse?

YES, because your schedule can change, we offer a flexible leasing plan to suit your needs and lifestyle. Our lease options are limited however. Talk to Gayle, our lesson manager at 443-564-1276 or email [email protected]

Acceptable Footwear for Riding