Frequently Asked Questions

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In horseback riding/horsemanship lessons your child will learn to control his/her fears. They will learn patience, the art of silent communication and how to trust their intuition. Your child will learn discipline and responsibility. How to be a gentle but consistent leader.  And perhaps most important of all, how to fall and fail, and keep trying. 

We love what we do! Our coaches receive ongoing training on how to teach horsemanship with safe, challenging, age-appropriate skills and progressions. We are committed to providing a safe and fun environment for children to learn and grow!

It depends. It's not necessarily about age. To be successful in introductory horsemanship lessons your child must be able to listen to instructions and apply what is being asked of them. Some children can do this at a very young age, while others cannot. Because of this, we evaluate each prospective student on a case-by-case basis.

We always recommend interested families visit us at our north Peoria barnyard to see the facility, meet some horses and watch our riding lesson program in progress. You’ll also have the opportunity to talk with our lead instructor, Kristin, who can answer any questions you may have. Barnyard tours are a valuable opportunity to determine if our program is a fit for you.  To schedule a tour for your family, please Contact Us. 

We are happy to help you find the best fit for level and class time! We use the following guidelines for rider level: 

BEGINNER: A rider with little or no experience.

NOVICE: A rider who is comfortable and in control at a walk and/or trot but has limited experience at an extended trot and/or canter.

INTERMEDIATE: A rider who is confident and in control in all gaits, including a posting trot, canter and gallop, but does not ride regularly.

STRONG INTERMEDIATE: An intermediate rider who is currently riding regularly, can post a long trot, canter and gallop for an extended time period, and is comfortable riding several hours per day.

ADVANCED: All the above, plus the ability to handle a spirited horse in an uncontrolled environment.

As a horsemanship program, riders learn and participate in grooming, tacking, ride prep, warm up, the riding lesson, cool down and untacking their assigned horse at each lesson. Most students take lessons one day per week for 60 minutes. Each lesson includes approximately 40 minutes of mounted ride time.

Lessons are offered by rider level in a semi-private format. Semi-private lessons generally have three riders but may have up to four riders, depending on rider level and staffing. Less experienced rider levels generally have fewer riders and additional staff assigned to ensure a positive experience as well as safety. 

In all honesty, the numbers just don't add up to run a lesson program that attracts and develops quality staff, maintains a quality facility, and ensures a safe and healthy herd by reserving the few riding hours available in each day for one rider.

That said, we've found that the semi-private method actually benefits the learning of the rider far more than one-on-one lessons in most circumstances. The reality of horseback riding is that these animals are herd animals. This means that they too prefer to be with others. In most cases when competing, trail riding, etc. most horse related activities occur in and around other riders and their horses. As a result, learning from the beginning how to manage the horse in a similar environment, albeit a controlled environment, sets up the rider for success. 

Having done this for some time now, we believe that riders learn better in a group environment. Youth riders in particular cannot maintain 100% focus for a mounted session of 40-50 minutes. Having the opportunity to pause and watch a peer provides them time to process the learning and then reapproach the lesson with greater focus when it is their turn. The time spent watching their peers also helps the rider see what they may be capable of, especially when riding with others who may exceed their current skill level, as opposed to riding around the arena solo thinking the skill is mastered with nothing to compare to. 

Of course in any case, if a rider is struggling with a particular skill we will discuss options for private instruction to address that specific concern. Private lessons are not offered on an ongoing/long-term basis.

Private lessons are not generally offered unless the rider is struggling with a particular skill and requires extra practice or one-on-one attention. This determination is made by the instructor. Private lessons are not offered on an ongoing/long-term basis.

Private lesson rate (student owned horse): $85

Private lesson (lesson horse): $100

Private lessons are by appointment only.

No. Due to our program's high demand and long wait list, we are no longer offering sibling discounts. The only discount offered is a season tuition pre-payment discount, see below.

In short, no our programs are not centered around Equine Assisted Therapy or Adaptive Riding. There are many programs throughout the valley who do focus in this area specifically so let us know if you'd like a referral. 

While we are not certified in equine assisted therapy or adaptive riding and do not promote our programs as such, we have had many children with special needs complete the various programs we offer successfully. Children with special needs often differ greatly in their desire to be around a horse. So first and foremost, while we do believe that equine assisted therapy programs or adaptive riding programs can be tremendously valuable to children with special needs, it is important that the desire to be around the horse is the child’s choice. 

If the child(ren) has a genuine desire to be around a horse, can listen and follow instructions and can engage in a small group format then our programs may be a great fit. On the other hand, if the child(ren) has no desire to be around horses and/or being around large animals brings them stress or anxiety then our programs may not be the best choice. 

In any case, if a child with special needs who is participating in our program may demonstrate behavior such as make loud, uncontrolled or unpredictable noises or gestures, it is important to let our staff know ahead of time as this helps to ensure the safety of the child, our staff and our horses. Similarly, if the child has a tendency to bite, spit, hit, kick or scream, it would be best to explore other programs where staff may be better equipped to manage these behaviors more effectively. 

Lessons are billed monthly on the first of each month. The average monthly cost of lessons is $300/month, while some months may be more or less due to scheduled holiday and closure dates. There is a registration fee of $75 per family. Families who pay for the entire season tuition fees up front receive three lessons free. Our season runs from September - May. 

An annual fee schedule including holiday and closure dates is provided at the beginning of each season. 

Tuition is adjusted and pre-paid on a monthly basis. Tuition for the upcoming month will be automatically charged to your iClassPro Auto-Pay account on the 25th of prior month. We accept ACH/Bank transfer, Visa or MasterCard via your iClassPro account. You may review your account balance for the upcoming month in your iClassPro account anytime after the 15th of the month before auto-pay payments are processed on the 25th. 

Tuition is billed monthly and is based on the calendar month. The prices are adjusted to reflect how many lessons your student receives when there are extra weeks or holidays in the month, as described below. 

Sample Month has:

4 - Mondays

3 - Tuesdays 

4 - Thursdays but the fourth Thursday is a holiday. 

Students enrolled in our program attend the same class (day/time) every week. Based on this calendar example, students enrolled in:

• Monday classes will pay a tuition of $300 for 4 classes.
• Tuesday classes will pay a tuition of $225 for 3 classes.
• Thursday classes will pay a tuition of $225 for 3 classes due to a holiday closure.

Parents may create an account or log in by visiting our iClassPro Parent Portal.

Through your iClassPro account you'll be able to see when payments are due, manage your auto-pay account, report absences, view attendance, keep up to date on news and announcements and more!

You may access your iClassPro account on the go via the iClassPro Mobile App for Apple or Android. 

If your iClassPro auto-pay account does not process and payment cannot be made by the 5th of the month, your enrollment will be cancelled and re-enrollment in the same class day/time is not guaranteed. Re-enrollment is subject to the $75 registration fee. The primary account holder will be notified by email. 

If your account is past due and your child arrives to the barn for a lesson, they will be asked to observe the lesson from the side of the arena in lieu of riding unless payment is made current prior to the start of the lesson.

A family can cancel their lessons at any time. However, we require a 14 day notice period for consideration of any prorated refund. Once a request for cancellation is received, a prorated refund will be processed for any funds remaining on the account following the 14 day notice period, less a $75 administrative fee. 

If we are notified of an absence with 24 hour notice, a makeup token will be placed on your iClassPro account and is valid for 30 days after the missed class or the end of the season, whichever is sooner. 

You may review availability and schedule makeup classes directly through your iClassPro account. Missed makeup classes cannot be rescheduled. 

Makeup tokens are generated for absences when 24 hour notice is provided.. Makeup tokens have no cash value and may not be credited toward future tuition fees. Makeup tokens cannot be generated in advance of the missed class day/time or applied prior to the missed class day/time.

***Makeup tokens are limited to three tokens per enrollment, per season (September - May). For instance, if your child attends classes once a week you are eligible for three makeup tokens per season. If your child attends classes twice a week you are eligible for six makeup tokens per season.***

Makeup tokens issued by Cadence Horsemanship for cancellations related to unforeseen circumstances/inclement weather are unlimited, are valid for 90 days or through the end of the season whichever is sooner, and not included in the seasonal limit per enrollment. 

Absences must be communicated via email to kristin@cadencehorsemanship.com, text to 602-297-7321 or via our iClassPro Parent Portal or the iClassPro Mobile App for Apple or Android. 

  Our 2024-2025 scheduled closures are:  

• September 2, 2024 - Labor Day 
• October 14-16, 2024 - Herd Rest Dates
• October 31 - November 1, 2024 - Happy Halloween 
• November 25-29, 2024 - Happy Thanksgiving 
• December 23-27, 2024 - Merry Christmas 
• December 30, 2024 - January 3, 2025 - New Year's Break 
• February 14, 2025 - Happy Valentine's Day (Kristin & Dan's Anniversary) 
• February 20, 2025 - Tucson Rodeo Parade
• March 17-21, 2025 - Spring Break 
• April 1-2, 2025 - Herd Rest Dates 

When your child will miss a class due to illness or extended travel, you may reschedule your class for a different day or time after you have missed your regular lesson in accordance with our makeup policy (above). 

If you are going out of town and will need more make-up classes than you are eligible for, you may consider cancelling your enrollment and re-enroll when you return so that you do not lose any lessons. Re-enrollment on the same day/time is never guaranteed and is subject to the $75 registration fee. Continued payment of monthly tuition fees is required to hold/guarantee your class day/time. 

We recommend long pants and western style boots with a heel. Closed toed shoes are required at a minimum. However, boots and jeans are required for competition. Hair should be secured away from the face in a manner that will not interfere with wearing a helmet. Students may bring their own helmet if it is an ASTM/SEI certified equestrian helmet. Bicycle or similar style helmets are not permitted. ASTM/SEI certified helmets are always available at the barn for student use. 

If it is raining at your home or office, it does not necessarily mean it is raining at our location. We are consistently monitoring the weather and will continue on with lessons as long as conditions are safe. In some cases we may substitute an arena lesson with a classroom lesson on a horsemanship topic. 

In the event we need to cancel lessons due to unsafe conditions, we will contact you directly via text/email/app push notifications as soon as possible. Due to the unpredictable nature of weather, we really appreciate your understanding that weather situations can occur as you are traveling to class; please assume your class will occur unless you receive contact from us stating otherwise. In the event one of your classes is canceled, you will be eligible for a credit or makeup token.