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 may have up to five 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. 

Private lessons are offered for students who have their own horse. 

Private lessons are not generally offered for existing students riding lesson horses unless they are struggling with a particular skill and require extra practice or one-on-one attention. This determination is made by the instructor. Private lessons on a lesson horse are not offered on an ongoing/long-term basis.

Private lesson rate (student owned horse): $70 

Private lesson (lesson horse, as requested by instructor): $85

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.

Lessons are billed monthly on the first of each month. The average monthly cost of lessons is $280 (4 lessons @ $70), 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 a 5% discount. 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 first of each 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 25th of the month before auto-pay payments are processed on the first. 

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. 

$70 x number of scheduled lessons in the month = total monthly cost

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 $280 for 4 classes.
• Tuesday classes will pay a tuition of $210 for 3 classes.
• Thursday classes will pay a tuition of $210 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 90 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 and unforeseen closures at the time of the missed class. 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 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 2023-2024 scheduled closures are:

• September 4, 2023 - Labor Day
• October 30-31, 2023 - Happy Halloween
• November 20-24, 2023 - Happy Thanksgiving
• December 25-29, 2023 - Merry Christmas
• January 1-5, 2024 - New Year's Break
• February 14, 2024 - Happy Valentine's Day (Kristin & Dan's Anniversary)
• February 29 - March 1-2, 2024 - Western States Draft Horse Classic
• April 1-5, 2024 - Spring Closure

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.  

A gymkhana is a competition that consists of four timed events: barrels, poles, and two mystery patterns each month. 

There are several classes to accommodate each level of rider: lead line, beginner, novice, adult amateur, and age group. We use the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association style of riding for gymkhana horse assignments. This format eliminates the expenses of horse ownership. Horses are furnished by Cadence Horsemanship. The draw determines what horse the rider will compete on for the day. Each rider is able to watch the horse warm up and receives a few minutes on their assigned mount just before competing. Riders will not have the opportunity to warm up or test a horse in the arena before competing. Warm up riders will give a brief overview of the horse's demeanor and any need to know information to each rider prior to competition. 

Event fees charged by Cadence Horsemanship include use of the assigned horse, hauling, race fees, arena fees, and coaching for the day of the event. Event fees DO NOT include Scottsdale Saddle Club membership for year end award eligibility. Additional information about saddle club membership is included in gymkhana information that is emailed prior to each event date. If you sign up your child to participate in a gymkhana, your iClassPro auto-pay account will be charged for the event fee on the Friday before the event. 

Fall 2023 Gymkhana Dates:

• September 30
• October 29th
• November 11
• December 9

Event Fee: $100/date