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1. Do I need to own a horse to take lessons?
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 No,
you do not need to own your own horse to take
lessons, we have lesson horses. In fact, your
child could ride our lesson horses for years.
One never has to own their own horse to enjoy
the sport of horseback riding.
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2. Do you have different sessions for beginner
or advanced riders? |
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No, we don't have actual sessions. We give
riding lessons all year long and do suggest that
you ride at least once a week to build skills
and confidence with the horse. Our lessons are
tailored to all levels of riding.
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3. How many times a week can I ride? |
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Well, you could ride 6 days a week if you want,
but we suggest you ride once or twice a week.
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4. What is a good age to start my child with
lessons? |
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We give lessons to riders from age 4 to 60+.
With the youngest riders we give "tiny tot"
lessons which are 15 minutes long. Some tiny
tots ride twice a week. Currently, our youngest
rider is 4 years old.
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5. How long and how much are lessons? |
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Lessons are 30 minutes long and are $25.00.
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6. Will my child learn how to take care of
the horse? |
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Absolutely, but in the beginning we do
concentrate mostly on riding.
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7. Do you have any summer camps? |
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No, but we do encourage rider participation in
barn activities.
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8. I love horses but do not feel riding will
be my thing. How else can I get involved with
the horses? |
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We give driving lessons as well as riding
lessons. Driving is very challenging and fun. |
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9. What should I wear to my first lesson? |
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 At
your first lesson you should wear a helmet. A
bike helmet will be ok at first, but if your
child continues you will want to buy a riding
helmet. Also, you should wear boots with a hard
sole and a heel. No tennis shoes. Again, if
after your first couple of lessons it looks like
your child wants to continue, you will want to
buy riding boots, a riding helmet, riding pants,
and riding gloves.
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10. Where do I find this equipment? |
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We have several catalogs from tack stores that
have riding pants, boots, gloves, and helmets.
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11. Will I be able to show at horse shows? |
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Yes, Michigan has several horse shows and a
great academy program set up especially for
beginner riders that show on our school horses.
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12. Do you give group lessons? |
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We only give private lessons but when the rider
is riding well we will double them up with
another rider so they can practice riding with
other riders in the ring.
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13. My goal is to own our own horse. Do you have
horses for sale? |
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Yes, we do have horses for sale and it is our
business to help you with the purchase of your
own horse whether you want to ride for pleasure
or show.
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14. My child is not ready for her own horse but
our family is very interested in horse
ownership. What kind of horse could we own? |
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You could get involved with America's favorite
horse, the American Saddlebred, many different
ways. If you are interested in riding or
driving, at local or national shows, the
American Saddlebred is a stand out. If you are
interested in a relaxed trail ride or a high
stepping show horse, the American Saddlebred
will make you stand up and take notice. Some
owners enjoy breeding horses and raising babies,
watching with pride the daily achievement of
each colt or filly. Some owners enjoy going to a
public auction and taking a
chance that they will buy a "diamond in the
ruff" or a "fixer-upper". And yes, some people
just buy the diamond. If you enjoy going to the
auctions, going to Tattersalls is a blast
and horses usually sell for 50 cents to the
dollar. Not all trainers get along with the same
horse and some of these horses fall through the
cracks and end up at a sale. So whether you are
interested in yearlings or finished show stock,
let Tom Sworm Stables help you with your
purchase. And when you're ready to buy a horse
for your child or yourself, remember, Tom and
Leah specialize in the amateur and juvenile
rider and enjoy helping you achieve your goals. |
