Rushton Stables
Confidence • Excitement • Achievement
Rushton Stables
Fitness • Core Strength • Balance
Riding and Driving Instruction for All Ages
WE LOVE TO INTRODUCE PEOPLE TO THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF HORSES. From 4 years to 94 years, the sport of horses and horsemanship is a recreation that gets you outside, offers unlimited learning and goals, and best of all involves you in a partnership with one of the most amazing animals on earth. Horses are very intuitive animals and can coax the personality out of a timid child, or give a terrified young adult the confidence they need to face life, or bring fond memories back to a sentimental senior.
At Rushton Stables, our safe and well rounded riding instruction will help develop your child’s responsibilities, instill confidence, and offer opportunities to achieve personal goals like no other sport. We even have a FREE introductory lesson so you can get your feet wet to see if riding or driving a horse is for you!
Just like people, horses come in all sizes, but to insure we have a horse who can provide a safe ride for both you and the horse, we must limit our rider weights to no more than 230 pounds. If we acquire a horse that can manage weights above this level, we will adjust our limit accordingly. We can, however, offer driving lessons to people of ALL sizes, and this is an exciting and fun way to enjoy horsemanship!
Riding Lesson Offerings
Ages 4-5 Years Old
Children will get to do hands on grooming and learn about the horse. They will ride under the close supervision of an instructor in each lesson. We find this makes the kids feel comfortable and allows them to do more on the horse with the safety net of an instructor right along with them.
Children learn games on and off the horse that help them gain confidence and balance. They become comfortable with the movement, size and control of the horse. Once the child is able to ride on their own and control the horse and ride for longer periods of time, they will move up to regular private riding lessons. While children this young tend to need shorter lessons, the more consistently and frequently they ride, the more quickly they will progress. All Tiny Tot riders MUST wear a helmet.
Time: 40 minutes total (20 riding, 20 grooming)
Cost: $60/lesson
Package of 4 lessons: $190/month
Package of 8 lessons: $460/month
Traditional Riding Lessons, Ages 6-17
All riders are started in private lessons and remain there until they can control the horse at all gaits, in the arena, and are deemed capable of dealing with others in the ring safely.
Private lessons are the best way to advance riding skills. Students have 100% of the instructor’s attention and expertise. Rushton Stables prides itself on not only amazing instructors, but the very best lesson horses. Our horses are well cared for, happy, well trained, and we provide a safe and clean environment. Priorities in riding lessons are safety, fun and progress toward being a better rider and effectively communicating with the horse.
Our Youth Lessons take into consideration the more ambitious and athletic younger age group that may already be involved in different sports, and may have the stamina and competitive drive of a rider preparing for a lifetime of equestrian sports. All youth riders MUST wear a helmet.
Time: 60 minutes (30 riding, 30 grooming before/after)
Cost: $90/lesson
Package of 4 lessons: $330/month
Package of 8 lessons: $660/month
Traditional Riding Lessons, Ages 18 & Up
All riders are started in private lessons and remain there until they can control the horse at all gaits, in the arena, and are deemed capable of dealing with others in the ring safely.
Private lessons are the best way to advance riding skills. Students have 100% of the instructor’s attention and expertise. Rushton Stables prides itself on not only amazing instructors, but the very best lesson horses. Our horses are well cared for, happy, well trained, and we provide a safe and clean environment. Priorities in riding lessons are safety, fun and progress toward being a better rider and effectively communicating with the horse.
Our Adult Lessons are geared toward the adult body and mind, taking into consideration the possibility of entering our equestrian sport from a slightly more sedentary activity level, or an active adult with prior equestrian experience. Adult riders are advised to wear a helmet, but can opt out if desired.
Time: 60 minutes (30 riding, 30 grooming before/after)
Cost: $90/lesson
Package of 4 lessons: $330/month
Package of 8 lessons: $660/month
All Ages (6 & Up)
Group lessons are the perfect way to advance your skills and learn to guide your horse around “traffic” and learn with others. You also have the advantage of learning from the mistakes and triumphs of your fellow classmates. These lessons tend to be a bit longer, so they are a great way to get in your exercise and keep up your stamina. For the purpose of safety for yourself and others riding with you, in order to be in the group lessons, you must have passed the skills test out of the beginner level.
*Group lessons upon availability and instructor recommendation only.
All Ages (6 & Up)
Learning to drive a horse is tons of fun! For those that don’t want to ride, have physical limitations, or already ride and want to expand their skills, we highly recommend driving lessons. You’ll learn to communicate with the horse through subtle cues that give you the utmost control at the touch of your fingers. We have varying levels of driving horses and as you get better, your horse gets more advanced. We’ve never had a person take a driving lesson and not walk away wanting more!
Time: 30 minutes
Cost: $70/lesson
Package of 4 lessons: $240/month
Starting April 1, 2024, we will enroll all riding students in our semesters program. Riders will be required to have a credit card on file. Lessons will be billed monthly to your card, if you wish to pay another way, you can make arrangements with your instructor. Packages will be in three (3) month commitments. Horseback riding is like most sports, the more frequently and consistently you do it, the more success you will have. Making your riding lessons a constant part of your schedule will allow you to develop muscle memory and continually progress instead of having to start again each time you take a break. Additionally, this will allow scheduling and payment ease for our instructors in planning horses schedules.
Yes, we LEASE horses! Click here to find out more.
What should I wear to my lesson?
First time riders can come to introductory lesson in long pants and a hard soled shoe. However, should you choose to continue your lessons (and we hope you do!), we strongly recommend getting proper riding gear as soon as possible.
Boots
The most important piece of safety gear with horses is proper riding boots. They protect your feet when working around the horses from the ground and provide a secure base in the stirrups. We recommend paddock style leather riding boots.
Helmet
Highly recommended and required for beginner children. We recommend a proper horseback riding helmet.
Jodphurs
These should have ultrasuede knee patches for a comfortable grip with the saddle. Regular pants have seams right where your leg lays on the saddle, which will rub sores on your knees. Breeches require tall boots and jodphurs are bootcut for short boots.
Gloves
Optional, but helpful for creating a better grip on the reins and keeping hands warm during winter months.
What’s my skill level?
These skill levels simply give us a guideline to make the group lessons more beneficial, as well as to give you a basic outline of your goals.
Everybody starts somewhere, and this is where a new rider begins. For the beginner rider that is just learning how to get on a horse, stop, steer and give basic commands, walking and some trotting. We have excellent, safe and trustworthy beginner horses.
Once a beginner has learned to stop and steer their horse and are in basic control of the animal at all times, they can advance to this level. They will be taught more intricate guiding without the use of the rail, we will work on consistent control and start to learn how to canter. A second rein will be introduced for the rider to learn to collect their horse. Group lessons with other beginners will become an option part way through the advanced beginner level.
For the rider that has full control of their body at the walk and trot, and has started cantering. They must be capable of holding, adjusting, and using two reins and performing circles off the rail at the trot. They will work on mastering the canter and group lessons are a great option at this time. The rider will begin to do some individual tests—these are a great way to improve mental and physical skills!
At this level, the rider has control of all three gaits, can ride with two reins and has started to use a full bridle (which consists of understanding and controlling two bits simultaneously). They now have full control of the canter and can maneuver their horse at all gaits through traffic and anywhere they need to be. At this level, individual tests will be getting more intricate. This rider is capable of starting to compete at horse shows.
This rider is consistently showing and either leasing a show horse, or has purchased one of their own. They can handle out of the ordinary situations, understand the horse’s way of going and thinking, and are capable of not just controlling the horse, but of making each situation one to their advantage. They will be taught advanced individual testing, how to make their horse look its best at all times, as well as work toward perfecting their overall form.
Our daughter, Nini, has been competing nationally since the age of seven. She is now 15 years old and we have been with Rushton Stables for a little over a year. We could not be more thrilled with the training and progression our daughter has made. Since joining the Rushton team, her equitation skills have skyrocketed, winning numerous championships along with a Reserve World Champion and a Grand National Championship. The expertise that Stacy, Gerry and Erica offer are priceless, they pour their heart and soul into every rider, whether it be a lesson child or a show rider. This is a quality barn with quality trainers you won’t find anywhere else. It’s not just a training facility, they are like family to us. The Rushton name is very well known throughout the Equestrian community, and although we’ve only been here a year and a half, we have known the quality of their training for many years. They have an outstanding reputation that they live up to 100%. The sky’s the limit here at Rushton!
Bill, Pam & Nini Hodge
Our daughter has thrived under the tutelage of the Rushton Stables team! From her first leadline lessons to her first World Championship, we've made memories to last a lifetime.
Madison Blum
Rushton Stables
Gavilan Hills, CA
Rushton Stables
951-310-1295
My daughter, Mollie, has been riding at Rushton Stables since the age of three. She is 14 now, and Rushton is like a second home to us! Not only are the three trainers professional, dedicated and experienced, they also give top quality care, training and attention to each and every horse in the barn. The family atmosphere at Rushton is unparalleled and the support that clients and trainers share for one another speaks for itself. My daughter has not only been able to follow her passion with horses, but she has learned discipline, respect, work ethic, character and community. We are so grateful for all Rushton has given us over the years and continue to be blessed to be part of the best barn!
