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LOCAL EDUCATION
SK Equestrian Academy offers in-person education at our facility in Willard, MO.
Beginner
Horsemanship
Lessons
90-minute bookings for new students and kiddos graduating from Positive Pony Rides ~ Focused on developing skills and working toward independent handling & riding.
Activities Include:
Handling Skills: How to interact with our equines safely from the ground & at liberty, with a focus on building trust, communication, and establishing partnership.
Training: Learn advanced behavior theory & skills, including how to teach cooperative care, advanced liberty behaviors, riding behaviors, and more.
Riding: Gain skills in the saddle with our lesson horses or build a relationship with your own horse under saddle.
Not your average horsemanship program!
SKE focuses on gentle horsemanship methods. We use positive reinforcement training, meaning we emphasize reward-based learning, autonomy/choice/consent, & fostering healthy relationships with happy equines.
At SKE, you won't find:
❌ Whips, Spurs, Bits, Chains
❌ Yelling, Force, Fear, Stress
At SKE, you will find:
✅ Happy Horses
✅ Happy Horsemanship
At SKE, we believe:
🐎 Horses deserve to have their needs met first, then be invited to interact/perform
🐎 Horses are not sporting equipment
🐎 Riding is a privilege, not a right
🐎 Horsemanship & riding should be fun for the horse
🐎 Horses have the right to say "no"
🐎 These rules apply to people, too!
Learn about psychology and behavior 🧠
Horses provide us with an opportunity to better understand our own behavior & that of others. Horses are incredibly sensitive and social, just like people, but they're much more grounded and "simple" when it comes to their motivations & behavior.
Learn about trauma-informed healing ❤️🩹
Unfortunately, the equine industry can be very toxic and abusive (as many of our rescues have experienced), and humans can be this way toward each other, too. Providing safety, security, and care to the horses provides us with clarity and emphasizes the importance of caring for ourselves and each other.
Helping the horses work through their trauma and fears can provide inspiration and insight into our own healing journeys.
Seeing these horses survive their past trauma and go on to be empowered, strong, thriving, & full of life provides us with confidence and hope in the ability to overcome adversity.