In the spring of 2004, we had a newly-opened barn with two lesson ponies, six regular students, and very few expectations.
By spring of 2005, we were teaching close to thirty students a week and scrambling to expand our school horse string before the two old ponies burned out! This happened with little to no advertising; most of our students arrived via word of mouth.
We didn’t have a show team, prestigious credentials or affiliations, or a fancy facility.
But we did have something that none of the other local stables offered: a Rising Rider program.
More than your typical pony ride
In the beginning, we agreed with the conventional wisdom that students needed to be eight years old or older. After all, small children and horses are a combination full of safety concerns, even when the kids are able to focus!
But we got contacted by a lot of parents of five- and six-year-olds.
Since the barn we were leasing was technically considered to be an amenity of a resort community, we decided to offer what we called a “Pony Ride Experience” – essentially a 15-20 minute pony ride, with more interaction than provided at your typical county fair ride.
These mini-lessons could be used to gauge a child’s interest and readiness, and to appease children too young to fully participate in regular classes.
Little did we know that within a few months, our weekly bookings would include as many Pony Ride Experiences as full-hour lessons, if not more. Within a few more months, we had repeat customers asking if their little one could come on a weekly or biweekly basis.
We’d also figured out that while creating a safe, fun experience for the younger kids was challenging (and not the most mentally stimulating work for our ponies), it was also satisfying. The kids had fun. The parents were delighted. And we were building a client base likely to stay with us for the long haul.
Our tiny tots became "Rising Riders"
In 2007, we officially launched both the Learning Levels and our Rising Rider lesson program, featuring leadline lessons for children aged 4 through 7. This coincided nicely with USPC’s Junior Pony Club program, allowing us to involve students of ALL ages in our satellite Pony Club.
Most of our young students were too small to control a horse or tack up on their own, and a few were physically incapable of posting the trot. So many of these lessons were taught on a private or semi-private basis.
However, the lessons were so short and easy on our horses, we could fit 2-3 lessons into an hour, making them a very profitable use of our time.
With the help of volunteer Ground Buddies, we also hosted a monthly group lesson so the kids could play group games and make new friends.

We were able to keep these children engaged and part of the barn family with half-day summer camp programs, special classes at in-house schooling shows, and leadline divisions in our mounted games competitions.
The vast majority of our Rising Riders moved up to hour-long lessons when they grew into their legs – and turned out to be good little riders!
But we realized that the Learning Levels needed to grow, too
The requirements of Red Level – while easily attainable for older children – were unfair for children unable to hold a bridle off the ground or to keep their pony trotting on their own.
We wanted to involve Rising Riders in our unmounted program, but the program of independent study we used to award HorseSense ribbons didn’t work for the little kids.
Most of them couldn’t even read!
Young students require a different approach
Teaching Rising Riders is a very different experience than teaching older beginners. It also comes with a list of special requirements, such as:
- flexible scheduling
- excellent assistants
- absolutely unflappable, child-safe school ponies
Rainbow Level was created to bridge the gap between “first ride” and “regular student,” giving our Rising Riders a way to measure their achievements.
Unlike the rest of the Levels program, Rainbow requirements cover mounted AND unmounted topics, introducing simple terminology and horse care knowledge along with skills such as riding in two-point and walk/halt transitions.
We expect that students in this Level will have assistance every step of the way.
Every mounted skill can be performed on the leadline or with a Ground Buddy nearby.
Occasionally children above the age of 8 asked to participate in our Rising Rider camps and lessons. We allowed it but made it clear that the lessons and activities are taught in a different style and tone, geared toward students with short attention spans and more enthusiasm than physical ability.
Red Level remained the entry point for more mature students with the ability to handle a horse independently.
However, since we’ve begun sharing Learning Levels with a wider audience, we’ve seen many programs successfully implement Rainbow Level as the starting point for students of ALL ages.

Will a Rising Rider program work for you?
Lessons for young children are not a good fit for every stable and every instructor.
But we think that with all the right ingredients, they can also be fun and valuable addition to a riding school… and that when Rising Riders grow up with a balanced seat, compassion for the horse and enthusiasm for the sport, you will enjoy their business and company for years to come.
After all, at the end of every rainbow is a pot of gold!
