Mad River Valley Icelandic Horses, LLC Mad River Valley Icelandic Horses, LLC

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  • Training
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  • Contact

Iceland-inspired.

Science-informed.

Our Lesson Program

"The secret of education lies in respecting the pupil."

-  Ralph Waldo Emerson

We teach a balanced, force-free approach to training and riding Icelandic horses, celebrating the unique spirit and 5 gaits of the Icelandic horse: walk, trot, canter, tölt, and flying pace (skeið).  Our focus is first and foremost on safety, understanding, and fun.  We provide our excellent lesson horses with consistent professional training and conditioning outside of lessons so that they remain soft, balanced, happy, and motivated to work with our students.  We provide our riders with a solid understanding of Icelandic horsemanship culture, dressage, equine biomechanics, and learning theory, all of which we believe are essential to ethical, balanced riding and training.  Our riders learn first to balance themselves correctly over the horse, so that they can later learn to help the horse balance correctly under the rider.  The riding we teach is healthy and fun for both horse and rider, and provides a strong foundation to meet any rider's goals.

Riding With Us:

We teach children (ages 5 and up) and adults of all abilities.  By design, our lesson program is small and intimate, enabling us to give each horse and rider the one-on-one time they deserve.  We teach a hands-on approach to horsemanship, meaning that our riders spend time before and after lessons learning to properly care for their lesson horses.  

We ask that all riders, regardless of age or experience, begin with half-hour private lessons.  Once we have evaluated your riding and horsemanship skillset, we may recommend longer lessons, lessons outside of the arena, and/or semi-private/group lessons.  For brand new beginners, the first lesson will be an introduction to basic horsemanship, including grooming, basic handling, and safety on and around the horse.  We are willing to lend new students helmets for the first three lessons - after that, we ask that riders invest in their own properly fitted riding helmet.

Lesson packages and/or on-site leases may be available to dedicated riders in our program.

Please contact us for rates and more information!

Cancellation Policy:  If you have to cancel or reschedule a lesson within 24 hours of the reserved lesson time, we as that you pay for the lesson that you reserved.  

Click through the photos below to see photos of our students enjoying our lesson horses:

A 6-year-old student grooms Spönn.  Photo by Augustin Demonceaux Jess on a snowy trail lesson with a young student.  Photo by Augustin Demonceaux Two 6-year-old students in a group lesson on Spönn frá Efri-Rauðalæk and Thór frá Skorrastað.  Photo by Jess Haynsworth An adult student smiling after a fun lesson on Frostrós frá Efri-Rauðalæk.  Photo by Jess Haynsworth Three adult students riding Spönn frá Efri-Rauðalæk, Thór frá Skorrastað, and Frostrós frá Efri-Rauðalæk on a group ride out.  Photo by Jess Haynsworth Hugs for Thór after a fun lesson.  Photo by Jess Haynsworth A bundled-up student riding Spönn during a Christmas lesson in the snow.  Photo by Jess Haynsworth Jess on a trail ride lesson with a 5-year-old student.  Photo by Julia Alrenius Jess with her student and Spönn frá Efri-Rauðalæk, after the pair won a blue ribbon at their very first competition!  Photo by Anne Hyde Two young students in a group lesson.  Photo by Augustin Demonceaux Two young students riding Thór and Spönn bareback after a group lesson.  Photo by Jess Haynsworth A young student tightens Thór's girth before a lesson.  Photo by Jess Haynsworth Jess teaching two 5-year-old students in their first lesson, assisted by her niece, Linley.  Photo by Augustin Demonceaux Vita with her ribbon after her first competition in the US, riding our Thór frá Skorrastað.  Photo by Jess Haynsworth Everyone smiles when they ride Thór!  Photo by Augustin Demonceaux Thór and a young student walking over groundpoles in an obstacle course.  Photo by Augustin Demonceaux Frostrós and a young student, photo by Augustin Demonceaux. An easter lesson with Spönn.  Photo by Jess Haynsworth Linley riding Thór in a lesson.  Photo by Augustin Demonceaux A young student riding Spönn on our end-of-summer Games Day.  Photo by Augustin Demonceaux A young student riding Thór bareback.  Photo by Augustin Demonceaux Hoofcare is an important part of horsemanship!  Photo by Jess Haynsworth A young student riding Thór at our end-of-summer Games Day.  Photo by Augustin Demonceaux Icelandic horses are great for the Vermont climate - they don't mind lessons in the snow!  Photo by Jess Haynsworth A student grooming Thór before a ride.  Photo by Augustin Demonceaux. Hugs for Thór after a Christmas lesson in the snow.  Photo by Jess Haynsworth Jess teaching a young rider on Frostrós.  Photo by Augustin Demonceaux.