Master Teachers . . . A Joy to Experience

Last weekend several of us redeemed our Living Social coupons for horseback

 riding lessons at Urban Acres Riding.  

We had a blast!  A few of us had been on horses in our younger years but were in no way experienced riders.  For all of us, our most recent experiences with horses was of the "nose to butt" tourist trail ride sort.  And, while this can be a fun way to experience the scenic beauty of a place it hardly qualifies as riding.  

All of that changed when we met Hope Finan and her husband, Joe, true master teachers.  Hope made sure that our riding experience was not only fun but also useful for the next time we encounter horses.

She expertly matched our abilities and confidence level to the horse and made sure that we were comfortable in our helmets and saddles.

Alice & Rosey

Linda & Ranger

Annie & Miss Priss


Hope spent the first hour explaining how the horses were trained and what voice, hand, and leg movements to make.  It's one thing to know one's craft and quite another to convey that knowledge to others.  Hope is competent in both areas.


Before we knew it we were maneuvering our horses around trees, over fallen logs, and up and down hills.  Who knew that we could be so competent so quickly?

With clear explanations, some basics of horse psychology, and a little bit of practice we were ready to put everything in action on the trail.  (No photos of the trail portion since I was paying attention to Gambler and tree limbs.)

Before we knew it our two hours was up, leaving us ready for more.  Hope's confidence building, clear instruction, and well trained horses will have us returning to Urban Acres in the future.