1. Complete the Lesson Request Form
There are very few spaces available in the Lessons schedule, but we will do our best to see if there is a space that might work for you.
2. Complete the Lesson Registration Form and get ready!
Complete a form only when you have a date and time offered for a lesson. Please note that the same lesson spot may be offered to multiple people at the same time, so once you are offered a spot, you need to complete the form as soon as possible in order to be able to reserve the lesson. The lesson is not confirmed until we have received the form and have replied that the space is still available. An invoice will then be sent by email once the form has been processed.
If your child is between the ages of 4 and 6, we have a program designed just for them! These lessons take place on Saturdays from March to October and are booked individually.
3. Select your weekly lesson package!
Choose how many times a week you would like to have lessons, and select any of the additional programs that are of interest to you! There are a number of different options, so these are detailed below.
If you've done a trial already and have an offer of a weekly lesson, or if you are a returning student and know you're ready to start right in for weekly lessons, this is the form you will need:
The structure of the Private lessons are: 45 minutes preparing the horse for the riding portion; 30 minutes with the coach in one of the riding arenas; 45 minutes preparing the horse to return to its paddock.
Lesson prices are based on 49 weeks of riding throughout the year. Maplewood provides a 2 week vacation for the schoolies in December/January each year; as well as a 1 week vacation for the schoolies at the end of summer camp each year. These prices are in effect from November 1, 2025 to October 31, 2026. We offer lessons in 3 semesters: November 1 to Feb 28; March 1 to June 30; July 1 to October 31.
The structure of the group lessons are: 45 minutes preparing the horse for the riding portion; 45 minutes with the coach in one of the riding arenas; 45 minutes preparing the horse to return to its paddock.
Lesson prices are based on 49 weeks of riding throughout the year. Maplewood provides a 2 week vacation for the schoolies in December/January each year; as well as a 1 week vacation for the schoolies at the end of summer camp each year. These prices are in effect from November 1, 2025 to October 31, 2026. We offer lessons in 3 semesters: November 1 to Feb 28; March 1 to June 30; July 1 to October 31.
The structure of the group lessons are: minimum 45 minutes preparing the horse for the riding portion; maximum 1 hour in one of the riding arenas - this must include appropriate warmups, cool downs, and multiple walking breaks; 45 minutes preparing the horse to return to its paddock.
Lease prices are based on 49 weeks of riding throughout the year. Maplewood provides a 2 week vacation for the schoolies in December/January each year; as well as a 1 week vacation for the schoolies at the end of summer camp each year. These prices are in effect from November 1, 2025 to October 31, 2026. We offer leases in 2 semesters: November 1 to Feb 28; March 1 to October 31.
Multiple lesson discounts do not apply to leases.
If you are riding 3 times a week or more, you have an option to do an Indoor Add-On. The indoor add-on gives the lease horse a stall in the silver barn, green barn or small barn & gives the lessee access to a cubby to put their own tack/equipment in. Tack purchased for the horse must be approved by head coach Michelle Haughton & saddle must be checked by saddle fitter Vicky Chalmers). The cost of the Indoor add-on is $1250 plus HST for each 4 month semester.
The Show Team fee is based on the series that you wish to compete in. The Show Team fee includes: vaccinations, boosters, vaccination records (as needed for shows) and Coggins test; memberships, passports/registration as needed for the horse and horse owner; tack and equipment appropriate for the discipline of the competitions (a specific list will be provided in the Show Team Package each year for the tack and equipment that is included and the tack/equipment/supplies that are needed to be supplied by the competitor; registration in 3 clinics (one of these is the Show Prep Clinic), show team fees (trailering, coaching, and lease) for up to 4 shows in your circuit (not including Championships); show team fees (trailering, coaching, and lease) for the schooling days for OVPSC competitors for each of the shows selected (up to 4). Additional shows can be added, if you are looking to compete in more than 4 shows.
Twice a year (typically in November and March/April), you will have the opportunity to complete an exam that encompasses riding, theory, and stable management. In the month leading up to the potential exam, all students will work on the elements required to be able to complete the levels appropriate for their skill level.
If you wish to do the exam, there will be a Sunday set aside at the end of the month for the exam day. The cost of the exam day is: $185 plus HST. This includes the cost of the examiner, a horse appropriate for the exam for the day of the exam, and the cost of submitting the exams to Ontario Equestrian. If successful on the exams, you will receive a certificate and badge from Ontario Equestrian once processed. (Please note that this fee is subject to change based on the cost of the examiner and the submission cost).
Pony Club lessons are designed for children aged 4 to 6 years old offered on Saturday afternoons between March and October. These lessons are 45 minutes in total and include 30 minutes working with a staff person in the barn and 15 minutes with the coach in one of the riding arenas.
The Pony Club lessons are booked individually. The cost is $45 plus HST. A helmet rental is included in the Pony Club lessons, but students are still required to have their own footwear with a small heel.
There may be some months where there won't be a horsemanship lesson (for example, December is typically a short month for lessons because of the holidays at the end of the month, so there usually isn't a horsemanship lesson in January). The overall goal of the horsemanship lessons is to introduce important topics for equestrians that cannot be covered in the typical lesson program! The horsemanship lessons improve knowledge, skills, bonding with the horses, understanding equine behaviour, and so much more, that lead to developing great "horse people"!
Policies and other important stuff!
Payments are invoiced by semester. Payments can be made all at once by the beginning of the semester, or monthly at the beginning of each month. Payments are deemed late if received after the student's first lesson of the month. A late fee of $25 will be applied for late payments. Any payment returned as insufficient funds will be subject to an administration fee of $40.
Payments can be made by cash, cheque, or email funds transfer. If you pay by cash or cheque, please put the payment in an envelope with the student's name on it (to make sure it is applied to the correct account!) and place it in the mailbox in the Lounge. If you pay by etransfer, it is to be sent to rhonda@maplewoodec.ca. Please refer to your invoice for question/password instructions.
Makeup lessons will be held on Sundays, on the last Sunday of the month. One month will be for those who are at an appropriate level to be able to do an unsupervised lease session, and the next month will be for those who require a supervised session, both in the barn and on horseback. In order to be eligible for a makeup lesson, you need to provide at least 72 hours notice that you will be missing a lesson. This notice needs to be sent to michelle@maplewoodec.ca. If Michelle receives an email at least 72 hours in advance of the lesson that will be missed, she will book you in for an appropriate Sunday makeup session. Makeup lessons must be taken within 2 months of the missed lesson.
Every student must have with them:
When you arrive at the stables, you'll drive up to the gate, open the gate, pull through, close the gate behind you, and then park in front of the barns to the left. Go to the left of the barn and you'll see a white door labeled "Lounge". Go into the Lounge. The student should be ready with their boots on and helmet in hand or on their head. They can go through the Lounge following the sign to go into the barn when their lesson is to start. The Lesson Prep Leader (wearing royal blue) will be there to guide the preparation processes. Spectators are not allowed in the barn during the preparations but are welcome to relax in the Lounge or watch the lessons in the arena. Please note the following:
There are 3 semesters in the year: November 1 to February 28; March 1 to June 30; July 1 to October 31. If you are leasing or on the Show Team, there are only 2 semesters: November 1 to February 28; and, March 1 to October 31. You can begin weekly lessons at any point in the semester (as long as there is space at an appropriate skill level), but you will be committing to complete the rest of the semester. It is expected that you will be continuing to the next semester, unless you provide 30 days notice to Rhonda@maplewoodec.ca, that you do not wish to continue in the next semester.
Lessons will not be running for 2 weeks in the December/January school break, as well as for one week at the end of the summer camp program. The dates for these will be put in the calendar as "cancelled" in the red lesson calendar once the new schedule for November 1, 2025 is finalized.
Your lesson starts at the time indicated on the lesson schedule. This is the beginning of the preparation phase of the lesson, which is important for the health of the horse, for learning about horse behaviour, and for developing a bond with the horse. There is only a 10 minute grace period for being late. If you are not in the barn, ready to go with boots on and helmet in hand (or on your head) within 10 minutes of your start time, your lesson will be forfeited at your own expense. No refunds or credits will be given if you arrive late. (And yes, because this is critical for the health and safety of the horse and equestrian, if you are 11 minutes after your start time, you will be deemed late and your lesson will be forfeited.). It is great to be 5 to 10 minutes early at the barn so that you can get prepared and enter the barn on time!
Lesson Calendar
We recommend that you always check the calendar before coming out to your lesson. We do occasionally have to cancel lessons at the last minute for reasons such as extreme weather, staff shortages, etc. When we need to cancel lessons we will always change the calendar first and the lessons will show up in red, instead of the usual orange. Please note that we run lessons year-round, even on holidays, except for 2 weeks in December/January and one week in September (after summer camp) in order to give the school horses a well-deserved vacation. We bring in different professionals to pamper and take care of the horses during some of these times, and you will see these lessons cancelled on the schedule well in advance. Your lesson fees have already factored these closures in to the costs.