Riding Program

Mill Swamp Riders do not learn how to win ribbons in the show ring. They do not learn how to sit up straight and demonstrate "classical riding skills." Instead they learn how horses think and how to develop real relationships with horses. They learn to train the horses and themselves for endless hours of riding on the trails. They learn how to safely and humanely control horses. They learn to control their emotions. They learn to demonstrate maturity. Mill Swamp Riders range in age from five to over fifty. They participate in educational seminars and have a first rate library of natural horsemanship at their finger tips. They work to save rare and endangered horses, like the Corolla Spanish mustangs. They understand that they are not just taking "riding lessons", but instead are part of a movement to promote natural horsemanship and natural horse care.

Monthly Fees

And they do all of this quite afforably. Our current monthly rate is $160.00 with discounts for additional children in the family. Parents of riders ride at no charge. Our fee structure is not hourly because there is no additional fee for extra hours in the saddle. In the summer, several of my riders spend between ten and twenty hours a week at the horse lot with no extra charge.

Article from Virginia Sportsman Magazine

Our program has been followed by quite a few reporters. Here is an article written by the Virginia Sportsman Magazine in 2008.

Boarding

Many of our riders own and board their American Indian Horses with us.

"Steve is awesome in teaching children and adults about natural horsemanship and how to ride a horse without getting hurt. The very first day that I took my six year-old daughter, Emily, to the horse lot she learned how to sit on a horse, to control the horse using the reigns and how to stop the horse---all of this before getting on the horse. Steve and Emily sat in sawn chairs and hooked the reigns to the fence and they practiced over and over again until she understood what to do when Steve gave a command. In just a few months time, my 10 year-old son, Andrew, wanted to ride horses like his sister. Today our whole family rides horses! Steve is remarkable in teaching natural horsemanship skills and his enthusiasm inspires everyone around him. I recommend his program to anyone who want to ride or who already rides and want to learn more about loving and training a horse, gaining the respect of the horse and the pleasure and passion of doing both."

The Frix Family, Smithfield, VA