Junior Beginner Course

Providing a well-rounded and high quality introduction to riding and horsemanship for youth aged 8 to 11

 

The Lancer Foundation

Lancers is a historic, well-established riding school with a highly regarded foundational lesson program for junior and adult riders on well-rounded school horses. The Horses of Halifax are expertly chosen and cared for and match the broad needs of our riders. Lancers aims to provide the most holistic, high quality and well-rounded equestrian education in Canada, complemented by extracurricular programs. The roots of Lancer Junior Beginner Course began in 1936 and has provided a solid foundation for thousands of riders for nearly ninety years!

Program Details

The Junior Beginner Course is a 12 week program which teaches the basics of horsemanship, riding, and being a Lancer. Children from the ages of 8-11 will learn groom, tack up, mount, ride, and take care of the horses, equipment, and stables. Riders participate in two lessons per week. Lessons are one hour long and riders are required to be at the barn at least thirty minutes before and after their rides. 

All instructors are Equestrian Canada and NCCP qualified with current First Aid certification. Lessons may be mounted or unmounted depending on the instructor’s lesson plan. The Junior Beginner Course is designed for riders with little to no riding experience. For riders wishing to join Lancers and who can already walk, trot, and canter unaided, please see our Junior Membership page. 

 

The Lancer Approach: More than Just Riding Skills

Lancers develops well-rounded equestrians who are not only skilled riders but are knowledgeable horse people and provide high standard of care to horses.

Our programs are rooted in Lancers’ core values. Riders learn respect, love, and gratitude for the horse come first and the needs of the horse must always be met. Riders are expected to fulfil their responsibilities in the barn including properly grooming the horse, preparing and cleaning tack, and maintaining a clean barn. Each rider is also assigned a miscellaneous chore such as cleaning water buckets, sweeping, feeding hay or any other chore that may need to be done that day.

 

Upon Completion

At the end of the 12 week course, your child will have over 48 hours of horse experience. They will be able to properly take care of their horse and equipment as well as able to ride at the walk and trot and the early stages of cantering. Once the course has been completed, participants will have the option to become members of Halifax Lancers and continue in the junior membership until age 18. They will not have to rejoin the wait list. 

 

Program Highlights 

  • $1050 for twelve week course

  • 2 lessons/week

  • Teaches riding, horsemanship, and basic horse care skills

  • Equestrian Canada and NCCP qualified instructors

  • First Aid certified and skilled barn monitors

  • Guaranteed space to enter Junior Membership upon completion

Equipment Requirements

  • Horse grooming Kit

All riders must wear:

  • Their own ASTM approved helmets

  • Boots with a hard sole and a half-inch heel

  • Comfortable long pants such a breeches

  • Red shirts are encouraged.

Enrollment

The Junior Beginner Course usually runs once a year in September. Enrollment is limited to eight riders per course and is on a first come, first served basis. Due to our strong reputation, location in the city, and cap of eight riders per course, we have a registration waitlist. Although the course is for riders aged 8 to 11, we encourage individuals to join the waitlist sooner rather than later. Some individuals will “age out”.

Every June, after membership registration has closed, we are able to assess the possibility of Beginner Courses in September. Once decided, we contact those at the top of our waitlist. We are dedicated to equality and our Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion policies and as best practice, once registration opens, we move down the wait list and offer spaces to individuals in order. Click here to read more about how our waitlist and enrollment works.

If you have not yet been contacted, there has not been space yet for you to register. 

If your child has riding experience and can walk, trot, and canter independently, please see our Junior Membership page.