Morton Farm offers riding lessons for the Upper Valley community and Dartmouth students year round.
Lessons are offered to children at least 6 years old (3:30 or 4:30) and adults (5:30 and 6:30) Monday through Friday. All community lessons are an hour long (except for 1/2-hour privates) and require the rider to arrive far enough in advance as to allow time for grooming and tacking the horse. Riders are also expected to do necessary grooming or cooling down of the horse following the lesson as well as cleaning the tack. Lessons may be scheduled at alternate times with the instructor.
Click here to view and print out the registration form for the Winter Session.
Click here to view and print out the registration form for the Mini Session.
Click here to view print out the liability release (required).
Fall session: August 24-November 17
Mini session: November 18-December 18
Winter session 2010: January 19-March 12, 2010
No lessons: August 17-21, September 7, November 25-27, December 21-31, January 1-18. Please mark you calendars, we are NOT necessarily closed on school vacation weeks.
We cancel riding lessons if the temperature is below 10 degrees or the roads are bad. Typically, the farm is much colder than town so check your email before you head up to the barn if the weather is in question!
Please dress yourself and your children in layers and make sure you have winter riding boots...it's too cold for paddock boots or tall boots!!
Fees are payable on a pay/lesson basis or in sessions for a reduced rate. Dartmouth employees and their families receive a 10% discount on the session package and non-employees receive a 5% discount on the session package. Lessons are one hour (10 minutes warm-up, 50 minutes instruction), except for the l/2 hour private. Lesson cancellation requires a 24-hour prior notification, or else lesson fee will be charged. Lesson fees are refunded only for medical reasons. (Rates as of 7/1/2008)
Group(3+ students) $30/hour
Semi-private(2 students) $45/hour
Private(half-hour) $45/half-hour
Private(hour) $65/hour
Group hour lessons Dartmouth/DHMC employee pay-ahead rate: $108/4 lessons
Group hour lessons non-Dartmouth employee pay-ahead rate: $114/4 lessons
**Riders may pay for any number of "pay-ahead" lessons to get the discount(4 lessons, 6, 8, etc).**
Effective 8/27/07 children who need help grooming and tacking up will be charged a fee of $5/tack up. We have to pay a lesson helper to aid the instructor with grooming and tacking up and we can no longer cover these services for no charge to our clients.
An ASTM/SEI approved safety helmet with harness is mandatory for all students. If you are unsure of the appropriateness of a helmet, check with your instructor. It is strongly recommended that you purchase your own, but some helmets are available at the Center. Boots and breeches are preferred, but jeans and a closed shoe with a hard, smooth sole and heel are acceptable. No sneakers are allowed. Safety is our first priority.
For more information e-mail Sally.Batton@dartmouth.edu or call 603-643-1808.
**No dogs allowed on the farm premises.