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A small lesson barn can carry big ideas. We sit down with New Hampshire instructor and PEMF provider Shauna Mills to explore how a hands-on program turns nervous riders into steady partners, why a feeder-barn model is a strength and not a step down, and how respectful boundaries create safer, happier lessons for everyone involved.
We start with the backbone of her curriculum—weekly horsemanship units taught in the aisle, not just the arena. Students learn hoof care, thrush treatment, wrapping techniques, and lameness spotting alongside riding skills. Shauna shares how she markets locally without spamming, then walks us through her proud niche: welcoming beginners, building fundamentals, and celebrating the moment a rider graduates to a more specialized program. We dig into quarterly check-ins that prevent stagnation and the art of honest conversations when goals change.
Barn life isn’t all ribbons. Shauna explains how she repurposes aging or unsound school horses into groundwork and driving stars, keeping them engaged and useful without pushing beyond their bodies. She also faces the hardest task—telling young riders that a beloved lesson horse has died—with compassion and clarity. From kids who cling to one favorite horse to teens avoiding the canter, we talk about strategies grounded in curiosity, firm assignments, and step-by-step wins. A recent canter breakthrough shows how a single well-coached transition can flip a rider’s story.
We round out with practical motivation: online horse shows as low-pressure entries to competition, plus winter adaptations that keep learning alive through groundwork, sled driving, and creative sessions in cold weather. If you care about lesson programs, equine welfare, rider confidence, and smart coaching, this conversation offers field-tested tactics you can use tomorrow.
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