My teaching style is student-centered with a blend of direct instruction, question and answer discussions, and active student involvement with each activity.  Using virtual hands-on learning time with 'real live horses' in our barn, students will gain basic horse knowledge, horse care, nutrition, behavior,  horse handling, and grooming techniques.  During the last class they will take a horse from "pasture dirty to saddle ready." 

Class #1: All students will have an opportunity to learn basic horse knowledge (horse breed types, coat colors and markings, horse body parts). We will work hands-on with real-live horses for demonstrations in this class related to coat colors, markings, breed types. 

Class #2: Students will be introduced to hands-on application of vocabulary related to horse care and needs, including how to properly halter and lead a real-live horse/pony while on foot.  

Class #3: Students will have an opportunity to learn how they are similar to and different from horses related to eating and nutrition.  They will learn about the basic needs of horses (food, water, air, shelter), key vocabulary related to healthy eating and nutrition, both for themselves and for horses. Of course, general horse care will also be covered as it is part of horse health.

Class #4: All students will have an opportunity to learn about common horse behaviors and observe firsthand how horses attempt to communicate with us and with other horses through a live, virtual field trip.

Class #5: All students will have an opportunity to learn how to groom a horse in preparation for bridling and saddling, as well as saddle placement and bridling skills as one prepares to ride a horse. Students will be asked to properly identify and apply horse handling and grooming vocabulary, as we will handle and groom at least one real-live horse/pony from "pasture dirty to saddle ready."