Lesson Information
Hamilton Equestrian Team
Members of the Hamilton Equestrian Team are required to take lessons at the team's barn, Whisper Wind Equestrian Center in order to be considered an active member.
Members are responsible for paying team dues as well as their lesson fees. Hamilton College helps to fund the cost of horse shows the team attends as well as other team activities, however, as with most other college equestrian programs, team members must pay for their own lessons.
The dues for show members are $40 per semester and for $20 a semester for non-showers. Once these dues have been paid, members are put on a list given to our trainer, designating them as members of the team. Members of the Equestrian Team must pay $600 to our trainer per semester. Members of the lesson program, who do not show, pay $25 a lesson or $10 a hack and must commit to a minimum of $125 a semester.
How Our Lessons Are Structured
Team members are required to lesson twice a week and practice twice a week during the show season.
Whisper Wind Equestrian Center facilities is open from 8:00am to 10:00pm for riding and lessons are scheduled btween the hours of 10:00am and 8:00pm, allowing for a lesson to be fit into even the busiest student's schedule. The lesson fee is a flat rate that applies to each student and does not change based upon the size of the lesson.
Whisper Wind strives to teach the many aspects of riding, always including safety and proper care as the foremost lesson. Our trainer, Valerie, teaches beginners how to safely handle horses (grooming, tacking up, leading, and mounting) as a mandatory inclusive part of any lesson program. Valerie stresses basic riding skills, aids, and position at all levels.
Scheduling Your Lesson
To schedule a lesson please contact Valerie McCloskey by either phone, 315-335-3557, or email, vmcclosk@gmail.com. Please schedule your lessons several days in advance and be sure to have a ride to the barn scheduled as well. If you need to cancel a lesson, please let Valerie know at least 24 hours in advance, otherwise the lesson wil not be made up. Riders who do not have a car on campus are welcome to email the team in order to find other riders to coordinate lessons and practices with.
