Horsemanship at Midland
We ride Western, prioritizing on a ranch-versatility approach and utilizing Natural Horsemanship principles to communicate with our horses. Students learn not only to ride and care for our diverse herd, but also to steward our land and trails systems. No prior experience necessary.
Ride, Steward & Explore
Horsemanship at Midland is accessible at every level, with multiple ways to engage depending on your experience and interest. Students participate through seasonal afternoon sports, Experiential Saturdays, and for-credit internship work that combines riding with ranch management.
As skills develop, opportunities expand to include training a project horse, working cattle, and stepping into leadership roles such as Trail Boss or student instructor, building independence, responsibility, and confidence over time.
Ways to Get Involved
Step into horsemanship through Experiential Saturdays, a low-commitment way to get involved and build confidence from the start. These sessions offer a strong entry point for new or curious riders who want to try the program before committing to a full season of sport or signing up for an internship class.
Each experience, whether learning to groom and saddle, getting out on a trail ride, building roping skills, or simply establishing familiarity and friendship with a new horse, builds confidence and a sense of belonging within our barn community.
Join horsemanship as a seasonal afternoon sport in the fall, winter, or spring, with regular riding and training built into the weekly schedule. Students spend multiple afternoons each week in the barn and arena, developing riding skills, learning horse care, and progressing through levels with consistent coaching and feedback.
Opportunities extend beyond daily practices to include longer trail rides on- and off-property, skill-building sessions, and deeper work with horses for those who want to invest more time. Riders of all experience levels build strength, communication, and confidence while becoming active members of the barn community.
Commit to horsemanship at a deeper level through the Horse & Ranch Internship, a for-credit class that combines riding, training, and ranch work. Students take ownership of a project horse, developing its training over the course of the semester while tracking progress and refining technique.
Daily responsibilities also include hands-on ranch work such as pasture management, livestock care, and maintenance of working landscapes. This experience builds technical skill, independence, and leadership through real responsibility and sustained practice.
Step into advanced riding and leadership through competitions and the Trail Boss program. Students refine their skills through structured challenges and demonstrate progress in horsemanship, communication, and control.
Experienced riders can earn the role of Trail Boss, leading small groups on independent rides across the property. This role requires strong judgment, preparation, and trust, and reflects a student’s readiness to take responsibility for others within the program.
One of the things I love most about the Midland horse program is that yes, students learn to ride, but they also are learning a full-range of skills that will serve them into their adulthood. I believe horses are a natural teacher to help a student regulate their emotions, a wonderful tool they’ll use in all aspects of life. Our students are amazing: the amount of responsibility that they rise to is wonderful; the ownership they take, the pride they take in caretaking for our facility, being resilient when something isn’t working out. Midland’s horse program gives students a skillset that makes them feel like they can take on any challenge.
 |
Lauren Pearson Horse Program Director |