Summer may be three weeks away officially, but summer riding starts this weekend, with new courses of Riding and Horsemanship. Stay tuned for the return of Friday clinics on Mounted Games, Prix Fiore, Cross Country and more later on this month. June is also the time to renew your Mounted Combat membership if you are on a half-year cycle. Don't miss those long summer evenings of riding ...
Summer Classes
Note that Mounted Combat Mastery classes operate on tuition — if you have a tuition package and a Green Spur or a Green Cord you can drop-in any time. You can sign up for all other courses and workshops here.
Beginner Riding & Horsemanship
If you’ve never been on a horse, or if it’s been a long time, here’s the place to start. When you arrive at the barn at 11am, you’ll begin with a horsemanship lesson, familiarizing yourself with the horses and their tack, as well as how to groom, handle and tack them up. Then you will have a riding lesson, working through the requirements of Riding Level 1 — the prerequisite to most of the fun stuff we do on horseback!
Saturdays, 4pm – 6pm
3 Jun – 8 Jul
cost: $300 + gst for 6 classes
instructor: Stephanie Laversin
Register here, or bundle with Mounted Combat Fundamentals and save $36.
Riding & Horsemanship Level 2
This course is intended for riders who have taken classes through the program and are comfortable tacking up their own horses. Riders should arrive at 9:30am, to tack up and warm up their horses before starting their riding lessons at 10am, followed by Horsemanship Level 2 or 3 lessons at 11am.
Saturdays, 5pm – 7pm
3 Jun – 8 Jul
cost: $300 + gst for 6 classes
instructor: Stephanie Laversin
Register here, or bundle with Mounted Combat Fundamentals and save $36.
Riding Level 3+
This class is intended for independent riders who have achieved Level 2 or higher. Riders are expected to be tacked up and warmed up prior to class. Your own helmets, boots, and half chaps are recommended, as are safety vests for the occasional cross-country class, weather permitting.
Saturdays, 4pm – 5pm
3 Jun – 8 Jul
cost: $200 + gst for 6 classes
instructor: Stephanie Laversin
Horsemanship Level 4
These classes cover the material for Horsemanship Level 4, including grooming, tack-fitting, nutrition, farriery, vet & first aid, conditioning, and shipping. A level 4 assessment is included at the end of the series. These series are only offered around twice a year, so don’t miss it! 
Saturdays, 5pm – 6pm
3 Jun – 8 Jul
cost: $100 + gst for 6 classes
instructor: Kate Landels
Mounted Combat Playday
Sunday 2pm – 5pm
4 June
cost: $15 + $15 for use of school horse
Come out and practise your mounted games, sparring, and archery in a fun and friendly environment. Prerequisites are Riding Level 1 for mounted games, Riding 1 + Beginner Horseback Archery for archery, and Green Spur for mounted sparring.
Beginner Horseback Archery
Whether you are an expert rider or archer, or a complete beginner at both, this is your starting point. You will spend about an hour and a half on the ground learning the techniques of Hungarian archery from the Kassai school. After that, you will begin shooting from horseback while our handlers lead your mounts past the targets at the walk. Experienced riders may have the option to try shooting at faster paces without handlers if they are competent and comfortable at the walk.
Sunday 6 Aug, 10am – 1pm
cost: $149 + gst
prerequisites: none
Intermediate Horseback Archery
If you have taken our Beginner course previously and have a minimum of Riding Level 1 or the equivalent this course is for you. Riders with Level 1 will walk and trot, Level 2 Riders will be able to shoot at the canter. Last time we practised multiple targets on canter circles — what will we get up to this time?
Sunday 6 Aug, 2pm – 5pm
cost: $75 + gst
prerequisites: Riding Level 1, Beginner Horseback Archery
Mounted Combat Fundamentals
This 6-week series of classes is intended to give you the basics of swordplay from the ground to prepare you for fighting from horseback. Participants at this level will practise from the ground and the falsemount to achieve the combat skills needed to attain the rank of Green Spur. Students who have their Riding and Horsemanship Level 1 and who attend all five classes can reasonably expect to attain their Green Spur by the end of the series. Once you have your Green Spur, you can sign up for Intermediate Mounted Combat, and can spar in our regular Playday event, as well as competing in our annual Carosella tournament.
Sundays 1pm – 3pm
16 Jul – 20 Aug
cost: $135 + gst for 6 classes
instructor: Aaron Lamontagne
Register here, or bundle with Riding & Horsemanship and save $36.
Ongoing Mounted Combat Mastery classes
These 2-hour sessions focus on the weapons skills needed to progress from Green to Blue Spur. Regular tuition includes classes taken entirely from the ground (no riding skills necessary).
Sundays noon – 2pm
cost: 2 hours tuition
instructors: Jennifer Landels
You can register for classes in person at the front desk, by calling 604 568 9907, or online here.
Jennifer Landels heads up Academie Duello's Cavaliere Program. She has been swordfighting since 2008, and riding since before she could walk. She started the program as an excuse to combine those passions. Read more from Jennifer Landels.