UPDATED: December 2007.
Make sure you scroll to the bottom to see all the new pictures.

Gift Certificates for riding lessons or portraits make a great present!!!

BEGINNER RIDING LESSONS FOR THE
ENGLISH OR WESTERN RIDER WITH MILES OF TRAILS!

You don't need to be John Wayne to ride horses! I enjoy teaching very beginners to intermediate level students of all ages to ride. I teach English and Western (pleasure) styles of riding. Most importantly, I try to teach my students to enjoy horses as much as I do. I am not a competitive person by nature so I tend to teach in a way that enables students to learn at their own pace. When I feel that they are competent enough, I will take established students on trail rides. We do NOT take very beginners on trail rides.

Some of my history with horses I have been riding since I was 6 years old and got my first horse when I was 12 years old. She was a red roan appaloosa mare named "Filly" who I had for nearly 18 years. She was an amazing horse who helped teach many people to ride and really helped to get me started as a riding instructor years ago by being one of those horses you could put anyone on. She passed away in 2000 but I have a daughter by her who has also been a great school horse along with the rest of our herd. Filly and I are pictured below. Her daughter Sunny and many of our other horses are pictured through out our web site.

Though I have shown competitively with my horses I try to teach my students to enjoy the horses as I do in a non-competitive and relaxed environment. There is no pressure to learn to be a "perfect" rider, just a safe, correct one who has respect for the horse. I prefer to make sure a rider feels balanced. I teach safety with the horses and my students learn to groom and tack-up before they ride and cool the horses out at the end of the lesson. You get a feel for what a horse's personality is like if you spend a bit more time with them when you are not in the saddle. To be more specific, I try to teach students to be responsible with the horses as if they were their own. If any of my students go on to purchase their own horses one day they will have a bit of experience in the basic care of a horse as well as how to ride them. Not to mention, ride them well!

Some of the things I've done competitively with my horses include: showing at the local horse shows and the 4H fair when I was younger. I have won my share of championships on "Filly", my appaloosa. I've ridden both English (hunt-seat and balance seat) and Western (pleasure, gymkhana and reining). Team penning and pace events have been fun too. I have also been fortunate enough to have raised and trained some foals. Raising young horses has been a wonderful experience. Most of the young horses I have raised are part of my lesson program now ... See our "foal page" for pictures. Training horses is something I am including more and more in my lesson program for more advanced riders. I've helped train student's horses from scratch and helped them to finish their own horses.

I own 9 horses now including an APHA (paint) stallion, also a 2005 appaloosa filly.. I have trained (or put training into) most of them. Horses are a huge commitment but are well worth the time my husband and I put into their care and training. I thoroughly enjoy spending time with my horses and try to teach students to enjoy them as I do.

What you need to take riding lessons from me...

HELMETS: Where I teach mainly beginners, I require all riding students to wear helmets! I do have a few helmets for new riders to try but strongly suggest that you purchase your own if you are serious about riding. All new riders are required to sign a release form before riding.

FOOT WEAR: You need to wear a boot or shoe with a heel that is similar to a work boot or cowboy boot. The reasoning behind this is that with a heeled-shoe, you will not easily get your foot caught in the stirrup like you see in those old westerns! A low heel (NO more then an inch high) is best and any zippers should not be on the inside of your boot so they're not scraping your leg or the saddle while you ride.

JEANS: If you do not own chaps or riding pants then I suggest jeans that are not very baggy. Cowboy cut (boot leg), straight leg or relaxed-fit type jeans are fine.

COST: FOR NEW STUDENTS I teach private lessons only to evaluate your skills. Once you can safely ride on your own (off a lunge line) you can move to a semi-private or group lesson. We are offering a discounted flat rate of $40/hour to all students. Also, I will take established students on local trails for their lesson. I also teach some off property lessons for those that have their own horses for $50/hour. I do NOT rent horses to the public. All lessons are by appointment only. All lessons are weather permitting until our indoor is completed.

GIFT CERTIFICATES are always available! If you know someone who may be interested in trying out riding I sell pre-paid gift certificates for 1 hour-long, private riding lessons for $40 each. Please email me for more information. I can send you the gift certificates by mail after you send me a check or you can pick them up here at the farm (by appointment only). They're a great gift idea for birthdays or Christmas presents for that hard to buy for person, etc.!

LEASES: Select horses are offered for leases for current students who are competent and responsible enough to tack up and ride (walk-trot-canter) on their own. All lease riders are required to sign a lease contract and pay by the month. I require one month's notice to end a lease contract. I am currently looking for new lease riders!

WORKING STUDENTS: We would like to find some mature, hard working and responsible students to help with barn chores in exchange for lessons or leases. We are very good to our working students and they will get a lot of on-the-job training as well as lessons and lease rides as we see fit. Working students need to be mature enough to work without constant supervision and experienced with horses enough to be safe around them unsupervised. Chores will include but are not limited to: paddock and stall cleaning, watering, bringing horses in or out, cleaning tack and picking rocks from paddocks, assisting with lessons, etc. Leases will be for experienced (walk-trot-canter) riders only. Email or call Kim for more details.

TEACHING DAYS: Currently, I'm pretty flexible on teaching days but take Monday and Tuesday off from lessons to work on our many farm projects. I try to schedule all riding lessons at least a month in advance. Most students have weekly riding lessons on the same day and time slot though I do offer bi-weekly lessons if a slot is available. I am willing to do a trial lesson for anyone who is interested. I almost always have room for adult students who can ride weekday mornings or early afternoons.

WE GO YEAR-ROUND: We have a 60' x 100' indoor riding arena under construction. I teach all year as long as the weather and footing permit. Riding in the winter months can be quite comfortable if you dress appropriately (layers!). I do try to reschedule when possible for weather related cancellations (terrible driving conditions for example). Otherwise, I require a 24-hour notice for canceling lessons or you are charged for the hour.

CONTACT INFO/LOCATION: HURRICANE HILL STABLES, Kimberly A. Vocell, 603-878-3799, email: lessons@hurricanehillstables.com. We are located in Mason, NH which is 3 towns west of Nashua, NH. We are just over the Townsend, MA border, 3 miles off Route 119. Click here for directions.

So anyway, that's me! If you are interested in riding or just
have some horse-related questions please e-mail me.

Also, be sure to check out my "Hand Painted Portraits Page!