Heavenwood Farm
Passion is Everything!
Private & Semi-private lessons
All lessons are either private or semi-private as that allows us to pay special attention to each rider in our program. Private lessons are 30 minutes in length with the expectation that capable riders will be groomed, tacked, and warmed up and ready for the start of the lesson. Semi-private lessons are 60 minutes in length with the same expectation for capable riders. Our goal is to give riders a good base to build their skills on while focusing on having a fun, yet safe, experience.
Single rider: $210.00 per month (includes one lesson per week)
Single lesson (if starting mid-month)/extra lessons: $55 per lesson
Off-site lessons: $65/30 minute private lesson or 45 minute semi-private
$80/45 minute private lesson or 60 minute semi-private
Pony ride: $135/month for 20 minute session each week (reserved for small children ages 3-4)
Cancellation policy:
Students will be held responsible for paying for their lesson unless we receive 24 hours notice of cancellation. In the event that the student is sick and cannot ride, each instructor has a predetermined make up lesson time scheduled each month. Students are responsible for signing up for these make up lessons should they not want to lose their lesson. We will not carry make up lessons over into the next month unless it occurs in the last week of the prior month. Students are allowed one make up lesson per month.
If roads are bad, we will use our best judgement as to whether or not to reschedule lessons. We will make a decision at least one hour before the scheduled lesson time and contact each student. If the road conditions are questionable and you have not been contacted or are not sure, please contact Steph for a decision.
Heavenwood Farm Lessons
At Heavenwood Farm, we take care to provide our students high quality instruction and attention. Here is a list of our services and prices.
Steph has been riding and training horses for over 30 years. She started out competing in the Rated Hunter ring but made the switch to Eventing shortly after moving her first horse, Junior, to Westwynd Farm in 1997 when she joined Pony Club and started training with Mary Schwentker. She was a member of Manada Creek Pony Club until she started college. Steph has ridden and trained with well known riders/trainers such as Mary Schwentker (4* event rider and USDF medalist), Sally Cousins (5* Eventer who holds the leading lady event rider title in the US for 6 consecutive years), Lucinda Green (British eventing Olympian), Steuart Pittman (Advanced level event rider), Aviva Nebesky ("L" rated Dressage judge) and Alexa Derr (Grand Prix Dressage rider). She has also audited clinics by well known eventer Jimmy Wofford and upper level dressage riders/trainers, Julio Mendoza and Betsy Steiner. She has competed up to the Preliminary level and rides regularly with Sally Cousins. She is currently teaching intermediate+ lessons here at Heavenwood, has horses in training and manages sales. Steph really enjoys teaching riders how to bring out the best in their horses, but also has a particular passion for training off-track Thoroughbreds for their second careers.
Instructors
Steph Spiece - Head Instructor
Addie Carroll - Assistant Instructor
Addie has had a love for horses since early in her childhood. As a young teenager she began working for a neighbor in exchange for riding lessons and a chance to be around horses. Several years later she acquired a retired quarter horse mare and through this connection met and shadowed Steph Spiece. In 2020, Addie started as a working student here at Heavenwood Farm and has since been mentored by Steph and immersed in all of the happenings of Heavenwood. She assists daily in horse management and maintenance, assists new students in learning the procedures of grooming and tacking their horses for lessons, schools both the farm's and student horses, and has begun helping with the horses in training. In 2021, Addie joined Chestnut Hill Pony Club and also participated in her first season of competitive showing. She is currently working toward her C1 rating and is always on the lookout for ways to grow as a rider. Over the last two years of training with Steph, she has had the opportunity to ride with and learn from several different clinicians including Sally Cousins (5* Eventer) and Alexa Derr (Grand Prix Dressage rider). Addie is excited to assist Steph with the beginner lesson program and introduce new riders to the equine world.
Nicole has been riding horses for almost 20 years, enjoying everything from trail riding to Eventing. Nicole’s own Eventing career started at Heavenwood Farm in 2008 where she worked her way up to competing at Novice level and schooling Training level. She has had the opportunity to train with well-known riders/trainers such as Sally Cousins, Lucinda Green and Jimmy Wofford and has audited clinics with Alexa Derr among others. Nicole is a lifelong learner who enjoys instilling a love for learning and all things horses with the riders she works with. Nicole currently boards her pony, Roscoe, at Heavenwood and is a regular student of Steph’s. Recently, Nicole has been bringing Roscoe back into training and plans to start competing him again in the upcoming show season.
Nicole Nicholson - Assistant Instructor
