Homeschool Riding Program — Mystic Ruins Equine Ranch

Program Overview

How the Program Works

The Mystic Ruins Homeschool Riding Program is designed to give students a real, structured horsemanship education over two 8-week sessions — not just a series of one-off lessons. Each week includes two hours of instruction spread across two lesson types that reinforce each other.

The Zoom ground lesson covers horse behavior, anatomy, care, tack, safety, and the theory behind what students will practice in person that week. The in-person riding lesson puts that knowledge to work in the arena on a matched horse.

This two-lesson-per-week format means students learn faster and retain more — the theory and the practice are always connected. It also makes the program a natural fit for homeschool portfolio documentation and credit tracking.

Each Week Includes

💻

Zoom Ground Lesson — 1 Hour

Horse behavior, care, anatomy, tack, and the theory behind that week's riding focus. Recorded for replay.

🐴

In-Person Riding Lesson — 1 Hour

Hands-on arena time with a matched horse, applying that week's ground lesson material.

8

Weeks

16

Total Lessons

16 hrs

Instruction Time

$800

Per Session

📋 Homeschool Portfolio Documentation

We provide session attendance records, weekly topic summaries, and a completion certificate — everything you need for portfolio documentation or credit records.

The Two Sessions

Fall Novice & Spring Intermediate

Two sessions run each year. You can enroll in one or both. Students who complete the Fall Novice session and continue to Spring move into the Intermediate track. New students joining in Spring begin with the Novice curriculum.

Session 1

🍂 Fall — Novice

3rd Week of July through 3rd Week of September

The Fall session is the entry point for all new students — regardless of prior riding experience. Curriculum focuses on building a confident, safe foundation: horse behavior and handling, basic tack and care, arena safety, seat and balance, walk and halt, and introducing the trot.

What Students Learn

Horse behavior, body language, and herd dynamics
Safe handling, haltering, and leading
Tack identification, fitting, and care
Grooming and basic horse care routines
Arena safety rules and etiquette
Correct seat, balance, and position
Walk, halt, and steering
Introduction to posting trot

Who Enrolls

All new students — no riding experience required. Also appropriate for students who have ridden casually but want a structured foundation.

Enroll in Fall Session - $800

Session 2

🌿 Spring — Novice / Intermediate

1st Week of May through End of June

The Spring session runs two tracks simultaneously. Fall graduates move into the Intermediate curriculum, building on their foundation with more advanced skills. New students joining for the first time begin with the Novice curriculum — the same strong foundation, just in springtime.

Intermediate Track (Fall Graduates)

Developing a steady, balanced trot
Canter introduction and confidence-building
Lateral work and basic bending
Trail readiness and varied terrain
Pattern work and arena figures
Horse health, nutrition, and hoof care basics
Independent tacking and horse preparation
Introduction to discipline-specific skills

Novice Track (New Spring Students)

Follows the same foundational curriculum as the Fall Novice session.

Who Enrolls

Fall graduates advance to Intermediate. New spring students follow the Novice curriculum. Both tracks run simultaneously.

Enroll in Spring Session - $800

Enroll in Both Sessions

Students who complete Fall Novice and continue to Spring Intermediate get the full year-long horsemanship experience — the most meaningful progression we offer. Each session is billed separately at $800, each fully allotment-eligible.

$1,600

Full Year · Both Allotments

Enroll in Both

Homeschool Allotment

Using Your Allotment

Alaska's homeschool allotment program allows families to apply funds toward approved educational programs and materials. The Mystic Ruins Homeschool Riding Program is structured to be fully allotment-eligible.

💰 Session Tuition — $800

The full $800 per-session tuition is eligible for reimbursement through your homeschool allotment. Each of the two annual sessions can be covered by the corresponding allotment period.

🪖 Helmet — Required & Reimbursable

An ASTM/SEI certified riding helmet is required for all in-person lessons. The cost of an approved helmet is reimbursable through your allotment. We can provide brand and model recommendations that meet the standard.

👢 Boots — Required & Reimbursable

Riding boots with a small heel (or sturdy closed-toe boots with heel) are required for all in-person lessons. Boot purchase cost is reimbursable through your allotment.

How to Submit for Reimbursement

1 Enroll and pay for your session. We issue a dated enrollment invoice you can submit to your allotment coordinator.
2 Purchase your required helmet and boots. Keep your receipts.
3 Submit the invoice and receipts to your supervising teacher or allotment coordinator per your program's process.
4 We can provide additional documentation (session descriptions, attendance logs) if your coordinator needs it.

📄 We Provide

Itemized enrollment invoice
Session curriculum description
Weekly attendance log
Completion certificate
Portfolio-ready topic summaries

Questions about allotment eligibility?

Allotment rules vary by supervising school or program. We recommend checking with your coordinator first — we're happy to provide whatever documentation they need. Reach out and ask.

📅

Coming Soon

Detailed Session Schedules & Weekly Topics

Week-by-week lesson plans, Zoom session topics, in-person riding objectives, and reading/activity supplements for both the Novice and Intermediate tracks are being finalized and will be posted here before each session opens for enrollment.

Want to be notified when the schedule drops? Send us a message and we'll reach out as soon as it's ready.

Notify Me When It's Ready

Questions

Common Questions

No experience is required for either the Fall Novice or Spring Novice track. Both begin from the ground up. Students who have ridden casually are also welcome — the structured foundation is valuable regardless of prior experience.

The program is designed for school-age homeschool students, generally ages 8 and up. Younger students may be considered on a case-by-case basis — contact us to discuss your child's readiness.

Ground lessons are held live via Zoom in a small group format. Sessions are interactive — students can ask questions, participate in discussions, and work through exercises. Lessons are recorded so students can review the material before their in-person riding session that week. A Zoom link is provided at enrollment.

Zoom lessons are recorded, so a missed ground lesson can be watched before the in-person session. For in-person riding lessons, we allow up to 2 reschedule credits per session for illness or family emergencies. Weather cancellations by the ranch are always made up at no charge.

Yes — siblings are welcome and we do our best to schedule their in-person riding lessons on the same day for family convenience. Each sibling enrolls separately at $800 per session, each eligible for their own allotment reimbursement.

Zoom ground lessons are taught in a small group (up to 6–8 students per level). In-person riding lessons are small groups of 2–4 students at a time, allowing for individual attention while keeping the session dynamic and social. If you have a co-op group of 4+ who want to enroll together, contact us about coordinated scheduling.

An ASTM/SEI certified riding helmet (required — allotment reimbursable), riding boots or boots with a small heel (required — allotment reimbursable), long pants, and layers appropriate for Alaska weather. Water is always a good idea. We provide everything else — horses, tack, and instruction.

A Full Horsemanship Education, Built for Homeschoolers