Everyday that we fail to learn something new is a wasted day. And one of the best ways to learn is to teach.

I’ve been a teacher my whole life and a good one, because I’ve had a lot of teachers (people, horses, donkeys, dogs, and cats). I’ve learned valuable lessons from all of them: both how to teach and how not to teach.

We have two basic rules at M&MS FARMS: be safe and have fun. Safety always must come first. And learning should be fun. For the people, for the horses, for the donkeys, and for the dogs. We use positive reinforcement, building on what our students are doing correctly. We explain “why”, because understanding “why” makes it stay with you. We explain and demonstrate “what” and “how”. After all, some people learn best hearing it; others reading it; and still others seeing it. So we combine all those approaches. We encourage our students to try, to be patient, to be kind to themselves, and to practice. We discourage the word “can’t”, because “can’t” translates into “won’t”. And we also discourage the word “never”, because “never” grossly limits future possibilities.

A teacher’s greatest challenge is figuring out how to reach the individual student, how to make expectations clear, and how to mold behavior for success, all in a safe setting. At M&MS FARMS, we coach people in natural horsemanship: how to work in sympathy and partnership with a horse, by using kindness, gentleness and positive reinforcement. We treat people with kindness, patience and respect. We build trust. We build self-confidence. And we help put the pieces together, for the mutual benefit of all concerned.

We offer lessons in what we generally term Horse 101 – what equine are all about, where they come from, and why they behave as they do. We host Girl Scout troops working on their horsemanship badge. We offer lessons in basic horsemanship – touching, grooming, walking, and trotting them. We offer lessons in horseback riding, for the newbie to the show rider. We offer lessons in driving the horse and donkey using a two wheeled cart, for the newbie to the person with an enviable show record. Our lessons include obstacles, games and costumes to put even more fun into expanding skill sets.

There’s always room for improvement. And there’s always something new to learn. Our students, over the years, range in age from 3-70. Our specialty at M&MS FARMS is private lessons. We also have semi-private lessons, especially for youngsters and whole families who want to get involved with horses and donkeys.
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Learning is fun! Expand your horizons! Call us!