Riding Lessons in Jeopardy

Lessons in Jeopardy

The purpose of a lesson horse is to realize the dreams and desires many children and adults have of being near these magnificent creatures.  It is a slice of happiness where the human is in the moment. Horses allow the human to learn so much about them selves, in the reflection the horse provides.

 I took a loan out to purchase a new horse that is sorely needed in my lesson program.  I am a horsemanship instructor who has worked with horses for a long time.

 I found a horse that was on budget, the desirable age, good size and the gender I wanted.  I went to see a horse and to talk with his owner. It was important to try to find a horse suitable for lessons while being affordable as my program operates on a breakeven basis after costs.

 A few months before this I had to put down my excellent lesson horse  that I had from his young age and that I had trained to be a great partner in teaching people.
 I was feeling pressure to get a new horse as time was a factor.  The man I was going to purchase the horse from, knew all these details.  He described his horse he was selling, as green and just needed more rides on him.  I have brought young, green horses along before.  So, after watching the horse being ridden and working with the horse on the ground, I felt I could train this horse with my more advanced students and they would benefit from training a young, green* horse. 

 I purchased the horse, brought him home and gently worked with him over that first week. I interacted with him every day.  On the 7th day, my daughter, who is a very accomplished rider, said she would like to help me by riding the new horse.  I agreed. I kept hearing the man’s voice that I bought the horse from, “he just needs rides.”  So, I agreed for my daughter to climb aboard. 

 When she asked the horse to walk forward, he immediately panicked.  He bucked and bucked violently until she came off.  She ended up in the ER for assessment and pain management.


I knew I had been cheated.  I had to forfeit the horse to a situation where no one would unwittingly become hurt.

Now, I am in need of another lesson horse. My money is lost to the man who misrepresented the horse I bought from him.

I have many children and teenagers looking to my lesson program.   I desperately need another lesson horse. My loan needs to be paid back before I can think of getting a new horse.  I was intending to use the new horse for lessons to generate income and pay back the loan. 

 Since that is no longer an option, I thought I would appeal to anyone who has been cheated, knowing the violation of it. I strive to give affordable, safe, fun lessons for my students, while being kind to the horse.  I work another job to supplement the costs associated with running my program. 

 If you would like to donate to offset costs helping me get the new horse Face2FacewithHorses needs, I would be forever grateful.  My goal is to purchase by end of May, 2017.

I am happy to answer any questions you have about my process or my program.

The money I am soliciting is for the cost of purchasing a safe, sound, appropriate, lesson horse. Having a vet evaluate his soundness and updating any vaccinations or veterinary care or hoof care he may need.

I cannot express how much I would appreciate any donation amount you could give to keep my program running. Thank you.

 * green horse-a horse that has been ridden and accepts humans on his back, but, needs much more training and exposure to situations to become a solid riding horse.

Thank you for your time,

Jen Piecz