Register HERE.

Maximum per class: 6 students

 

About the Member Instructor:

Shauna Neally-Sportato​​

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​Shauna Neally-Sportato, known to the children as "Ms. Shauna" has had a great love of horses for as long as she can remember. She has owned and ridden horses for the past 35 years and has especially enjoyed teaching young children horsemanship and basic riding skills. Shauna has an education in early child development and spent over 20 years teaching preschool and as a preschool director. She is very excited to share this educational program with children in her community. Shauna has a basic riding coach/instructor certification and a certification in teaching horsemanship. She is a member of the local Santa Rosa Valley Pony Club and Pony Club International.​​​​​​

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About the Facility:

Wolf Creek Valley Ranch​

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Ms. Shauna's PAL AROUND PONY SCHOOL is held in a designated area of Wolf Creek Valley Ranch located in the beautiful Santa Rosa Valley in Camarillo, CA.

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​Frequently Asked Questions

1. How old does my child have to be?

Children should be between 2 and 5 years old although not every 2 year old is ready. Children need to be able to sit and listen to a short lesson on ponies at the start of each class. After the lesson, we will mostly play games and do hands-on activities with the pony.

 

2. Should I bring anything special?

Children will need to wear cowboy boots or paddock boots and long pants. Please dress appropriately to be outside and expect to get a little dirty. Parents should also wear closed-toed shoes. Dress warmly in the winter and lightly in the summer. There is no heat or A/C. We will be under an easy up during the summertime for some of the class. During the warm days please bring a labeled water bottle for your child.

 

3. Do we need to buy a helmet or vest?

Helmets and riding vests are available, although you are welcome to bring your own. Once your child begins regular riding lessons, you will need to invest in an equestrian helmet and a riding vest.

 

4. What happens when the weather is bad?

Pony School may be cancelled in cases of inclement weather (lightning, thunder, heavy rain or wind, over 85 degrees out with high humidity) inaccesibility due to rain or mud, or instructor illness/emergency. In such cases, an additional class will be held on the same day/time at the end of the session.

 

5. What if we know we will miss a class?

You are registering for 4 classes on specific dates. You should check your schedule before you register. One make-up class per session may be arranged, but is not guaranteed.

 

6. What if you have to cancel a class?

If I have to cancel a class due to instructor illness/emergency or weather, we will makeup the class on the next class day following the end of the session. ​

 

7. Can my child ride a bigger horse?

I purposefully use small ponies for PAL Around Pony School, so that the ponies are less intimidating to small children. I only use one pony per class for riding. If your child wishes to ride a larger horse, a separate riding lesson would need to be arranged.

 

8. Can I bring both of my small children?

Only if both children are registered and you are able to effectively supervise and manage the behavior of both children then I may make an exception. Keep in mind, you may need to walk with the pony while one child is riding, and that would leave the other child unsupervised while working on their craft. If you think your children would be okay riding without you by their side, it may be an option to register both of your small children for the same session. You may not bring another child to "watch" the class. This is a mommy and me class and it is one parent to one child and only for the children that are enrolled.

 

9. Does my child have to ride the pony? Children are NEVER forced to ride. It is our hope that they will have the opportunity to slowly warm-up to the idea of riding by interacting with the pony from the ground and watching the other students ride. The riding lesson will be tailored to your child's level of interest, participation, and comfort. If your child has never been on a pony, they may simply pet and talk to the pony the first class, sit on the pony for a few seconds the second class, walk the pony halfway around the ring the third class, and so on.

 

10. How long do the students ride?

Each child rides for approximately five minutes. They will do a variety of activities on the pony within that time, building confidence, strength, and balance while also learning to communicate with and control the pony. Students mainly walk and may eventually do a small amount of trotting. The pony is always on a lead line with an instructor.

 

11. How many sessions do students usually take? Can my child stay in the program?

Your child can take as many sessions of Ms Shaunas PAL Around Pony School as they like. Every month will have a different learning theme and four unique lessons related to that theme. In addition, a new craft and story will be presented every week. The year-long curriculum starts again every January. Lessons do gradually become more complex over the course of the year, but students are welcome to jump in anytime.

 

12. Do I need to re-register every month? Yes. For instance, if you are registered in January, you will NOT automatically have a spot in February, but however students that are already enrolled will have priority. You must still re-register for each month. Spots are first-come, first-served, so register as soon as you are sure you wish to continue.

 

13. Can grandparents come and watch? Or can both parents come? A grandparent may bring a child to the class instead of the parent. Or parents may switch off. Seating is limited and there are only seats for one adult per child. I am boarding at this ranch and do not own this facility so need to keep the number of guests at a minimum.

 

14. Can we just come observe a class first? Unfortunately, this does not usually go well. If you are there with your child, your child will want to do everything the other children are doing with the pony and will not understand why they are not being allowed to do so.​​​

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Price & Refund Policy

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Sessions are $268 per child.

 

The refund policy encourages early decisions, so as to not affect other customers or my ability to deliver efficient programs. All requests for refunds must be made at least 1 week prior to the start of the program. There are NO refunds for missed sessions. If a program or activity is canceled due to low enrollment, a full refund or credit will be issued to your account within seven business days of the cancellation. No administrative fees will apply. If a program or activity is canceled due to inclement weather or instructor illness/emergency, and is not able to be rescheduled, a credit will be issued to your account within 7 days of the missed class. If we reschedule or offer a make-up for missed or canceled classes, no refunds or credits will be issued.

 

Once you have registered your child, please read over our New Student Information. 

 

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