Lessons
Ready to learn how to ride? You’re in the right spot! Southern Pines provides a comfortable, professional, and fun environment for both our riders and horses. We offer leadline (thirty), sixty, or ninety-minute lessons for all ages and levels of experience in an individual or group setting. Our instructors are fully trained and prepared to teach the ins and outs of equestrian care and horseback riding. The safety of both the horse and the rider takes top priority at Southern Pines as our instructors provide personalized instruction to reach your equestrian goals. For more information or to book your next lesson, give us a call at (904) 515-5097.
Our Curriculum
At Southern Pines Equestrian, we use the Horse Sense Learning Levels Curriculum in our Lesson Program. The curriculum provides our students with:
Solid Foundation Well-Rounded Horsemanship
Safety around Horses Ensure Student Progression
Comprehensive Horse Care and Ownership
Trust and Confidence in Rider's Development
Comprises All Skill Levels of Riding
Meet Our Team
Dee Rudy, Instructor
Dee started riding at the age of 7. Her experience includes IHSA competition, coaching her college equestrian team, and later competing in hunter shows. She has also had training in Western and Dressage disciplines in an effort to round out her overall knowledge. She has over 40 years’ hunt seat experience and has been teaching a small, successful lesson program in St. Johns County for the past ten years. Dee focuses on horsemanship and building confident riders who have an appreciation and connection with their horse.
Mrs. Jen Daly, Instructor
Jen’s first ride was when she was 8 years old on a huge Chesnut horse named Papa King. Her mom's friend put her in the saddle and walked her around, she will never forget that moment when the joy of riding first filled her heart. After starting formal lessons at the age of ten, she learned the basics and balance taught to her by a former Cavalry officer. She then went on to ride for many years on the Blue and Gray show (smaller scale shows) as a Hunter equation rider. Her horse career continued to include becoming a founding member of the Blue Mountain Pony Club with a focus on general knowledge as well as riding skills. She took her focus from hunters to 3-Day Event and then moved into only dressage. Her focus is on great starts that make for great relationships and keep riders safe. Her background as a substitute teacher allows her to very well with children. Her style of teaching is safety first and foremost followed by fostering a natural approach based on respect and understanding. Her hope for all of her students is that they have good, healthy experiences with riding, and if they choose to, they outgrow their "first teacher" always keeping the good foundation that they worked on together.
Kaitlyn King, Instructor
Hey there, it's Kaitlyn, a proud teammate and trainer here at Southern Pines! Let me share a bit about myself – I've been horse-crazy since I was 8 when I got my first horse, a spirited Arabian/Thoroughbred mix named Echo. Fast forward, and I've had the joy of owning and cherishing 16 amazing horses throughout my horsey journey. At 30 years young, I've trained riders of all levels, dabbled in nearly every equestrian discipline, but my true passion is Dressage. Here's a cool tidbit: I kick-started my own riding company at the ripe age of 16! From then on, I've led countless trail rides, given tons of lessons, and fine-tuned many rider’s dressage skills well into my 20s. Now I am here and loving every minute with you at Southern Pines! Do you know what lights up my world? Seeing that spark in my student's eyes when they grasp new skills and connect with their horses on a deeper level. Our four-legged friends always take center stage, and we shower them with all the respect and love they deserve. So, if I had to sum it up, my life's motto would be something like, "Good things grow with time and a whole lot of love." Can't wait to meet you in the saddle!
