Cottonwood Riding Club has been introducing the sport of horsemanship to young riders for more than 35 years. Located near Chatfield Reservoir and just 20 minutes south of downtown Littleton, Cottonwood is a 100-acre horse haven with four large outdoor arenas, a lighted indoor arena, trail access, and a variety of horse boarding options.
That gives co-owners (and sisters) Tara Hieb and Erica Sachs plenty of room to work their magic creating a welcoming, accessible environment that provides educational opportunities and connection for riders of all ages. Youth programs include private lessons, group lessons, polo lessons, and summer camps.
Hieb explains one of the benefits of Cottonwood’s summer programs, “It introduces kids to horses in little bites. We have a lot of kids that will come and start Pony Camp and then they’ll do lessons. It’s a great introduction.”
She continues, “Our program is really education based. We want the kids to become good horsemen and not just ride a pony. We want them to know how to brush, tack, handle the horse, know how to move around the horse. Our programs are more geared towards horsemanship than just riding.”
Sachs mentions the connection she often sees with young kids and the horses, “There’s something about a horse that gives confidence. You have a kid that maybe doesn’t have such a big voice, the horse helps pull that out. And then the kids that have maybe too much of a voice, it helps quiet it just a little bit.”
Beth Dullea is Cottonwood’s office manager. She recalls her daughter’s experience as a young rider, “My very, very shy daughter started taking lessons at Cottonwood many years ago and my husband used to say, ‘Why is it that I can’t hear you in the backseat of the car, but when you’re at the barn I can hear you clear across the arena?’”
Dullea’s daughter is now grown and is a veterinarian. Dullea does believe that working with horses helped give her daughter a boost in confidence.
Heib provides another example of a young rider named Avery. “Avery was taking lessons and she was scared to canter. She found a really cute horse and said ‘I can canter on this horse.’ So she trusted him and she cantered for about five strides. She is now getting to the point where she is jumping, and showing, and competing, and doing all the things. She has no fear.”
The youth programs at Cottonwood are for riders seven and up. There’s a wide range of abilities and experience. Girls and boys. First time Pony Camp participants riding alongside returning campers. Heib and Sachs will see really strong natural athletes coming out to ride to take a break from the competitiveness of youth sports, and they’ll see some campers that haven’t quite figured out exactly where their arms and legs are at any given moment. Horses are a great equalizer.
Heib says, “Riding is an individual sport, but it’s a team sport too. You’re a team with your horse. You’re a team with your lesson. You’re a team with the community out here. Sometimes baseball, soccer, basketball is not a kid’s jam. So they can be in an individualized team sport, and these kids just find their voice.”
“There’s great educational opportunities. Horse camps teach responsibility, initiative, hard times, good times. It’s a great sport. It provides a barn family and community,” she says.
Sachs contributes, “They say riding is a lifestyle, not just a sport. Because you can’t just put the ball back in a basket and leave.”
One of the things that Sachs wants to emphasize about Cottonwood is, “I think it’s accessible. A lot of people think, ‘Oh equestrian, I can’t do that.’ Nope, not at all. It’s one hundred percent accessible.”
Heib agrees, “We meet you at your level. We come into it with that idea of saying, ‘Ok, do you just want to take lessons? Do you want to lease a horse or buy a horse? Do you want to own ten horses? Whatever level you want to do it, we meet you where you’re comfortable.”
“We’re your equestrian sherpas,” says Sachs.
Heib explains, “Erica [Sachs] always says, ‘We can make your horsey dreams come true.’ Whatever those are.”
The skills and confidence learned by participating in riding lessons can have a lasting impact that shows up even outside of the arena. Whether Pony Camp is just a fun new activity for the summer or if the beginner lessons lead to a lifelong love of the sport of riding, Cottonwood creates a community that supports and encourages the growth of every rider.
For more information on lessons and youth programs visit CottonwoodRidingClub.com
View Erica Sach’s Basics of a Polo Lesson video at
DenverPoloClub.com/Lessons