Giddy-Up! BCRA Monthly Newsletter - November 2022
Grateful for you all this November!
This month is all about gratitude and we are so grateful for our program, our clients, and our horses! We have come a long way in the past few years, and it is incredible to be a part of a community focused on raising each other up and teaching our students that confidence and community work hand in hand.
We are very excited to announce that our beloved Liv Coleman has accepted the position of BCRA Curriculum Coordinator. Liv is gifted as both an instructor and rider; with her extensive knowledge of our program, the sky is the limit for what’s to come! We can already see the “Liv touch” on our Hitching Post room, activity lineup, and the barn itself. You can reach her at the new BCRA number (747-263-6267) or by email (liv@bellcanyonequestriancenter.com).
Announcements
We have a new phone number! Please use 747-263-6267 for all communications.
We use Project Broadcast for mass announcements - including this newsletter - but the phone number you see on those texts is not a BCRA-owned number. Please do not reply to Project Broadcast texts to try and reach us - use our new number above instead!
For insurance purposes, all clients must sign yearly waivers for the BCRA program. Your instructor will provide the updated information & waiver packet during November. Thank you for helping to keep us up to date!
The week of Thanksgiving brings lots of travel and special events. We will be taking Thanksgiving Day off but running lessons the other days of the week, including Friday. If you need to reschedule lessons, please text our new phone number today (747-263-6267) so Liv and the team can get you rescheduled promptly!
Interested in hosting a Birthday Camp for your rider at the barn? Click here for more information.
Barn Rats is moving to Saturdays after lessons at 11:30 AM! Riders will meet Liv by the Hitching Post for activities such as bathing horses, setting up a jump course, cleaning tack and getting to experience how we care for our horses after lessons.
The theme for this month is No-Stirrup November! No-Stirrup November gives students the opportunity to refine their lower legs skills and their balance. No-stirrup work is an essential part of becoming a strong and effective rider and is practiced by students and professionals alike. Whether you are just learning to post or going over jumps already, no-stirrup work teaches each student how to not rely on the stirrup to keep them in the saddle and how to develop a more effective seat and leg that both horse and rider can rely on instead.
Upcoming November classes and opportunities for Academy students:
Events
Saturday, November 12th, 5:30 - 9 PM: Barn Owls
Treat yourself to a little Saturday night out, and drop off your equestrians for a Fall-themed night at the barn for a few hours - Barn Owls can come in PJs! This month, the BCRA is supporting the West Valley Food Pantry, so bring a canned food donation and get a discount on your Barn Owl Registration. Click here for more information: www.bellcanyonequestriancenter.com/barnowls. Spaces are limited, so sign up soon!
Winter Camp Season 2022: Winter Whinny Land and Candyland Corrals start next month! Sign your camper up here.
Are your budding equestrians ready to meet new people, make crafts, play games, and build up their equestrian skills in a safe, festive environment? If so, Bell Canyon Riding Academy’s 2022 Winter Camp Season is the place for them! The Earlybird discount runs through November 1st, so make sure you sign up soon: www.bellcanyonequestriancenter.com/2022camps.
NEW: We now offer extended care hours; see website for more details.
Classes Now running from 4:45 - 5:30 PM
11/12
Showmanship: Mock Show Class
Come and participate in a mini mock show where you will learn how showmanship is done at show grounds. Learn the finishing touches of your prep, show off your horse and skills in front of the judge, and compete in a friendly environment with peers.
11/19
Course Design I: Intro to Course Design
This class covers how to build and set jumps in the arena to prepare for lessons or schooling, as well as height measurements, pole setting, setting cross rails, verticals, and oxars. Students will learn how to ‘set’ jumps for a full course and what it means to be part of a jump crew.
11/26
Horse Anatomy I
This class covers parts of the body, basics, shoulder, point of shoulder, whither, hock, knee, ribs, dock, girth, stifle, poll, croup, stifle, point of buttock, haunch, etc.
Opportunities
11/5, 11/12, 11/19, 11/26
Barn Rats is moving to Saturday! Available to Academy Students Only*
*No non-Academy siblings or friends; non-students are instead welcome to join us during Barn Owls nights. There is no charge for Barn Rats.
Immerse yourself in all things horses every Saturday, 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM.
Our "Barn Rats" will be learning about all the responsibilities of horse care and barn maintenance in a fun way! Each week, our Rats will be working on an array of barn chores like tack cleaning, washing horses, washing saddle pads, making supplement buckets, cleaning up barn aisle ways, and more. If your student is enrolled in the Bell Canyon Riding Academy, they are encouraged to join us for extra grooming, tacking, or learning opportunities. Barn Rats also have the opportunity to hang in the club house and meet other riders or help with jump crew in the arena at the end of lessons.
For classes and activities, sign up sheets will be on the board next to the Hitching Post (our clubhouse room).
Reminder: Proper Barn Attire
Please make sure to have your Equestrians wear their riding attire and bring their own helmets, paddock boots, etc. Ask your instructor if you need help deciding what to get! BCEC helmets will only be offered for new students for the first few lessons.
Reminder: Tuition Payments Due On Time
Please remit payment directly to the Baymare Room at the beginning of the month. If the room is closed, there is a secure drop off slot for payments. We are now requiring a credit card on file to be charged (tuition plus Square fees) if payment isn’t received by the 12th of each month. Payments are DUE by your child’s first lesson of each month, so in order to make sure there is no disruption in your child’s schedule, please make sure to remit your payment on time. If you are paying by check, please include your child’s name on the memo line. If you would like to set up automatic Square payments for tuition, please see Liv. Thank you!
Riding Academy Curriculum
We love to see all of our Equestrians bringing their journals to their lessons and taking their instructor’s written advice! If you still need a journal or a lanyard, please make sure you talk with your instructor about the Riding Academy binders and lanyards. Liv will be reaching out to parents for our remaining conferences. Be on the lookout for texts from her to talk about your young rider and their goals and dreams!
Fall Lessons
We will be moving to more semi-private and group lessons over the semester. Talk with your instructor if you are interested.
Thank you for supporting the Bell Canyon Riding Academy and Equestrian Center Community - you have our sincere gratitude during this busy season!
Happy riding,
The BCRA Team
747-263-6267