Sponsored Summer Camps  2011

Due to the generosity of multiple local businesses and the Lucy Cuthbertson Memorial Fund, the Halifax Junior Bengal Lancers are able to offer limited spaces in the summer camps free of charge to those who qualify.  Please contact HRM Kids for application. 

Summer Camps 

Summer camps are offered during the summer months. The summer camps are run on half days for a week duration.  The riders will ride for a one-hour period each day. The focus of the rest of the time is for becoming familiar and comfortable with horses. They will learn colours of horses, breeds, care of horses and grooming and care of equipment.  ASTM approved helmets and grooming items are provided for these courses. Riders need to wear a pair of boots with a hard sole and a half-inch heel and a comfortable pair of long pants. There is no make-up time for missed ride times in the summer camp. These camps tend to fill quickly. 

Beginner Courses

Beginner courses are three months in length and consist of two lessons per week.  Most riders who enter the beginner course have completed one or more summer camps or have had some exposure to riding. Riders need to be in the stable one half hour ahead of the ride time and will be in the stable at least one half hour after the ride. Each rider will learn to tack up and groom their own horse, but will share horses until such time that the full ride has become sufficiently independent to get their own horses ready. After the ride, each rider is responsible for having his or her horse cooled out properly and all equipment returned to its appropriate spot. There is no make-up time for missed ride time in the beginner course. Although every effort will be made to have lessons be mounted lessons, some lessons may be in barn lessons. Each rider is required to have a grooming kit and must have an ASTM helmet to participate in this program.  Applicants should use the Junior Membership form.  See below for prices.

Junior Rides

Junior rides are available to those juniors (under 18 years of age) who wish to continue in the equestrian sport. The usual progression is to have gone through recreation rides to summer camps to the beginner course to the junior membership. In some cases riders having riding experience will transfer to our club from another riding establishment although this is harder to do. In these cases the rider will come to the stable for an assessment ride with one of our regular rides. We will decide where this rider fits into the program and usually this rider will have to go on a waiting list until such time as a space becomes available at that level.

The Halifax Junior Bengal Lancers differs from other riding establishments in a number of ways. We are a riding school and have high expectation of our riders. Riders are expected to be developing riding and horsemanship skills while members of Lancers. Riders who want to ride a horse once or twice per week for purely recreational purposes, with no desire to improve upon their current competency level may find more satisfaction in another stable that caters more to their needs. Showing and competition is not a necessity, but a willingness to learn and improve skills is important. Lancers has the expectation that junior riders will progress and that they will make every effort to attend their lessons.

The ride structure of Lancers is not grading systems such as most people are used to in the academic school system. The rides are given numbers simply as a reference. The most advanced junior ride is Ride One and the most novice junior rides are 9, 10 or 11, depending upon how many regular members we have. At the beginning of September there are eight (sometimes nine) riders in each of the rides. Whether or not you change ride numbers depends solely upon how many spaces become available in rides above your ride number. Some years we have five or six riders who graduate from high school and move on either to the adult rides or to other places, in which case there will be a lot of spaces become available that September. Some years we have no riders turn 18 and the rides will stay much the same. Throughout the school year riders will only move up if space becomes available through termination of memberships in ride numbers higher than theirs. This does not mean that a rider is not progressing - if you are on a horse and paying attention and enjoying your rides, you are certainly progressing. Each ride is taught to the skill level of that particular ride. If the ride has met all of its objectives then the bar is raised within that ride and the whole ride progresses.

Musical Ride

The Musical Ride is made up of sixteen horses and riders and is quite spectacular to watch. The riders are chosen from the upper junior rides and must practice in the summer. Some years, if we have a major commitment, the riders must make major sacrifices in order that they are able to attend all practices. On slow years we simply practice once a week during the summer months. Although the ride is made up of sixteen riders, it really involves double that number plus a lot of parents and volunteers to pull it all together.

Each horse has a special set of tack for musical ride purposes and each rider has a red jacket, sash, white gloves, lance etc. Keeping the Musical Ride equipment in good repair is a tough job. Each year we have dedicated parents who sew on buttons, wash all the pads, polish lance buckets, wash and roll sixty-four leg wraps, wash and find mates to 16 pairs of white gloves, iron sashes for the riders and sashes for the horses. Musical Ride is a huge undertaking requiring the input of many bodies.

Members of the Musical Ride also perform Honour Guards both mounted and unmounted for special occasions around the HRM. In past we have done the Shilling Ceremony in Point Pleasant Park, Hockey Tournaments, Golf Tournaments, Weddings, and Funerals.  Usually on the first Sunday of October we can be seen taking most of the horses to Church at All Saint’s Cathedral to be blessed. Follow this link for aYouTube video of a 2008 Musical Ride.

Musical Ride is free of charge to participants although some special equipment or clothing may be required. Each Rider must have their own white button-down shirt and a black tie. Beige or khaki breeches with tall boots are necessary. Riders must wear a belt with their breeches. 

Adult Rides

The adult membership has the same responsibilities as the junior membership. The adults, however, generally ride one time per week although if space exists they may elect to ride twice a week.

Program fees

Junior Riders:

• $265 a month
• 2 rides per week
• NOTE: There is currently a waiting list for the Junior ride. If you are interested in joining the ride, please call the stable at 423-6723 to have your name added to the contact list.  
• Three month beginner course.  Two times weekly is $700.
  

Adult Riders:

• $132.50 plus 15% hst = $152.38 – 1 ride per week
• $265.00 plus 15% hst = $304.75  2 rides per week
• Please contact the office to inquire about wait times.

Private Lessons

*These prices are subject to change without notice.
*Please contact us at 423-6723 or hjbl@ns.sympatico.ca to obtain an application form.

Junior Riders: Sept 2011-July 2012

• $275 a month
• 2 rides per week
• NOTE: There is currently a waiting list for the Junior ride. If you are interested in joining the ride, please call the stable at 423-6723 to have your name added to the contact list.  
• Three month beginner course.  Two times weekly is $750.