Begin with Heart Orientation Every journey begins with heart...
BEGIN WITH HEART™ Ready to Begin?
Every Academy journey starts with Begin With Heart™. Request your personalized orientation and discover the Academy or experience that's right for you.
Every Meaningful Journey Begins with the Horse.
Before learning to ride, we believe every student should first learn to understand the horse.
At Sunny Brook Stables, the best riders aren't simply taught to ride—they're taught to think like horsemen and horsewomen.
They learn how horses communicate, how they learn, and why trust, respect, and stewardship create lasting partnerships.
Begin With Heart™ is the required welcome and enrollment experience for all new students entering our Sunny Brook Stables Academy.
Whether you're joining the Youth Riding Academy, Adult Riding Academy, Team Academy, or Horse Stewardship Academy, your journey begins here.
At Sunny Brook Stables, we believe the best riders are first students of the horse.
Before learning to ride, every Academy student begins by learning to understand the horse—how horses communicate, how they learn, and how thoughtful horsemanship creates confident riders and lasting partnerships.
Whether you're joining our Youth, Adult, Team, or Horse Stewardship Academy, this personalized orientation helps us get to know you, understand your goals, and recommend the program that best fits your interests and experience.
Why We Begin With Heart We don't believe learning starts when you put your foot in the stirrup.
It starts when you meet the horse.
Every horse has a unique personality, history, communication style, and way of learning. At Sunny Brook Stables, we believe that understanding the horse is just as important as developing riding skills.
That's why every Academy student begins with Begin With Heart™—an educational orientation that introduces our horse-first philosophy and prepares students for success throughout their Academy journey.
Your Academy Journey Step 1 — Explore Learn about the Sunny Brook Stables Academy and discover our horse-first approach to rider education. ↓ Step 2 — Schedule Reserve your personalized Begin With Heart™ Orientation. ↓ Step 3 — Visit Meet the horses. Tour the farm. Experience our philosophy. Ask questions. ↓ Step 4 — Discover We'll learn about your goals, riding experience, and interests while recommending the Academy pathway that best fits your needs. ↓ Step 5 — Begin Complete your enrollment. Meet your instructor. Meet your horse. Begin your Academy journey. Meeting the horse is emotionally powerful and reinforces your horse-first philosophy.
Who Should Attend? Begin With Heart™ is required for all new students entering:
Youth Riding Academy Build confidence while developing riding skills, horsemanship, and responsibility.
Adult Riding Academy Whether you're a complete beginner or returning to horses after many years, we'll help you build confidence and achieve your riding goals.
Team Academy For riders interested in advancing their skills, preparing for competition, and pursuing structured rider development.
Horse Stewardship Academy For students who want to deepen their understanding of horse welfare, horse care, stewardship, and compassionate leadership through hands-on learning and ride to learn.
What You'll Experience Your personalized orientation lasts approximately 60–75 minutes and may include:
Welcome and introductions
Tour the farm
Meet the horses
Learn our horse-first philosophy
Introduction to The Sunny Brook Method™
Horse communication and behavior
Grooming and basic horse care
Barn safety and etiquette
Hands-on horsemanship activities
Riding discussion and assessment (when appropriate)
Questions and answers
Personalized Academy recommendations
Every orientation is tailored to the individual student.
More Than a Trial Lesson Begin With Heart™ is not a traditional trial riding lesson.
Instead, it is an educational welcome experience designed to build confidence before riding begins.
Our goal is to introduce students to the world of horses while helping families understand our philosophy, expectations, and educational approach.
This thoughtful beginning allows us to recommend the most appropriate Academy placement while ensuring each student—and each horse—is set up for success.
Our Horse-First Philosophy At Sunny Brook Stables, riding is only one part of becoming a knowledgeable horseman or horsewoman. Students learn:
Horsemanship
Horse behavior
Horse care
Grooming
Tack and equipment
Safety
Stewardship
Riding skills
Because we believe the best riders are those who first learn to care.
Your Begin With Heart™ Orientation includes a personalized 60–75 minute educational experience. If you enroll in the Sunny Brook Stables Academy within 14 days, your Orientation Investment will be applied as a credit toward your first month's tuition.
Orientation Length Approximately 60–75 minutes
Frequently Asked Questions Do I need riding experience? Not at all. Many of our Academy students begin with little or no horse experience. Our focus is on the introductory, beginner, and returning rider.
Is this a riding lesson? No. Begin With Heart™ is an educational orientation. Depending on your background and goals, a brief riding assessment may be included when appropriate.
Why is an orientation required? Our Academy is built around individualized instruction and thoughtful horse placement. Begin With Heart™ allows us to understand your goals, answer your questions, and recommend the Academy pathway that best fits your needs while ensuring the welfare of our horses.
What should I wear? Please wear long pants and closed-toe shoes. Helmets are provided if a riding assessment is included.
What happens after my orientation? We'll recommend the appropriate Academy pathway and explain the enrollment process, available lesson times, membership options, and next steps.
Ready to Begin? Your journey with horses starts here. Whether your goal is to become a confident rider, develop lifelong horsemanship skills, or grow as a compassionate steward of horses, we'd be honored to welcome you to the Sunny Brook Stables Academy.
Every Meaningful Journey Begins with Heart. Whether your goal is to become a confident rider, develop lifelong horsemanship skills, or grow into a compassionate steward of horses, we'd be honored to welcome you to the Sunny Brook Stables Academy.
Your first lesson doesn't begin in the saddle.
It begins with understanding the horse.
Because Sunny Brook Stables is an active teaching facility, we do not offer unscheduled tours. Prospective Academy students are welcomed through our personalized Begin With Heart™ Orientation, while families and community members can experience the farm during scheduled Open Barns and special events.
Begin With Heart™ → Learn to Ride → Learn to Care → Ride to Learn → Lead with Heart™