People say good school horses are worth their weight in gold. Here’s what it takes to maintain the equine industry’s most valuable teachers.

riding lesson, lesson horses in arena
Horses in a lesson program face challenges such as inconsistency of riders. They earn their keep by generating income and need proper care to help them stay happy and healthy. | Adobe stock

How do you preserve your school horses’ health, soundness, and well-being long-term? This difficult question challenges every good horseman, says Jesslyn Bryk-Lucy, DVM, cAVCA, professor of equine studies and resident veterinarian at Centenary University, in Long Valley, New Jersey, where she manages the daily medical needs of the school’s approximately 85-horse herd.

Riding school owners like Nina Leeds, who runs Manor Hill Farm in Nicholson, Pennsylvania, constantly face the challenge of balancing their ponies’ and horses’ health and welfare with the financial pressures of their business. “You must do right by your equine employees,” she says.

Let’s take a closer look at the challenges and unique needs of riding school mounts

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