 Lessons & Training
Firefly Farm's lesson program emphasizes correct basics, good common horse sense, and striving for
constant improvement. Although our main area of concentration is dressage, our students are progressing
in their general horsemanship as well as in their riding expertise. We want our students to be able to
care for their horses, ride correctly, and show successfully.
Instruction is given by Polly Benson, who also owns and manages Firefly Farm. For this reason, she takes an
exceptional personal interest in the progress of each horse and rider combination. Polly has been riding for
over 30 years and instructing for over 10 years. She is quietly encouraging to her students although she
expects commitment, dedication, and effort. By continuously participating in clinics with top dressage
trainers, Polly strives to increase her own riding, training, and teaching abilities. Jan Ebeling, Ulrich
Schmitz, Janet Brown, Andras Szieberth, and Thomas Poulin are some of the trainers with whom she has worked.
Firefly Farm is committed to bringing in excellent clinicians on a regular basis, and encourages our students
to take full advantage of these opportunities. For more information about clinics at Firefly, see our
Events page.
Horses in training receive a thorough education under saddle as well as on the ground. Our goal is to train
the horse to be a suitable riding companion for his owner - it is certainly more fun to ride your own horse
than to watch the trainer ride him. For this reason, we encourage students to take lessons on their horses,
rather than just placing a horse in full training.
Jumping lessons are also available from even rider Sherri Westphal. She is kind, patient, and safety-conscious
for those just starting out in jumping, but also has the expertise to coach those with more experience.
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