It’s finally getting warmer, the grass is greening up, and the end of the school year is approaching. Summer is finally coming!

Here at Knollwood, summer is a very special time.  The screen doors are open, our foals Frito and Robin will be growing every day, lessons can be held indoors OR outdoors, and Knollwood kids can be at the barn longer hours.

There’s plenty to love about summer at the barn, and here are our five favorite things we’re looking forward to for Knollwood Summer 2018.

Riding lessons

We continue our full schedule of group and private lessons through the summer. Actually, with kids out of school, we can start private lessons a little earlier during summer break without the worries of homework.

Plus, when the weather cooperates, we can ride outside for a change of scenery. With a choice of two outdoor arenas, we have the perfect spot for lessons for riders of any level.

Show Season!

Our more experienced riders are pumped up for summer show season. We’re hosting our own in-barn show at Knollwood on July 21-22 for riders in our program. Students who have made their journey to showing level will compete against other riders in our program while showing our lesson horses.

The show is one of three that we host throughout the year. Our first show was held in March, and we’ll finish the 2018 show season with a big event in November.

We love to travel. A lot.

Our academy show riders will be showing in Wisconsin and Illinois this season at events large and small. We travel with a special group of our academy horses and compete against riders from other lesson programs throughout the Midwest.

Interested? The Knollwood Kids will be showing close to home at the Wisconsin State Fair Park on July 14, and at the Ozaukee County Fairgrounds on August 11 and 12.

We also have a full group of privately owned American Saddlebred show horses that travel as far as Kentucky and Kansas throughout the show season. Many of the riders who compete at the national level started right here in our own lesson program, and we couldn’t be prouder of their achievements which include many National and World Championships.

You can also see the show horses at the ASAW Summerfun Show at Wisconsin State Fair Park on July 12-15.

Tiny Tot Lessons

Our special program for riders aged 3-6 really takes off in the summer. While our Tiny Tot camps are all sold out, we do offer half hour private tiny tot lessons on a select group of our lesson horses all summer long.

Our youngest horse lovers are able to learn riding at their own speed in a fun atmosphere. These kids are always amazing us with all they can learn at such a young age!

Summer Riding School

A summer tradition, we offer four weeks of summer riding school for riders aged 7-17.  Camp runs from 9 am to 3 pm, Monday to Thursday, and from 9 am to 12:30 pm on Friday. It’s a week of immersion into the horse world with kids learning to take care of their horse as well as ride. They get to prep their horse and take care of him after each ride and learn plenty of hands on skills in daily sessions.

We are fortunate to have partnered with Soul Fire Art Studio for the craft portion of summer riding school. The studio comes to Knollwood with special ‘horsey’ crafts for the campers to work on each Wednesday afternoon. The crafts make a great memory of their summer at Knollwood.

The Horses

Our horses love their jobs. They really do.

Several of them have been with us for 20+ years, and all the boys are well versed in their jobs. They may not all be beautiful on the outside, but they’re pure gold on the inside.

They come in all shapes and sizes, and they all love what they do.

We think our fabulous group of lesson horses love summer as much as we do. They really enjoy the extra attention from campers with their grooming and baths after each ride.

You can actually see them relaxing while they’re enjoying their kid time each day.

If you’re interested in learning more about Knollwood Summer 2018, please visit us at our Open House on Saturday, May 19. From 11 am to 2 pm, you can take a tour, enjoy a free mini-lesson, paint a pony, and watch lessons in progress.

We’re even offering a 10% discount to new customers on any lessons purchased on Open House Day.

Please give Ann or Nancy a call at 262-367-2391 with any questions. We’re looking forward to Knollwood Summer 2018, and we hope you’ll join us!