Montanova Stables Foundation, owned and managed by Jennifer Jones, has a well-established lesson program teaching students of all ages and ability levels. Jennifer has been teaching English hunt seat in a safe and supportive environment since 1996. 

All of our students learn to groom, tack, and ride the horses. They are encouraged to achieve independence in all they do. We allow the more experienced riders to mentor and assist the novice ones. Students who express interest are allowed to help with the daily barn chores - some even progress to helping with lessons.

Other instructors are available to provide quality instruction in a variety of disciplines. With backgrounds in eventing, hunters, jumpers and dressage, instructors can tailor lessons to meet personal goals. Some of our students work towards attending local horse shows and hunter paces, while others work towards building their skills on our farm. All levels are welcomed and provided with individualized instruction.

While many of the programs at Montatova are geared toward children, adult riders are a big part of our community, too. Our adult lessons help students get back in shape after a long time out of the saddle, refine existing riding skills, discover a new joy, and/or provide time for personal renewal. Our adult riders have varying ability levels and personal goals. 

What’s in a lesson?

What is included in a riding lesson varies program to program. At MSF, we believe in offering a well–rounded experience that goes beyond just time in the saddle. Our lessons are designed to help students build confidence, responsibility, and horsemanship skills-starting from the moment they arrive at the barn. A lesson typically includes: 

• One and a half to two hours at the barn which includes grooming and tacking/untacking the horse as well as riding. 

• For beginner riders, time in the saddle  may be shorter initially as they spend more time learning to get their horse ready safely. 

• We require students to arrive at least 30 minutes before their scheduled lesson time so that they can get their horse ready to ride. Our staff will assist until they build the necessary skills to do this independently. After the ride, students are expected to care for their horse, clean their tack, and pick up after themselves. On occasion, we finish up early and require students to stay in the picnic area beside the ring until their ride arrives (weather permitting).*Students who fail to properly care for their horse or tack may lose certain privileges.*

Horsemanship lessons, which are offered during inclement weather, consist of learning essential skills in the barn and with the horses. Each student has a folder with a checklist of skills to work through. For  example, here’s Level 1 of our 3 level Horsemanship Curriculum: Level 1 Horsemanship

Lesson Packages:

You may purchase multiple packages in order to have more than 2 weekly lessons. Please note that all purchases are "use it or lose it" by the end of the month - lesson and ride credits will not carry over into the following month. All prices include processing fees; thank you for supporting MSF and our efforts to make horses as accessible as possible for all.

Intro Package - $290/month

• For beginner riders who are new to our program. 1 dedicated weekly lesson time. First lesson is unmounted; students will learn grooming, tacking, and basic horsemanship skills - there will be NO riding. The rest of the package (3 lessons) covers basic riding skills. Students may need to continue with this package until certain skills are developed to make them more independent. *Our riding instructors will advise you or your student if they should continue with the introductory package*

• 1 dedicated weekly lesson time 

• 1 makeup lesson per month

Package 1 - Basic - $290/month

• For any level of rider wanting one weekly group lesson.

• 1 dedicated weekly group lesson time 

• 1 makeup lesson per month 

Package 2 - Premium - $580/month

• For any level of rider wanting 2 weekly group lessons.

• 2 dedicated weekly group lesson times 

• 2 makeup lessons per month 

Package 3 - Private - $350/month

• For any level of rider wanting one weekly private lesson.

• 1 dedicated weekly private lesson time 

• 1 makeup lesson per month 

Package 4 - Premium Private - $700/month

• For any level of rider wanting 2 weekly private lessons.

• 2 dedicated weekly private lesson times 

• 2 makeup lessons per month 

Add-Ons:

We offer several different add-on options to make personalizing your experience with MSF easy. Most of our add-ons are available to be added multiple times when purchasing your package. This allows you to pay for weekly hacks by selecting 4 “Hack” add-ons when paying at the start of the month. You may also purchase add-ons at any point during the month.

After School - $55/month
This add-on is required for any children who get off the Stone Robinson school bus at MSF for a lesson. 
Please select this add-on if you would like your child to get off the Stone Robinson school bus at MSF for their lesson. This covers the price of a snack provided by MSF when the students get off the bus, and the extra staff time to supervise children between bus drop off and their lesson starting. The monthly cost covers this service once per week.

Extra Group Lesson - $75 per lesson
This option should only be utilized in conjunction with a package – cannot be used on its own. Please select this option if you would like an additional group lesson before a show, hunter pace, or clinic. This option is to help riders prep for an off-the-farm experience.

Extra Private Lesson - $95 per lesson
This option should only be utilized in conjunction with a package – cannot be used on its own. Please select this option if you would like an additional private lesson before a show, hunter pace, or clinic. This option is to help riders prep for an off-the-farm experience.

Hack - $45 per hack
A hack is a ride that is not directly supervised or instructed. All hacks must be scheduled in advance so that we can have an appropriate horse available. Students must get approval from the MSF Director to purchase hacks.This Add-On can be selected for as many hacks as you want to do per month.

Horse Use - $45 per horse use
Examples of horse use includes an Erin Sweeney or Deedee Cooke lesson, a horse used in a clinic (on or off property), drill team, and certain other occasions. This Add-On can be selected as many times as required per month, but must be discussed with MSF director.

Donate a Lesson
Montanova Stables Foundation provides opportunities for enrichment and education for students who do not have the financial means to participate otherwise.
$75 - Covers the cost of one riding lesson for a Foundation student
$130 - Covers the cost of one riding lesson and one horsemanship lesson for a Foundation student
$150 - Covers one riding lesson, one horsemanship lesson, and snack for an after school student

Disclaimer: Per our signed lesson policy (linked below), Montanova Stables Foundation is not responsible for missed or cancelled lessons, including those scheduled as part of a lesson package. We understand that things come up, and while we are happy to offer limited make-up opportunities, they are provided at our discretion and based on availability. Make-up lessons may not be on your usual riding day or time. Our horses require consistent rest, and we cannot always accommodate additional rides that best fits your schedule. If you believe there has been a billing error, please reach out promptly so we can address it. 

To allow horses to have a break and to account for the 4 months of the calendar year that are composed of more than 4 weeks, leading to additional workload on our horses and ponies, THERE WILL BE NO LESSONS THESE 3 WEEKS. Packages will be billed as normal:

• Christmas-New Years - Dec. 25-Jan 1

• Albemarle County Public Schools Spring Break - April 6-10 2026

• ACPS First Week of School - August 11-17 2025

Which package should I choose?

If you are unsure which package is right for you or your child, we are happy to help you decide. Take a look at the quick guide below and feel free to email us if you still have questions or concerns. You may also mix and match packages, if desired.