Contry Hill Farm offers top quality riding lessons for beginner through advanced balance seat. Always focusing on good horsemanship, each student will learn how to care for and ride one of the farm's lesson ponies or horses.
Lesson Rates
A lesson must be scheduled with Emily before making an online payment. Gift cards are available for a scheduled lesson or current students only.
Private One-Hour Lesson - $75
Monthly package of 4 lessons for $280 or 5 lessons for $350
Private Half-Hour Lesson - $55
Monthly package of 4 lessons for $200 or 5 lessons for $250
Semi-Private One-Hour Lesson (2 riders) - $65 each
Monthly package of 4 lessons for $240 or 5 lessons for $300
Group One-Hour Lesson (3+ riders) - $50 each - MONTHLY PACKAGE REQUIRED
Monthly package of 4 lessons for $200 or 5 lessons for $250. $55 drop in fee for a not normal scheduled group.
Monthly commitment for group lessons, a make-up date will be offered if riders cancel within 24 hours, riders have one week to reschedule.
Jump Night - $50 each
More info below for jump night. Monthly package of 4 lessons for $200 or 5 lessons for $250
Contact Emily to arrange a lesson info@contryhillfarm.com, (978) 855-2693 or (603) 878-0466. Or inquire with the form below. A lesson must be scheduled before making an online payment for a lesson.
Contry Hill Farm is a current Pony Club Center for 2024. Inquire to join our program!
Riders need their own horse or should be leasing a farm horse
Members need to join the USPC national organization and local region
Calendar of pony club events, members need to make 50% or more of all meetings
Participate in Ratings
Participate in Rallies
Parents will be required to volunteer
Emphasis on horse care, veterinary knowledge, record keeping, and advancing your riding on a nationally measured scale.
Monday evening meetings and weekend events
Learn more here: Welcome - United States Pony Clubs
Join Us At Jump Night
The evening starts off with ground pole and progresses up to cross rails. The jump lessons, in the outdoor ring, will focus on riding jump courses and how to improve technique. Lessons in the indoor will focus on rider position, gymnastics, and developing an eye for distances.
Beginner & Intermediate Jump - Wednesdays 5:00-6:00 pm
Intermediate & Advanced Jump - Wednesdays 6:00-7:00 pm
The main focus is safety over fences, and correct systematic work to improve the quality of jumping. Fence heights are set low to encourage horse and rider confidence. Riders may truck in or request a lesson horse. Group session instructed by Emily Sumner.
Meet Our Instructors
Emily Sumner - Farm Owner & Head Instructor
Emily has over 25-years of riding experience and 16-years of teaching experience. She was formerly employed at a small animal veterinary practice. She currently is the head instructor, trainer and summer camp director.
Bachelor’s of Science in Equine Business Management at Cazenovia College, class of 2008
Intercollegiate Dressage Association. National high point champion 2005
American Riding Instructor’s certified in Dressage level II and Stable Management level II
She provides excellent systematic instruction to all levels of riders on the lunge line, flat or over fences. Her positive instruction always emphasizes horse care and kind soft riding methods. Emily enjoys bringing students to shows, trail riding, eventing, jumping, and dressage, and she encourages all her students to develop well rounded skills.
Miss Sumner has experience with - pony club, 4-H, driving, foxhunting, western dressage, dressage, hunter jumpers, competitive trail riding, intercollegiate competition, starting young horses, rescue horses, off the track thoroughbreds, equine affair, and eventing. She enjoys working with all breeds of horses
Emily’s main focus for her students is working towards a balanced seat to improve one's riding for any discipline. She will work with students of all levels and ages. Emily takes pride in her former student’s accomplishments including- working student for Stephen Bradley, Maclay finals, high scoring team at D4K, overall and reserve high point riders at D4K, Grand Prix region 8 young rider champion, qualifying students in 4-H hippology nationals.
Emily is available for week day, evening and Saturday lessons
Ashley Cauvel
Ashley has been riding as long as she can remember, she started riding with Emily as a kid. Growing up having horses in her backyard, Ashley started riding at a young age as an eventer and jumper rider. Her accomplishments include:
During these early years of her equestrian career she was rated as a C-2 Pony Clubber. At the age of 17, she switched her main discipline to dressage where she became successful in the FEI Young Rider circuit.
USDF Gold & Silver medalist Grand Prix dressage rider with a training philosophy focused on the traditional German training scale.
2021 USDF Region 8 FEI Grand Prix Champion at age 20 and now at the age of 22 she competes as a professional rider
Ashley Cauvel focuses on rider position and effectiveness of the aids to build a well developed connection between horse and rider. In 2020 she would go on to win the USDF Region 8 Championship. Over the next several years she would train in Wellington and win the FEI U-25 Grand Prix at Global Dressage. During this period, Ashley had the opportunity to ride and train with many top European and American dressage riders, which has advanced her riding skills. Ashley has her MA riding instructor's license and has been teaching at Contry Hill Farm for over 6 years.
Ashley is available for Sunday lessons at the farm.
Hailey Burke
Hailey is a current student at Fitchburg State University studying Business Management. She has always loved animals and got into riding as a kid. She started her riding career as a hunter jumper and has moved towards eventing. She has also spent time competing in both IEA AND AEL in high school. She works to find ways to grow the connection and ways of communication between rider and horse. She loves sharing her passion of riding and working with kids.
Hailey is available for lessons during the weeknights and Sundays.
Victoria Wiggins-McPhee
Victoria has over 27 yrs of riding experience and is a Massachusetts licensed riding instructor with over 12yrs of teaching experience. She used to be an assistant barn manager for over a decade and is knowledgeable in horse care.
Victoria currently owns 2 Draft Crosses, Cody & Macy. She is working towards earning her bronze medal and is having fun competing in rated and fun shows. She is currently training Macy her young up & coming dressage mount. Victoria has worked with a variety of different horse breeds through the years.
Along with her 2 horses Victoria owns a farm with her husband and raises Jacob Sheep and Shetland Sheep. Her farm has a variety of animals from horses, sheep, goats, rabbits, chickens, a dog and cat. She is knowledgeable in farm animal husbandry.
Victoria instills a strong foundation in her students to be balanced with correct equitation, and to be a soft conscious rider while having fun. She enjoys educating students about all aspects of horse care, and riding. While dressage is Victoria’s love, she enjoys trail riding, hacking, versatility and games on horseback.
Victoria is available to teach on Monday’s & Thursday’s in the afternoons/evenings, and Wednesday’s in the late morning/early afternoon.
— Riding Requirements & Lesson Policies —
All first time students must fill out our release form and review the barn rules. Email it to info@contryhillfarm.com or bring it to your first lesson.
Wear long pants or breeches for riding, a closed-toed flat-soled shoe with a heel of 1.5 to 1 inch, and a riding helmet.
A 24-hour cancellation notice required or student pays half price, no shows pay full price. Lesson cancellation policy applies to all students. Prices may be subject to change without notice.
Contry Hill Farm will cancel classes when we are experiencing extreme weather. This includes blizzards, severe rain storms, extreme heat and extreme cold. Horses are affected by extreme temperatures.
If the temperature is 10 degrees or below or if it is extremely hot and humid, please call the barn or your instructor, to hear if classes are being held.
Truck In for Schooling
Horses should be up to date on all vaccines and have a current negative Coggins
A release form should be completed upon arrival.
You must have a grounds person for all schooling jump sessions
ASTM/SEI approved helmets should be worn at all times while mounted
Protective Safety Vests should be worn for all cross country jumping
$25 per horse/rider for schooling