Riding lessons near Kingsport, Tennessee

How the lesson pilot works

Riding lessons are opening as a small pilot: only 6–8 mounted appointments a week at launch, filled from a free priority waitlist that takes no payment. Every River Creek horse works within daily session limits and scheduled rest days, and riders are matched to suitable horses.

The waitlist is how places are filled. When two riders fit an opening equally well, the earlier entry gets priority, and nothing is paid until you are offered a lesson and its final price.

• Give each rider's age and riding experience
• Say whether you have a horse of your own
• Pick the lesson formats you want and the times you are free
• River Creek matches rider, instructor, horse and schedule
• You are offered a lesson with its final price before you pay anything

Riders of every age and level

The waitlist takes riders of any age, grouped as under 8, 8–12, 13–17 and 18 and over. It covers first-time riders, riders with some lessons behind them, advanced riders and adults returning to riding after time away.

Families in Kingsport reach the barn in about 15–20 minutes, west on US-11W, and Mount Carmel is about 10 minutes away. Church Hill riders are already in town.

Planned lesson formats

Six formats are planned, from a first private lesson for a nervous beginner to coaching for an owner on their own horse.

Riders can learn on a suitable River Creek lesson horse or bring their own. A horse that comes in for lessons meets the same standard as every horse on the property: a current negative Coggins test, geldings and mares only, no pregnant mares and a signed liability waiver.

• An intro assessment or private lesson
• Semi-private lessons
• Group lessons
• Family lessons
• Coaching for riders who bring their own horse
• Ground horsemanship, working with a horse from the ground

The farm, about 15–20 minutes from Kingsport

River Creek sits on 86 acres along the river at 125 Goshen Valley Rd, Church Hill, TN 37642, with a 100×200 ft outdoor arena, a round pen and 12+ miles of creek-side, meadow and ridge trails. There is parking and restroom access for visitors.

If your child has never been around horses, a free 45-minute barn tour is an easy first step: walk the barn, see the arena and meet the herd before a first lesson.