Horse Riding Lessons

At Eclipse Ireland School of Horsemanship, we strive to teach people to be horsemen, not just riders.

The Eclipse Ireland School of Horsemanship is located on 90 acres of beautiful country in the Macgillicuddy Reeks. It has a gorgeous stable facility, all weather outdoor arena (rubber and sand surface) that is currently being fitted with lights, riding trails, and a cross country course is currently being built.

Currently lessons are being offered in:

General riding
Dressage up to medium level
Show jumping and working hunters
Western riding
Beginning carriage driving
Natural horsemanship
Vaulting

Eclipse’s well rounded senior instructor Karen Vicencio hails from California, where she spent several decades training horses and riders in a number of disciplines. She earned her Horsemastership III certificate in 1982, at the time the equivalent of the British Horse Society Instructor’s certificate and the highest level certificate that could be earned. She also trained racehorses, and rode western pleasure, team penned, rode reining and cutting horses, and showed in trail and western pleasure classes. She drove horses for a living for several years, mainly Standardbreds and draft horses, holding a single and pairs teamsters license for the city of Sacramento, where she was also certified as an instructor.

Horses and riders trained by Karen earned national awards in working hunters, show jumping, equitation and English pleasure. They also won many regional championships in those divisions, and including dressage, hunter breeding and eventing. Local awards also included western riding events. Since moving to Ireland she has trained several successful riders, including one who earned a national championship in equitation and regional awards in dressage. Karen worked with many excellent trainers and international riders over the years, including Victor Hugo Vidal, Lawrence Langer, Dennis Callin, Rudy Leone, Jimmy Williams, and Bernie Traurig.

She also specialized in training problem horses (all of the horses eventually earning National awards came to her because they had serious behavioural problems), using natural horsemanship methods learned from some of the exceptional horsemen she worked with over the years, including Tom Dorrance, Pat Parelli, and GaWaNi Ponyboy.

Eclipse Ireland is also offering Horsemanship Courses. The courses consist of weekly 2 hour long lessons, with an hour being spent on learning stable management skills, horse psychology, care and fitting of equipment, as well as an hour spent either in a lesson, trekking, or vaulting. These courses are available to both children and adults.

Also new to Eclipse is Vaulting, which is basically gymnastics on horseback. Vaulting can help any rider, from beginning through advanced, to improve their riding. It helps with flexibility and relaxation, which is essential for any good rider. The many movements used in vaulting can be adapted to any rider of any skill level or physical ability. It is great fun (where else can you learn to sit backwards or stand up on a moving horse?), and a wonderful confidence builder. Anyone who has ever wanted to trick ride, vaulting is the way to start out!

Eclipse can also offer specialized courses designed to reach specific goals. Those courses can be weekend, weeklong, or month long courses. Riders can use Eclipse’s horses and ponies, or bring their own.

Breaking, training, and problem horses are accepted, as well as young horses needing handling.

Bring Your Own Horse: you are very welcome to bring your own horse to lessons and clinics.

Special Offer: We are running a special pay for 5 get the 6th lesson for free offer!

Group and private lessons are available, Also early morning and evening lessons. BOOK NOW 064 6682965

Horse Riding/Trekking	Price Per Person
Trekking – 1 Hour Rate	€30.00
Trekking – 2 Hour Rate	€55.00
Private Tuition for 1 Person – hourly rate	€45.00
Private Tuition for 2 Persons – hourly rate	€30.00
Tuition for a group	€20.00
Participants must be at least 4 years old