The beginning of On Course Equestrian Services L.L.C. My name is Leigh A. Tsottles (Sheldon). I live in a small farm house in the Churchville area with my loving husband (Chris) and daughter (Jordan). Chris helps me with the farm maintenance and other laborous work. I would be I grew up on 11 acres in Harford County, MD where I was homeschooled and at a young age was fascinated with horses. We had a handful of horses boarded at our farm and I helped my mom take care of them and would occasionally sneak a ride, bareback and with bailing twine fastened to the halters. I started taking my first riding lessons on and off starting at age 5. When I was 7 my mom put me in a riding program at Dawn’s Jubilee Farm with Kathy Plummer. I rode for several years with Kathy and bought my first horse ‘Dakota’, a 15.2h Standard bred who loved to drag my little butt everywhere HE wanted to go. Then, by surprise, in spring of 1995, my parents bought me my second horse ‘Junior’. He was a 15.2h Appendix Quarter horse with three white stockings, and big blaze, and a huge heart who tolerated me and my humiliating braiding jobs (poor Junior). Two weeks after buying Junior I became a member of Churchville Pony Club. When I was 13 I started working at Bonita Farm, a local racing, training farm with the Boniface family. I was able to care for, groom, and gallop many race horses. I went to several races with and was a groom for those horses at the race track. I helped break and start 2yr. olds for the auction, and breezed a few 3yr. olds. There is nothing to describe how it feels to break out of a starting gate and have a 1200lb horse galloping underneath you with all it’s might. That was an awesome experience all around. Also, when I was 13, I began taking dressage lessons from Audrey Hagan, a Grand Prix dressage trainer and competitor who trained in England and Germany. Audrey helped Junior and I qualify for the United States Pony Club championships in 1998 in which we competed two, first level tests and a musical freestyle test. We also competed in the United States Dressage Federation Young Rider championships two years in a row. I became a working student for Audrey for close to a year and was privileged to ride some of her Intermediate level horses. While a member of Churchville Pony Club I was privileged to compete in the United States Pony Club championships in games (2 yrs), polocrosse (2yrs) and dressage. I worked my way up the levels in Pony Club while taking jumping lessons with Judy Thayer, an organizer with Fair Hill International and a successful trainer and instructor. During the summer of 2003, while testing for my ‘B’ and ‘H-A’ ratings, I took several jumping lessons with Sarah ‘Sally’ Cousins, the top third lady professional eventer in the USA. I began competing training level eventing while schooling prelim and intermediate levels. I traveled to North Carolina to participate in an equine chiropractic clinic and became a certified equine skeletal adjuster. I also purchased a Centurion laser therapy system and have become educated in the use and positive aspects of the low level light therapy. I also have become a certified instructor with Horsemanship Safety Association inc. and have been teaching beginning and intermediate riding lessons for over 8 years. In 2001 I became owner/operator of On Course Equestrian Services L.L.C. and advertise for lessons, training/breaking, board, lease, sales, laser therapy, summer camps, transportation, birthday parties, pony rides, trail rides, and more. I thank God every day for having blessed me with this passion for horses and the ability to bless others through horses.
ORIENTATION
ON COURSE EQUESTRIAN SERVICES L.L.C.
ORIENTATION
The farm safety rules are for your own well-being as well as the farm’s. Some of these are common sense things that reduce our operating costs, others are for the appearance of the farm and respect for the property. Also remember that there are young children that spend time at the farm and we are concerned about safety, morals, and making sure this is a positive environment for everyone here.
1. NO SMOKING!! Unless in your own vehicles…take the butts with you please.
2. Helmets are to be worn at all times when mounted!!! NO EXCEPTIONS!!!
3. Please stay out of hayloft unless given permission. There are open floors and someone could fall through.
4. You must have proper foot wear when around horses. No open toed shoes/sandals. Imagine a 1200lb hoof on your toe.
5. No running or screaming as this can spook horses.
6. No umbrella’s…horses FREAK OUT!!
7. Please park in line with other vehicles. We need to utilize the small parking space we have.
8. Do not climb on/over gates or fences!!!
9. Please clean up after you and your horse: manure, hair, paper, trash etc.
10. Do not use anyone else’s supplies, tack, etc. without permission.
11. Do not feed and hay or grain unless instructed to do so.
12. Do not throw hay from hayloft…hay is expensive.
13. Horses should be washed off using buckets and sponges as it saves water.
14. If you have any problems with anyone please notify Leigh of the situation.
15. Make sure all gates are chained shut so we don’t have any wandering horses, sheep, or goats.
16. Make sure all water is turned off before you leave!!!
17. If you have children that aren’t riding please keep them with you at all times. We are not responsible for your child and the horses are sometimes unpredictable.
18. Please watch for cats and dogs. That includes them trying to go home with you….check your vehicles inside and out before leaving.
19. Please note that this farm is run with Christian guidelines and we ask that you please watch your language, this includes taking the Lord’s name in vain.
Group:
$120- 4 lessons per month/ $150- 5 lessons per month.
Private: $45 per hour lesson.
Tiny
Tots (2-4yrs): $25 per ½ hr.
In MOST cases lessons will not be
canceled due to bad weather. If we
cannot ride, then we will be having an inside lesson (horse management lesson)
in the barn unless otherwise discussed.
There is so much to learn about horses other than riding. This gives us a great opportunity to
understand the “dirty’ work and get a better understanding of the total care
and management of horses. We will be
going over stall cleaning, tack cleaning, parts, colors, and breeds of horses,
nutrition, day-to-day care, emergency care, etc.
We love that parents & siblings are interested in learning along with the students as well as watching them ride. Feel free to assist with brushing and tacking up however, at times the student may need to do things independently.
When your child falls
Everyone knows that when riding a horse, no matter what level you are at, that you may fall off. At some point during the year your child or a child in their lesson will fall off. When this occurs you need to trust in the fact that we know how to handle this situation. Running and screaming to the child only results in spooking the animals and may cause more problems and/or injury. We know that it is scary to see someone, especially your child, scared and/or hurt. If another child is injured please refrain from entering the ring and/or trying to take your child off of their mount.
In most cases the use of our arena is permitted as long as a release form is signed and Leigh is notified in advance. Rental fee: $20 per horse.
Week long camps will be held throughout the summer Monday-Friday. Camp includes riding time, horse management, extra learning activities and lots of fun!!!
We also offer day camps. - Dates are posted on our website!
This year we will be offering extra events open to everyone that rides here. We will have divisions for every level of rider so no one will be left out!!! There will be entry forms available to you closer to the time of the event. We also will be trailering a selected number of students to local horse shows in this area. If your child is interested please notify Leigh so you can be more informed and get prepared for the show season.
- There are show packages that will include trailer fees, lease of the horse or pony, and coaching for the day.
Therapeutic lasers/low level light therapy Rates: $2 per minute.
Therapeutic treatment with photo energy provides a safe noninvasive technique that will shorten the recovery time from an injury and minimize the amount of scar tissue and adhesions that are formed. Low level light therapy is a very effective, noninvasive physiotherapeutic treatment modality that provides the following benefits:
1 Increased blood flow: This increases the availability of nutrients and oxygen to
the tissues. There is also an increased level of venous drainage to the area
which facilitates the removal of waste materials produced with cellular
metabolism.
2 Increased lymphatic flow: This will facilitate in the drainage of fluids from the area and reduce swelling or edema within these tissues.
3 Analgesia: Photo energy stimulates the production of the body’s natural pain killers: endorphins and enkelphins.
4 Accelerates wound healing: There is an enhancement of fibroblastic production and collagen synthesis which facilitates connective tissue repair. An increased level of blood flow discourages the development of scar tissue and proud flesh.
5 Antibacterial effect: Photo energy inhibits the reproduction of bacteria. With some organisms it has a bacterial effect. This allows for low level light therapy to be useful In addition to conventional treatments of open wounds.
I train and compete with a dressage and eventing background. I have competed first level dressage and schooled third level. I have also competed training level eventing and schooled prelim/intermediate. I have trained by and been a working student for Audrey Hagan, a Grand Prix dressage competitor from Britain who trained in Germany for several years. I also trained with Sally ’Sarah’ Cousins, the top third lady professional eventer in the USA.
I can either work with your horses at your farm or you can board them at my farm and I can work with them here.
Training: $150 weekly or $40 per
session at my farm, $50 per session at your farm.
Full-care board with stall: $400
monthly/$125 weekly/ $25 daily
Full-care pasture board: $300 monthly/
$80 weekly/ $15 daily
For more details see the ‘Boarding Agreement’.
There are usually always horses and ponies for sale at the farm. If I don’t have what you want I can get it for you.
Click here to see our horses for sale.
Understandably not everyone can afford a truck and trailer. I will trailer if need be however with gas prices fluctuating as much as they do we will need to discuss the distance and amount of time it will take before I can give an exact rate.
There is nothing better than having your instructor coach you at a show. Especially when the horse is jumping out of its skin and you’re ready to pee your pants. Talk to Leigh if you would like to have hr coach you at a show.
We offer a variety of horses and ponies to lease. You will take partial responsibility for the horse/pony and will have access to ride during the week other than regular scheduled lesson times. Not everyone is eligible to lease, please talk to Leigh if you are interested.
Rates: Pony $200 per month ($25 per
day); Horse $250 per month ($30 per day).
My goal with On Course Equestrian Services L.L.C. is to provide everyone the ability to have fun with and learn about horses in a positive and safe environment.
*Note: again I must mention that this farm is run with Christian guidelines. No one is perfect but the main rule book we try to follow at this farm is the Holy Bible. With that you can’t go wrong.
Ephesians 4:8-13 This is why it says: “When he ascended on high, he led captives in His train and gave gifts to men.” What does “He ascended” mean except that He also descended to the lower, earthly regions? He who descended is the very one who ascended higher than all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe. It was He who gave some to be apostle, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.
We feel that God has been able to use us for His kingdom right here in Harford County and we have been so blessed. God is amazing!!!
