Services: Natural Horse & Horsemanship Training
by Kate Busa

Kate provides residents of the North Carolina and Virginia Piedmont region with individual or group horsemanship instruction, as well as boarding at New Avalon for horses in need of more extensive or longer-term training.

Individual Instruction

Kate and student
"Kate really loves horses and has their best interests at heart. She does a great job of having fun while getting a lot done at the same time."–Gretchen, Durham, NC

For beginning, intermediate, and experienced horses and horsemen, at your arena or at New Avalon, Kate offers one-on-one lessons tailored to your individual needs. Provide your own horse or use one of Kate's. A typical course of instruction begins with groundwork and then progresses to work under saddle, first in the arena and finally on the trail. Individual issues such as trailer loading, schooling the green horse, standing quietly for vetting, shoeing, and grooming, etc. can also be addressed as needed.

Individual Rates: $35/hour at New Avalon (see map); $45/hour at your site (additional travel surcharge may apply for distant sites).

Group Instruction (Private Clinics)

"You explained things very well. You didn’t just tell us what to do, you explained why we were doing it."
–Wendy, Durham NC

Enjoy a stimulating and educational afternoon with Kate and a few of your best friends, either here at New Avalon or in your own arena. Private clinics with friends are not only good fun, they are also a great way to learn by watching others master the same techniques you are learning. Clinics at New Avalon include a light meal, providing additional opportunity to talk horses and horsemanship with Kate in a relaxed atmosphere.

Group Rates: Rates are dependent on the number of participants, the length of the clinic, and the location. For example, a four-hour clinic at New Avalon for four participants costs $320 — less than the cost of individual hourly instruction. Please inquire.

Resident Instruction (Boarding with Training)

"After a spring tune-up with Kate, our horse went from green to much more seasoned. What we got back exceeded our expectations. We now have a trail-safe horse, and the skills to work her through any challenges that arise."
–Dona, Rougemont NC

Boarding with training here at New Avalon is the right solution if:

  • Your pasture–muffin could benefit from a tune-up and refresher course.
  • You're planning to sell your horse and seek to get top dollar by ensuring that he's in great shape and well-schooled
  • Your horse needs more intensive training than can be had in once-a-week hour-long sessions
  • You just don't have the time required to school a green horse yourself

A month of carefully graduated workouts with Kate, similar to those discussed in the series Bringing it All Together: Workouts but individualized to your horse's unique needs, will get him into top form both physically and mentally, ready to work with you like never before.

Student horses boarded at New Avalon receive the benefit of about two hours of instruction from Kate six days per week. Our lush pastures support grazing for nine months of the year, and your horse is fed, medicated, and professionally shod according to your instructions. If possible, Kate recommends that you should come to New Avalon once a week for an hour of individual instruction with your horse (included in the price of Resident Instruction).

Resident Instruction Rates: $650 per month at New Avalon (see map), inclusive of training, feeding, stabling, and one hour per week of individual instruction for the owner. Professional veterinary and farrier care, as needed, are extra.