09/09/2026
“With good instruction, anyone can become a good hand with horses.”
-Monte Foreman
Read Holly’s story and testament to dedication and learning correct riding skills from lessons at Cornerstone Ranch. ❤️🐴
I have loved horses my entire life, but I didn’t take proper riding lessons until last year. By the way, I’m in my mid-50s. When I first signed up for lessons, I wanted a summer hobby I loved as much as my winter hobby, skiing. But it soon turned into a year-round obsession, and my goal became reaching an intermediate level so I could go on horseback riding tours all over the world, just like I do with skiing.
So, I set my sights on my first horse tour to Iceland. I mean, what better way to see the beautiful country of Iceland than on Icelandic horses?
I signed up.
Mind you, this tour was for intermediate-to-advanced riders. I was not there yet, and I also needed to learn to ride in an English saddle.
With help from Susan, Julia, and Nikki at Cornerstone Ranch, I began preparing for an August 2026 Iceland Landmannalaugar Adventure horse tour that would include six days of riding and sleeping in a farmhouse and mountain hut—with instructions to bring a sleeping bag.
If I was going to do this, I was going to go big!
I took weekly group lessons to get ready, then added private lessons and other weekend group lessons when I could to get even more experience. A horseback riding friend loaned me her English saddle, and another friend loaned me her martingale. We fit the saddle to Captain, as he was the closest horse to the size of an Icelandic horse, although still quite a bit bigger.
Susan, Nikki, and Julia had me practicing riding with stirrups, without stirrups, in half-seat, doing agility exercises, going over small obstacles, forming lines with other horses, and really working on my balance.
Some of the best things that happened to me while training were actually the moments when something went wrong. I would get off balance and was taught how to regain my balance without stopping the horse. I would lose my stirrups and learned how to get my feet back into them while continuing to ride. If I was riding a horse who was more forward and sensitive—aka Murphy—I had to learn how to slow him down without simply pulling on the reins.
I also learned how to put on and take off an English saddle because I knew I’d need to do this myself in Iceland. The final skill I needed to master before leaving was cantering in an English saddle, which I accomplished toward the end of my training. Nikki also took me out of the ring and around the property so I could get used to riding on uneven surfaces.
I was ready.
Read more below!
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