GILBERTSVILLE, Pa.--The excitement of taking a student into the show ring is real to any of us who have spent time teaching any level of rider.

Even more exciting is the realization that the rider has taken away a real education from your instruction.

Watching them navigate situations and solve problems on horseback or in the barn, and realizing that you have had a hand in making this, wonderful, up and coming horseman is everything.

Jessie Arrowsmith has spent her entire life in the barn being on both sides of the student-teacher relationship and loves that she has the opportunity to give that education and experience to the riders of all levels in her program.

And all levels are included!

Jessie runs a Mommy and Me and a Pony program for preschool aged children and their parent, which leads them right into a weekly lead line lesson program and it just grows from there.

Having coached middle school, high school and college IEA and IHSA teams, she is able to adapt and adjust her style to connect with all of her riders, enjoyably.

The program at Eclipse Equines, the facility and business built by her mother, Eleanor Hephner, is not your typical “mounting block to mounting block” experience.

All of the students are there multiple days per week and spend as much time learning horsemanship and care as they do on horseback.

They are developing responsibility, perseverance, problem solving, sportsmanship and more in addition to the knowledge they would need to safely be in the barn and handling horses.

The skills they are learning can help them in the show ring, out on a trail and through the rest of their lives.

Jessie teaches out of her family owned farm, Eclipse Equines, in Gilbertsville Pa.

For more information, go to www.eclipseequines.com or call 610-754-0022.