Best for a horse-crazy kid ready to commit to hunter/jumper lessons two or three times a week.

Horseback Riding
Recreational & CompetitiveLocally-OwnedWomen-Owned
Group classesOutdoorSession-basedYear-round
(682) 237-7487
equestriansouthlake@gmail.com
4500 N White Chapel Blvd, Southlake, TX 76092
The Lesson Academy's tuition is posted in an enrollment packet dated Spring 2024, the latest the site links: a $200 non-refundable registration fee, then $3,200 a semester for two lessons a week or $4,560 for three. Paying in full by the early deadline took 5% off; installments and card payments carry a 5% service charge. Confirm current tuition with the barn. Show costs are quoted by email, show by show.

The Lesson Academy's tuition is posted in an enrollment packet dated Spring 2024, the latest the site links: a $200 non-refundable registration fee, then $3,200 a semester for two lessons a week or $4,560 for three. Paying in full by the early deadline took 5% off; installments and card payments carry a 5% service charge. Confirm current tuition with the barn. Show costs are quoted by email, show by show.

The Lesson Academy runs by the semester, and each rider is placed in two or three lessons a week. Lessons are semi-private, with three riders or fewer, and riders are encouraged to stay for the full two hours of academy time to watch and help newer riders.

Schedule

The Lesson Academy runs by the semester, and each rider is placed in two or three lessons a week. Lessons are semi-private, with three riders or fewer, and riders are encouraged to stay for the full two hours of academy time to watch and help newer riders.

  • The enrollment packet the site links is dated Spring 2024. It set lessons on the hour at 3, 4, 5 and 6 PM, Tuesday through Friday, with earlier times by request and Mondays kept as designated make-up days. Confirm the current semester's days and times with the barn.
  • The show team travels to hunter/jumper shows through the year, and academy riders can join it at local shows for an added cost, as space on the trailer and school horses allows.
Our take

Southlake Equestrian is a working hunter/jumper barn on North White Chapel Blvd. It boards horses, runs a show team and teaches a lesson academy, all under one owner and trainer, Bridget Bello, who lives on site. For most families the academy is the way in, and it runs by the semester, not the drop-in lesson: two or three lessons a week in small groups of three riders or fewer, on older, experienced school horses the barn calls school-masters.

The curriculum is written down, which is less common than it sounds. Beginners start on the ground with catching and leading a horse, grooming, tacking up and barn manners, then learn to steer and stop. After about six months of steady lessons, novice riders move on to trotting poles and their first cross rails. The barn wants new riders to be about seven, takes younger children case by case, and expects them to lift a saddle with help.

Riders who want to compete can follow the show team, which hauls horses to hunter/jumper shows through the year. Academy riders can join it at local shows for an added cost when there's room on the trailer. The whole barn is built around steady lessons and the show ring, so it suits a child who is ready to commit to a semester.

Local Tips

The barn is at 4500 N White Chapel Blvd on the north side of town. Lessons sit after the school day, and the application asks for your child's dismissal time. A few things to know before you commit to a semester:

  • Places are first come, first served, and tuition is paid at the start of the semester or in two installments. Once a rider is enrolled, it isn't refundable.
  • A missed lesson can be made up only on the barn's designated make-up days, and only with 24 hours' notice by email, not text.
  • Riders buy their own gear: an ASTM-approved helmet fitted by a professional, breeches, paddock boots, half chaps and gloves. The packet sends families to Quail Hollow Tack in Flower Mound or Dover Saddlery in Dallas.
  • The enrollment packet on the site is dated Spring 2024, so check the current days, times and tuition with the barn before planning around it.
  • There's no online booking. Use the contact form or call, and ask for a tour first.
Credentials

Bridget Bello is owner and trainer. She has been a hunter/jumper trainer and IHSA coach for over 27 years, including as coach at her alma mater, Long Island University, where she worked with college riders from beginners up to open and developed their equitation through the national level. She has coached riders to year-end awards on the DHJSC and NTHJSC circuits, has ridden competitively in USEF-recognized and IHSA shows, and has attended clinics with Michael Page, George Morris, Mary D'Arcy and Anne Kursinski. She holds a PATH certification and a master's degree in elementary education.

Ismael "Izzy" Mandujano is barn manager and trainer and has been with the facility for over 20 years. The Lesson Academy staff are Jules Grubbs and Jasmine Mandujano.

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