Thacher’s Horse Program began for a practical reason: Mr. Thacher’s boys needed transportation to town. It was a seven-mile trip—church being the usual goal in those days—and in the late 19th century horses were the only mode available. What our founder discovered immediately was that “there’s something about the outside of a horse that’s good for the inside of a boy.”

Today the School continues a tradition born of necessity and sustained by its many applications: Horses can get you up into the mountains, move you across the ground at lightning speed, and be a great teacher, reliable partner, and true friend.

The Horse Program welcomes all students who are interested in riding—and some who don’t necessarily feel that way at the start (!). During their first year at Thacher, all freshmen learn the basics of horsemanship by caring for a horse: mucking his corral, feeding him morning and evening, and exercising him in the afternoon. The program aims to make horse and rider a team.

In the fall, students work to pass their Rider’s Tests and then toward competing in the Big Gymkhana—a grand finale to the year for all riders. Students also take at least one overnight horse-packing trip during the year.

Students who remain interested in riding beyond their first year can ride in the Afternoon Program. More advanced riders may take advantage of several team activities; the Thacher Equitation Team rides in English-style events, and the polo team practices in nearby Santa Barbara and competes against local college and club teams.

A handful of students become Thacher Teamsters, learning to work with the School’s team of enormous Percherons as they pull a feed wagon to corrals and pastures. As a supplement to gymkhana at Thacher, several students also participate in rodeo racing events and gymkhanas around California. In May the Thacher team travels to Orme School in Arizona to compete against Orme and Fountain Valley School in a two-day tri-gymkhana. These supplementary riding opportunities produce two worthwhile results: They strengthen the bond between horse and rider that lies at the heart of our riding program, and they convey the lessons of teamwork that come from competition.

Of course, Thacher's Horse Program teaches students far more than the basics of riding. Like a real-world job, taking care of a horse is a responsibility that exists regardless of a student's mood or an unfortunate downpour. Riders develop problem-solving skills when they teach a fearful horse to cross a stream, and they are rewarded with heightened self-esteem when they overcome such a seemingly impossible challenge. By mastering their horses, Thacher students learn to master themselves.