POULSBO — As parents are signing their children up for music, sports and art lessons in the coming months, the trainers at Painted Valley Farm hope they’ll also consider another extracurricular option.

For their kids and for themselves.

The 5-year-old Painted Valley Farms, owned by Kevin and Shannon Prigger, is one of about a dozen horse riding facilities in the North Kitsap area. It is a full-service facility including training, lessons, boarding and stallion service with about 50 students and nine horses in training at the moment.

“So business is booming. It’s been really good,” commented the facility’s main trainer Karma Huff, an AQHA horse professional who has been working with horses for about 25 years.

Huff said North Kitsap has a lot of horse enthusiasts but many do not realize they need not be a horse owner to take riding lessons.

“A lot of our students don’t own their own horse so they use a school horse,” Huff explained.

Like after-school clubs and sports for kids and other hobbies for adults, Painted Valley staff say riding lessons are another opportunity for students of all ages to enrich their lives.

“What we like to do is give students an opportunity to learn about horses,” Huff said. “Working with horses teaches them goal setting and work ethic. It’s a really positive environment for kids.”

Painted Valley teaches both Western and English riding styles to students ranging from age 4 to adults. Huff said the students are split about half and half between kids and adults and male and female. While more students take Western riding lessons, staff emphasizes creating competent riders who are versatile enough to be able to quickly adapt to new styles.

“Safety is number one, then balance and timing are very important elements of riding a horse,” Huff explained. “Horses and people learn by consistency and repetition.”

For horse owners, the stable also offers instruction in competitive showing. It usually takes between three months and one year to train a horse to show. Many of their students choose not to show, though the ones that do have had great results so far. At a recent Sandamar show, Painted Valley students were included among overall winners and leaders in several divisions.

“So we’re planning to have a very competitive and successful show season this year,” Huff said.

“But it’s still fun and team oriented,” added apprentice horse trainer and riding instructor Jennifer Carney.

Additionally, students who come to the facility get to work with a small but dedicated staff who love what they do.

“It’s rewarding work to see your students excel as much if not more than seeing yourself excel,” said Huff, who noted that she’s been fortunate enough to have always worked with horses in her professional career.

“We get to work outdoors, work with horses and work with kids, which I think is the icing on the cake,” Carney added of her passion for her work.