ACCORD – Diane Schoonmaker's Flying Change Farm lies a few miles off Route 209 in Accord, amidst a scene that instantly loads "bucolic" into one's mind. Dominated by a big white riding barn, the farm is where Schoonmaker says, "I grow confidence, that's my crop." And along with confidence around horses, she teaches what she calls "Natural Horsemanship," a technique for gaining the trust of a horse by working with the horse's instincts.

This school emphasizes communication with the animal and de-emphasizes physical force. "Natural Horsemanship is like learning to be with the horse like another horse," Schoonmaker says. "It really comes down to understanding the animal and who takes the leadership role in each situation. It's how you develop a relationship with the horse on the ground, as well as in the saddle, so it takes your riding relationship to another level because you are 'thinking horse' and not trying to make the horse 'think human.' We're the ones with the brains, they're the ones with the great bodies."

Schoonmaker's farm has been a center for riding and equestrian skills since 1992. "This was my father's pumpkin field," she says, gesturing to the lawns and paddocks. "There wasn't enough water to grow anything else here."

The greatest attribute of the property are the views, with the ridge off to the east and the Catskills to the west.

Each paddock has a shelter for horses to get out of the weather if they want. They are all wearing fly masks over their heads. One horse after another comes across the paddock to say hello and have its ears scratched. The connection they have with Schoonmaker is obvious and very strong. And it's also clear that affection goes both ways.

"A big part of what I teach is respect for the horse. So the basics begin with how to approach horses, and then handling them and observing them," she continues. "We start our new students off just reading the horses. Each time they come we give them a little more information with the goal of having them be able to get the horse ready themselves for the lesson. They learn to do this independently and then we meet in the ring."

Schoonmaker has an average of 50 students in year-round horse education; she calls herself "the safety queen."

"It starts with checking all your equipment. Then check your environment and answer the basic question, should I even ride today," she notes. "Is the weather okay, or is it just too wet or windy? Are my horse and myself fit to be together this way, today?"

Schoonmaker acknowledges the emotional aspect of this and notes, "A lot of my students are girls in adolescence, which is a very emotional time in their lives, so feeling safe and in control is very important. And that makes teaching confidence so crucial here ... The kids learn to not be afraid." And, she adds, parents appreciate other aspects of what the students learn in this process — no cell phones are allowed.

Right now Schoonmaker and most other small scale equestrian outfits in New York State have their eyes on Governor Cuomo, on whose desk is a new Equine Inherent Risk Law. "This has been passed in most of the country, there are just three states lagging on it," says Schoonmaker. "And one of them is New York."

At present New York does not shield horse operations from frivolous lawsuits as it does most other participatory sports. States other than New York put acceptance of the risks of participation in riding horses as part of the deal. Of course, if there's defective equipment or something that increases risk and should not be there, that's another matter. But note, the skiing industry is sheltered in NY, but horse owners are not. Every year since 1999, a bill has been introduced to change this, but the bills are blocked in the legislature's judiciary committee due to pressure from the powerful New York Trial Lawyers Association.

This year's specific bill on this issue was also blocked, but another bill, which marries the equine operators' interest with a more general agricultural tourism interest, allowing farms to open themselves to the public more easily, has made it to the governor's desk. Ultimately, if signed, this would lower the high cost of insurance for equine operations, which would be of significance for a multi-billion dollar industry in the state that employs 35,000 people.