Rider Information
What To Wear
Riding has risks. We do our best to keep you safe, but you must help by wearing proper clothing. A helmet and correct footwear are required. We have sizes you can borrow—please return hats and boots neatly. We recommend you buy your own helmet and boots when you can for better fit and comfort. Short riding boots with half chaps are an acceptable alternative to long rubber riding boots.
Group Size
We have found that ½ hour group lessons provide the optimum learning environment for horse riding. You need to remember that you are learning a sport, we are asking you to use muscles that you don’t use for anything else, we need you to coordinate correctly and also to use your brain for listening, controlling your body, knowing where you are going and retaining all that information. If you are truly learning and riding you should find this time more than sufficient
Helpers
Your helper is there to help you, to explain what the instructor has asked, to help get the pony moving in the correct direction and at the correct speed, to prevent accidents and incidents with other ponies and to give you confidence.
Lesson Structure
Like any sport, you need time to warm up your body and focus your mind. Your horse also needs time to get used to you and loosen up, especially for the first lesson. We start with walking, steering and stopping, then move to faster paces. Once you’re settled, we work on balance. From the first step, both you and your horse should be actively working.
Progression
As with any sport this varies according to your own ability to learn, confidence, fitness and regularity of attendance. We look for the initiative to come from you rather than any preset time scale. Sometimes you need to change horses until you find one you are happy with and feel confident on.
Your Horse
Although our horses are well trained, they respond to the signals of an experienced rider. Like computers, they act only on correct programming. A horse won’t know the lesson plan or what to do next, so it depends on you, its pilot, for instructions—this is why we provide a helper for your first lessons.
Talk To Us
Our instructors are experienced but not mind readers. If you don’t understand something or can’t do it, tell your instructor during or immediately after the lesson. If needed, speak to reception so we can address the issue. We’re always willing to help.