Adult Riding Holidays for training - UK

Ambers Echo

Ambers Echo

Still wittering on
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As part of Operation Learn to Ride I was wondering about a few days intensive training somewhere residential. Not trail riding - flatwork and jumping. Ideally Cotswolds sort of way to link with a bike holiday OH is doing down there, but anywhere would be fine. I can travel.

The Scottish Equestrian Hotel looks good but ideally I'd want personal recommendations.


TIA!
 
Ambers Echo said:
As part of Operation Learn to Ride I was wondering about a few days intensive training somewhere residential. Not trail riding - flatwork and jumping. Ideally Cotswolds sort of way to link with a bike holiday OH is doing down there, but anywhere would be fine. I can travel.

The Scottish Equestrian Hotel looks good but ideally I'd want personal recommendations.


TIA!
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Talland, but only with Brian who is a genius with position. Spend the rest of the time watching and learning
 
Prestige Equestrian. I had some school master lessons there which were very good. I’ve been to Talland as well and didn’t really like it though possibly different with own horse. Found them very disorganised which if staying probably not a problem but if going for a lesson in limited time annoying. Have some stay away clinic with Adam Kemp but that’s flat work only. Food was excellent as well.
 
Talland would be the obvious one but you'll find differing opinions/experiences.

Prestige I think it's called is another for the dressage side, not sure if they offer jump lessons?
 
Orangehorse said:
Is Arrow Riding near Pembridge in Herefordshire still operating? I had some good lessons there, but I admit it was a while ago.
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They no longer offer ridden lessons unless you have your own horse. I'm still kicking myself that I didn't go there before they stopped the schoolmaster lessons.

Celtic Fringe said:
If you can consider the Chilterns then contact Turville Valley Stud. They run training camps through the year. The area is very popular with cyclists too - lots of hills!
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I don't think they offer lessons on their own horses?

Can't add anything useful to your thread AE but I'd be very interested in getting a report on your intensive camp experiences if you do end up doing one. I've wanted to do one for a few years now but since I realised how much they cost (if just one lesson at Prestige costs £120...), I've decided I'd best save the money for when I can ride a bit better.
 
TheMule said:
Talland, but only with Brian who is a genius with position. Spend the rest of the time watching and learning
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I second this. I have a friend who has had endless lessons over the years…then she started having lessons with Brian and the difference was just enormous. Everything she’d struggled with is now fixed. Definitely worth every penny.
 
Ambers Echo said:
Tallands reputation scares me - I worry I’d feel so intimidated. But perhaps I’d cope!! X
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Talland isn’t just an ‘elite’ RS, whatever that means. They also run regular group lessons from novice up. You definitely wouldn’t be out of place.

I’ve had a number of sessions there over the years - some good, some not so. But the consistently better ones have been with Brian. I’m not convinced all the horses enjoy their jobs there much and I have to say for overall experience and value for money my time at Monte Velho in Portugal has been on a different level
 
Lucinda Fredricks is your way and does what you're after!

ETA - Emily Mustow is probably not a million miles away either (Leigh, Worcs).
 
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Ambers Echo said:
Tallands reputation scares me - I worry I’d feel so intimidated. But perhaps I’d cope!! X
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What I found weird at Talland was that I booked a course of 5 lunge lessons, and when I turned up I got told where the tack room was and had to tack the horse up, and then untack him at the end and find where to put the tack. No one was very helpful and it was just odd. I never went back for the fifth lesson as it was just an odd atmosphere. When I went to Prestige the horse was ready tacked up standing under the heat lamps (it was the middle of winter) ready to start off the lesson which is what I would expect.

When I was in Pony Club, we would occasionally have Molly Sivewright as in the original founder of Talland come to instruct us, which was intimidating when you had a very good jumping pony but little basic control......
 
humblepie said:
What I found weird at Talland was that I booked a course of 5 lunge lessons, and when I turned up I got told where the tack room was and had to tack the horse up, and then untack him at the end and find where to put the tack. No one was very helpful and it was just odd. I never went back for the fifth lesson as it was just an odd atmosphere. When I went to Prestige the horse was ready tacked up standing under the heat lamps (it was the middle of winter) ready to start off the lesson which is what I would expect.

When I was in Pony Club, we would occasionally have Molly Sivewright as in the original founder of Talland come to instruct us, which was intimidating when you had a very good jumping pony but little basic control......
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I had some lessons at Talland. Horse was presented tacked up but they hadn’t pulled saddle cloth up into saddle gullet and it was pressing on wither. Weren’t keen on changing it. Lessons were un memorable.

I twice had to move my car incase Molly drove near it. Apparently parking / driving a bit of a liability. She would have been quite old to be driving!
 
I assume you want schoolmasters, you're not taking a horse? (I read it as the former but a few of the replies have made me question myself!).

I've been to Talland, Prestige and Pen Y Llyn. The latter was good fun but I didn't feel I learned a lot. Of Talland and Prestige I much prefer Prestige - the schoolmasters felt fresher, you weren't sharing the arena with numerous others and the instruction was spot on (I had one of the lesser known instructors but got a huge amount out of it, on PSG / GP schoolmasters). I had a couple of jump lessons there (low level but they do higher level too) and really enjoyed them too.

From another angle - the equine physio I use has treated horses at both Talland and Prestige and based on her experience alone I'd go with Prestige.
 
humblepie said:
What I found weird at Talland was that I booked a course of 5 lunge lessons, and when I turned up I got told where the tack room was and had to tack the horse up, and then untack him at the end and find where to put the tack. No one was very helpful and it was just odd. I never went back for the fifth lesson as it was just an odd atmosphere. When I went to Prestige the horse was ready tacked up standing under the heat lamps (it was the middle of winter) ready to start off the lesson which is what I would expect.

When I was in Pony Club, we would occasionally have Molly Sivewright as in the original founder of Talland come to instruct us, which was intimidating when you had a very good jumping pony but little basic control......
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I've never known what the right answer is about the getting horse ready. It's not uncommon at Wellington either, but when you're paying £115... Never minded the untacking after mind you - I've ridden the horse, my job to set fair after imho.


Wellington's another option if you've ever Hants way @Ambers Echo - just not the easiest place to book into.
 
I would assume the horse is ready for the lesson. I don’t tend to turn up till a few minutes before. If I arrive in time to help, I’m happy to, but I don’t think it should be an expectation, nor should it delay the lesson. Ingestre and Lodge Farm get horses ready for you but you take them back and untack afterwards. That seems much more reasonable to me
 
I really loved my individual lessons at arrow in pembridge but I am not a particularly good rider and they were a while ago
 
On the jumping front, I've just remembered that there's INShowjumpers near Henley. No personal experience with them, but I remember hearing good things in the past. Could have sworn they do lessons on their own horses alongside leasing.
 
I personally wouldn't bother with Talland again.

I'm from out of area, so had travelled to get there. When I arrived, I waited around abit to then be told at the time my lesson was due to begin that there was a problem with the instructor and they weren't there yet. So they let me hop on with one of the girls from the yard watching for a "play" whilst I waited. Which seemed to tick the box of the lesson time starting.

I've got my own horses and can "play" whenever I want. What I wanted was the full hour of being shouted at 😂
 
My plan is to base myelf somewhere for 3 days or so, and would request that a fairly intensive programme of lessons be created for me. I think I'd have to be prepared to be quite assertive though. If my instructor was not there I'd want them to reschedule an appropriate alternative. And I'd say so I think. I am not very good at that but I am expecting this to cost £££££ and won't want to be fobbed off. Its basially going to be my eventing budget as I won't be eventing this year.

And then spend every spare hour watching other lessons if I am allowed.
 
Sorry AE, I originally thought you wanted to take your own horse, so you can safely ignore my suggestions! I'd love to see a report if you do find somewhere, I've often thought about doing it myself!
 
IrishMilo said:
Sorry AE, I originally thought you wanted to take your own horse, so you can safely ignore my suggestions! I'd love to see a report if you do find somewhere, I've often thought about doing it myself!
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Sorry I was not clear. I don't currently have a rideable one!! x
 
Hi revisiting this - the holiday is in Cirencester as that is where my OH's bike event finishes, so it makes sense to use Talland. I will ask for Brian for flat work. What about jumping?

And there are 4 grades of horses to choose from, from 'regular' to 'supreme!' So which do I go for? I will have to have 1 assessment lesson than can have 4-5 others but want a mix of flat, SJ and maybe even XC. I won't be dping ANY dressage moves so can see why I need anything other than regular, apart from maybe to feel what a good dressage horse feels like underneath me.

Not sure who to ask for for jumping. Or maybe I should just join a group for jumping?

Any advice. Thanks! x
 
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