Can you remember your first riding instructors name?

Riding Instructor: James.
Pony: Georgie. A little grey welsh pony.

Then it was a riding instructor called Pam Dews. And a pony called Willow.

And after, a RI called Michelle Vaughn and a pony called Tonto.

And now, no riding instructor. :'( Sort of ride when I can now really..
 
Bob Tudor at Moorlands was my first, he used to call me Doris :(, because I was a bit away with the fairies as a girl ha ha! It was on a Friday night come rain or shine, in an indoor school that was so dusty. I rode most of the horses, always the sharper ones, my favorites were TJ, a little 11.2 Section A who was like a rocket & Bob a bay TB :)

I dreaded to ride Dumble, Rupert or Silver, as they were dobbins. Worth their weight in gold in my eyes now though.
 
It was the late 70's and I was about 10 or 11. the instructor was Susan and the pony was a bay New Forest called Kerry. he was about 13.2hh I think. I rode him for the first 3 lessons.
 
I was 8, she was 16 her name was Julie

She came to my wedding when I was 31 (over 600 miles away) and we exchange Christmas cards every year.

She doggedly persuaded my parents to get me my first horse at 14 too!
 
my first lesson was when i was 7, on the 19th of April 2003.
I cannot for the life of me remember what my instructor was called, but i was on a black pony called Bella and we went on a hack!! I remember her telling me i was a natural and i thought i was the bees knees for ages till i got a real instructor called Christine :rolleyes:
 
I wonder if any of these Instructors are reading this?

Two of the earliest (early 70's ) I can remember were Marion Banks of Devenish Pitt, Farway, the stables are still in the family, I recall a teeny tiny pony called Dobbin, and then Joey, Ginger and Ringo, funny how the names of ponies stick with you. At the same time lessons with Jill Hook at Manor House School, Honiton, where riding was on the school syllabus!:D
 
Ramzi Hijawi! I only learnt his surname a few years ago. He was brilliant. Gave me loads of confidence, was fun and taught me loads. Unfortunately I had to leave when the stables went to RDA only. He's still in the area doing freelance lessons and has a lorry for transporting. One day I might get him to give me some more lessons!

I was 9 I think, the first horse I rode there was a cob called Rosie. First thing she did was walk off when I was trying to mount! I rode some great ponies and horses there, Brandy, Megan, Potch and Harvey were probably my favourites.
 
Last edited:
Yes - 23 years ago a lady called judy on a pony called pepe. She became a firm family friend, let me ride & compete her horse when i was old enough, came to our wedding and is still to this day my first port of call when i need sensible honest horsemanship advice. Amazing lady and a huge part of my life.
 
My mum taught me to ride in her 6pm lesson slot every thursday from the age of 6! Once the basics had sunk in and it was all far to embarrassing to be taught by mum she sent me to another riding school where I learnt classical riding from a lady named Judith on her horses Dyllan, Blaze and Start. She's still teaching to this day, I'd love to go back and take my youngsters for a lesson or two... She'd really kick our asses into gear!
 
My instructor was named Joe and the pony was Fudge. My dad had done some work for Joe and when he mentioned I liked horses was told to take me up one Saturday for a look round, we went up got shown round then introduced to Fudge and told 'let's get you a hat you're riding him in the next lesson'. After that lesson Joe told my parents it didn't matter where I rode but not to stop me riding, they took his advice and within 6 months I was competing for him. I had only been riding there for just under 2 years when he died, I was gutted :(
 
I should be able to remember, but all I do know is it was the Portman Pony Club junior camp in 1987. I rode my loan pony Midnight who was a saint (if you exclude his tendency to barge out of his stable!) I remember swapping ponies, riding and jumping bareback and daring each other to jump 'the hedge'! I loved camp, did junior three times, and senior 10 times, then going back to be stable manager! :eek:

Prior to camp, my mum always taught me...
 
In 1963 a lady called Ann Lewis who is sadly no longer with us. Pony was called Mickey. Fell off in first lesson got back on and loved it ever since. He was the first pony I walked, trotted, cantered, jumped, fell off and competed.
 
1979-1982 Marilyn Therian (nee Miller) at Stoneyside Farm in Wilton Connecticut. Her horses were Ding Dong (skewbald pony with a trot like a jackhammer) Silver System ( a grey QH/Arab cross) Smokey (a Buckskin QH) Spotty (an Appaloosa mare) and she had 2 TBs that only she and special people were allowed to ride. She also got 2 Morgan weanlings from somewhere and also a pair of young Welshies which she used to ask me to ride (I was only about 9-12 I got bucked off a lot iirc

By the time I started riding there her riding school business was on the way down, she'd sold the majority of her turnout to housing developers, the horses' living conditions were questionable (though I didn't know that at the time) her husband had left her and she was an alcoholic (but I was 11 and didn't know)

My cousin and I were often unattended, she'd very often start a lesson and then disappear into her house not to be seen again. She seemed very fond of us (particularly of my cousin) and allowed us to do anything we wanted really, we went on hacks (but we called them trail rides) and probably did a lot of silly things we shouldn't have done but believe it or not I did learn a lot. When she did teach she was very good, very focused on what she called "equitation" but like I said, her star was my cousin so I just benefited from being there as well.
 
My riding instructor was mrs chadbourne in welton yorkshire ,she was total old school and fabulous -instilled me with a strange obsession with tack cleaning! my first lesson was on a coloured pony but i cant remember his name but i loved riding a blue roan pony called duke and a black pony called sparky that everyone else hated riding but i loved as he was incredible naughty!:D
 
Paula Jennings. A completely amazing freelance instructor who taught hundreds of kids to ride on her, erm, 'characterful' Dartmoor Tommy.

Paula was American and very into her pupils getting a broad equine education so we rode English, Western, bareback, drove in a cart, when it snowed one sister rode Tommy while the other was pulled behind in a sledge. The best start on ponies you could wish for.

Paula also helped us find our first two ponies, led us in lead rein at shows on Tommy, you name it. Sadly she died in an agricultural accident years ago and not that many riders round here are old enough to remember her. But we'll never forget her.
 
Last edited:
My grandad on his friends Shetland in London! My first proper instructor was a German lady called Petra from about the age of 6. She was classical trained and very strict with me, at some point I used to cry each lesson every week! My mum used to ask me if i wanted to stop all the time, which i used to hastily reply "no"! I just dont think she was used to teaching kids!! Although i had a fab position and seat, i didnt dare not have!! She'd have got me doing around the world in canter a few times (usual punishment!!). The ponies were rupert, trixie and Thomas. I often wonder what happened to them as the riding school closed down about 10years ago.
 
Dad, who was handyman/gardener for Valerie Millwood.:)

Then I read this.........
The Fuzzy Furry said:
Valerie Millwood & mum (mum worked in the RS till she had me) I was pictured sat on & being led around at 2 :o
Ponies name was Sandy, don't remember it that well but have photo's to look at from then :)
Click to expand...

.......and thought 'Wow!! Someone else who rode at Bridge Barn! Small world!' ;):D:D

Dad put me on Goliath, who was extremely good at bucking me off .......:eek: I've got a piccy somewhere of the three of us at Horseman's Sunday in Guildford. I don't think I was much more than six in that photo - I'll dig it out and put it on here, if you like! ;):D
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top