Choosing a riding school

[Calliac]

Hello!

I'm returning to riding after having not ridden for about 15 years. Had lessons for several years when I was younger and reached a reasonably competent level, could walk, trot, canter, hack happily, tackle small jumps and did pony camps etc. After a couple of bad falls (concussion on a jump and then a terrifying bolt the following lesson, both ending in trips to a+e!), I stopped riding in my early teens, but I've decided I'd like to start again. I went to an amazing riding school when I was younger, but have moved to the other end of the country now so am planning to try out a few riding schools and then pick one I like to stick with.

I'm basically looking to get my confidence back at first, and I'd like to eventually jump again and maybe do a bit of stable management alongside as well. I've had one 30 minute lesson already, and discovered that my leg aids are absolutely rubbish, so I think there's quite a lot of technical things that will need sorting with my riding. My question is, what should I be looking for? What makes a good riding school and instructor? Any advice would be really great!

 

[Steorra]

If you say whereabouts you are (roughly) then people might have recommendations for you.

Trying several schools is a good idea. I’d shop around for a few lessons, pick somewhere you like, and stick with it for a few months. You can re-evaluate later but it’s worth having some consistency with those early lessons.

Look for somewhere you feel confident and comfortable. For some that means formal instruction, while others might prefer a more relaxed atmosphere. Do keep an eye out for basic safety like insistence on suitable hats, gloves and footwear, well-kept tack, and a general sense of organization. It isn’t always feasible to keep yards perfectly clean and tidy, but there shouldn’t be trailing ropes and haynets, or tools left lying about.

A good instructor will help you to progress, but riding progress isn’t always easy to measure. The best instructor isn’t necessarily the one who gets you cantering first. Look for someone who strikes a balance between laying good foundations and encouraging you to try new things. A good instructor should be able to explain the reason behind his/her instructions, so will tell you why a particular exercise can help you and the horse.

Ideally, horses should be calm but responsive. However, this is hard to maintain in horses used for beginner and novice riders, so don’t be surprised if you struggle to keep the horses going at first. It’s safer to put a rusty rider on a too-steady horse than a too lively one. Your instructor should be able to help you, however, and it can be very revealing to ask the instructor to hop on the horse and show you how it’s done. If the instructor can get a nice tune from the horse then they are worth persevering with, but if not it’s probably time to look elsewhere. Do you aspire to ride like the instructor? If the school is right for you, the answer will be yes.

 

[Calliac]

Thanks Steorra, that's really helpful.

I'm near York, and on my list so far are Naburn, Follifoot and Sicklinghall. YRC is also on my list for the future, but think they're a bit advanced (and pricey!) for me at the moment. I used to have lessons at Grange Farm in Wittering, which had a huge number of horses to choose from, great facilities, amazing hacking/XC trails and fab instructors, so think wherever I go now is going to have quite a lot to live up to unfortunately!