How to be more involved in the horse world? *beginner rider*

Cantering Laura

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Hi all!
First time poster here :) I’d love to become more involved with horses. I’m a beginner rider, and I’m currently taking lessons once every 2 weeks at my local riding school. I’d love to be able to spend more time around horses and ride more, and become more a part of the community, as at the moment my only interactions are turning up for the lesson, and going home afterwards. I don’t have any horsey friends.
Time and money are a bit of a constraint, I’m saving for a house (I’m 24), and I also have a full time job and study at the weekends towards an accountancy qualification.
Any suggestions how I could potentially ride more, spend more time around horses and get more involved in the community?
Thank you ! :)
 

LaurenBay

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Hi Laura, welcome :)

Perhaps speak to your Riding School and offer to volunteer there, this will teach you how to groom, tack up and basic care. They may let you have a little ride in return.

When I was learning, I did exactly that and volunteered. I went 2 hours before lessons and hung back after to put the Horses to bed. Loved it!
 

AFB

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Time constraints will be a bigger issue to you than money I think - volunteers are almost always welcomed at riding schools, ask if you can come earlier or perhaps stay afterwards to help out, learn to tack up etc.

Alternatively RDA centre's are usually screaming out for volunteers.

Once you have a little more under your belt, i.e. you can tack up independently and are competent walk/trot/canter you might be able to look at becoming a sharer - but this would depend how time/money constrained you are.
 

paddi22

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you could join a local rider club as a non riding memebr. We have a few in our club and they enoy volunteering at shows and going to the the social events
 

Red-1

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I agree, a riding club would love to have you to help. You could be a fence judge, dressage writer, ring steward, pole picker.... If you want to watch a lesson and you are a member then you usually can too. That way you will have all the social life pf the club. You may well find that once you are known, if nice, smiley and reliable, that someone will have a horse for you to do something on, such as a lesson, camp or whatever. I know our Charlie Horse was pressed into action for things like that!


Also, have a look at Straightness Training, there is a Facebook page with UK clinics. I went to watch while horseless, and it was a lovely supportive environment, and you will learn about working with the horse and making things easy for the horse. It is not expensive to spectate, and the cost of gong includes soup and cake at our local venue! I was even offered a horse to work with for next time, but I was not horseless for long enough to borrow one.


RDA is lovely too, you will have horse handling and mucking out.

British Eventing are also always looking for volunteers. No worries of you have little experience, they will brief you and give you coffee, cake, maybe sandwiches and wine too!

What about a local show centre? They would probably welcome a spare pair of hands, and may even pay 'expenses' for your trouble as well as feeding you at lunchtime.
 

Cantering Laura

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Time constraints will be a bigger issue to you than money I think - volunteers are almost always welcomed at riding schools, ask if you can come earlier or perhaps stay afterwards to help out, learn to tack up etc.

Alternatively RDA centre's are usually screaming out for volunteers.

Once you have a little more under your belt, i.e. you can tack up independently and are competent walk/trot/canter you might be able to look at becoming a sharer - but this would depend how time/money constrained you are.

Yes I agree time will be the bigger issue. A spare hour here and there before and after a lesson I can definitely do at least :) Thank you
 
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