Private lessons

[Jeanie8196]

Hi everyone, after a break of a few months I’m looking to get back into the saddle again I feel private lessons would benefit me as I’m feeling a little nervous. I’ve searched Google and many stables are booked up already so any suggestions riding schools/tuition for Surrey within a 30min drive of Caterham?

 

[Muddy unicorn]

Kingsmead Equestrian Centre in Warlingham

 

[Crazy Canuck]

I had no luck with Kingsmeade. Couldn’t book lessons because they’re so busy, I gave up on them. My recommendation is Wildwood Stables near Epsom race course. I take side saddle lessons there with Caroline Baldock. Good instructors, and nice steady horses. The stable is owned by Anthea, who is just lovely!

 

[Oreo&Amy]

This is a bit of a different idea and I don’t know how long you’ve been riding altogether, but have you thought of a part share? Often it’s cheap just a small contribution and means you can have regular lessons on the same horse or pony on the same yard (assuming there is a trainer available which there usually is). Riding schools can be good but not always, and as you said very busy. Worth considering! When I loaned my first horse my riding came on leaps and bounds xx

 

[Jeanie8196]

This is a bit of a different idea and I don’t know how long you’ve been riding altogether, but have you thought of a part share? Often it’s cheap just a small contribution and means you can have regular lessons on the same horse or pony on the same yard (assuming there is a trainer available which there usually is). Riding schools can be good but not always, and as you said very busy. Worth considering! When I loaned my first horse my riding came on leaps and bounds xx

I did think about loaning to be honest as owning a horse is my dream one day but as it stands currently not financially achievable. I was riding last year and got up to a canter but consider myself as very novice rider and would worry I wouldn’t be good enough for someone else’s horse if I were to loan. I always worry I’d be judged at a livery yard or there wouldn’t be anyone on site to guide me through improving my riding.

 

[Oreo&Amy]

I did think about loaning to be honest as owning a horse is my dream one day but as it stands currently not financially achievable. I was riding last year and got up to a canter but consider myself as very novice rider and would worry I wouldn’t be good enough for someone else’s horse if I were to loan. I always worry I’d be judged at a livery yard or there wouldn’t be anyone on site to guide me through improving my riding.

I understand and you should always consider financials but some part loans (where you do one or maybe two days a week) can be as low as £5 or £10 for a contribution, or even free if the owner doesn’t have time to ride the pony enough. I do also understand how you feel about livery yards and worrying about being good enough, but firstly if you are having lessons the owner should be fine with it, and secondly don’t let what other people think (or what you think they think!) stop you from achieving your goals. We were all novices once x it’s worth having a look online at some part loans near you and it’s great for improving your horsemanship- mucking out, grooming etc. Let us know how you get on a way!

 

[Oreo&Amy]

I understand and you should always consider financials but some part loans (where you do one or maybe two days a week) can be as low as £5 or £10 for a contribution, or even free if the owner doesn’t have time to ride the pony enough. I do also understand how you feel about livery yards and worrying about being good enough, but firstly if you are having lessons the owner should be fine with it, and secondly don’t let what other people think (or what you think they think!) stop you from achieving your goals. We were all novices once x it’s worth having a look online at some part loans near you and it’s great for improving your horsemanship- mucking out, grooming etc. Let us know how you get on a way!

Just to add, almost all livery yards have a trainer on site or if not you can bring your own

 

[Muddy unicorn]

If you’ve just got up to canter then I’d have thought you’d need a lot more lessons before being ready for a part loan or share. There‘s a big jump from riding school horse to privately owned even for RS riders who consider themselves to be fairly advanced. RS horses are generally in a lot more work and a stricter routine than the average horse on a livery yard and if you’ve only ever ridden in lessons then you’d need an instructor to be with you for a while at least which would bump up the weekly cost considerably

 

[Jeanie8196]

I understand and you should always consider financials but some part loans (where you do one or maybe two days a week) can be as low as £5 or £10 for a contribution, or even free if the owner doesn’t have time to ride the pony enough. I do also understand how you feel about livery yards and worrying about being good enough, but firstly if you are having lessons the owner should be fine with it, and secondly don’t let what other people think (or what you think they think!) stop you from achieving your goals. We were all novices once x it’s worth having a look online at some part loans near you and it’s great for improving your horsemanship- mucking out, grooming etc. Let us know how you get on a way!

Thank you so much for your message! This is really helpful, I will certainly have a look about in my area! I have found some private lessons now so I’ll see how I go with these but definitely keep in mind a share/loan in the near future

 

[Wishfilly]

Just to add, almost all livery yards have a trainer on site or if not you can bring your own

This isn't true at all. Some do, some don't. But even if they do, OP would need to pay them for support, in which case a part loan wouldn't work out a lot cheaper.

Besides which, there aren't many owners who would offer a part loan to someone who's just learning to canter.