Riding schools?

1

111ex111

Well-Known Member
Joined
18 August 2012
Messages
683
Visit site
was just wondering what everyone's views are on the riding schools in their area. I've been to many terrible ones and 1 good one! since I've stated sharing/part-loaning I've come to the conclusion that riding schools really arnt good for the horses or the riders!
I just find it sad that all these kids who love horses dont get to learn how to ride properly and their parents have to fork out £30-£40 every time.
 
I work at a riding school so I'm probably biased but we only charge £20 which is much cheaper than the going rate and our horses are used for 2 hours (not in a row), 3 maximum :) Also our instructor is BHS registered and has been riding from the age of 3 so she knows what she's talking about, our kids arent taught how to ride wrong :) It all depends on where you go :)
 
I have experienced two local riding schools and seen what I think was good and bad practice at both.

One is very small and low key - children have more pony contact, run pony days etc. Ponies are looked after well although not pampered. Daughter had some really good lessons from the owner and some really rubbish lessons from a youngish girl she employed.

Second riding school is very large - has two indoor schools used for BD dressage etc. She had 6 lessons there - 2 were fantastic but unfortunately the lady that gave them to her only taught eves and in term time that was hard to manage so we had the rest at weekends. They were given by young girls (probably WPs as it was a training centre. I didn't let on that I was horsey and was quite shocked and disappointed with the quality of the lessons. There is almost no pony contact - wait behind the line get on and get off at the end of your half hour (or 20 mins if you are not so lucky!)

I moved to the second larger yard as wasn't happy about daughter being chased with lunge whip to get pony to canter and only getting one chance to canter in a lesson from front of ride to back (3/4 circuit of school). All she wanted to do was hack and was told she couldn't until she could canter. With only one such canter a week I could see it taking a long time. At second large yard good lady did a fantastic job of teaching her aids to canter and stop cantering. Unfortunately experience with younger staff was much like first school.

At this point I realised I could keep a pony for the cost of a lesson a week if I rented some fields and moved my mare from a livery yard and that is what I did. Unfortunately for a lot of pony mad kids that is not an option.

I don't think riding schools in general are bad for ponies - all the ones I have seen were well looked after and after all are always supervised when ridden. Have seen much more pony care to be worried about by kids who have been bought a pony and then left to own devices by parents who are not horsey.
 
I go to one near where I live, its £13 for a half hour lesson and we work in the outdoor school, the cross country field or the show jumping field. We got out for hack for £20 an hour and often we are out for well over an hour. Its one of the best i have found in the area and you really feel like you are progressing, unlike some of the others round here. We go on pub hacks as well, and they do mini in house shows. its great :D:D:D
 
The riding school my son goes to is fantastic. Maximum of 4 in a lesson, lovely ponies & horses who are very well looked after. The ponies/horses get out to compete occasionally and the owner has competent riders who do fun stuff with them so it's not all RS activity. The instructor is great and the lady who fills in sometimes is also very experienced and friendly. Son now takes his pony for a lesson once a week and really enjoys it. We are just home from a 1/2 day pony camp. 4 kids and lots of fun. I am aware that not all RS are great but some are.
 
hmm I guess I have had bad experiences with RS's then. I've witness stones being chucked at the horses to make them canter, A little girl crying to get off because the pony bucked and the instructor refusing to let her, andddd 'pony days' where the kids were used as slave labor to clean tack all morning!
 
hollieeb said:
hmm I guess I have had bad experiences with RS's then. I've witness stones being chucked at the horses to make them canter, A little girl crying to get off because the pony bucked and the instructor refusing to let her, andddd 'pony days' where the kids were used as slave labor to clean tack all morning!
Click to expand...

That sounds pretty horrendous. We recently had a pony day where the kids got a riding lessons, learnt how to groom and muck out were taught how to plait up and then did one hour of tack cleaning where they learnt how to take a bridle apart and put it back together! Sounds like the place you went to should be shut down!
 
I've been through 4 riding schools, 2 good 2 bad.

One I'm at now is brilliant my only gripe is they do not have many horses, they mainly have ponies/cobs. They run lots of competition days regulary so people who don't have there own horse can use one of theres and they get the chance to do a little bit of competing (which as I'm not a horse owner (yet) I love) plus you get to get them ready yourself so even get to turn them out all smart.

The 2nd good one was definetly more for older adults or dressage competitors the instructor was a very monotone, lots of horses that regulary go out to compete.

MY biggest gripe with riding schools is I'm very short and slim for my age and tend to get landed with the kids ponies especially if there are a lot of taller/heavier adults booked in.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top