Talland vs Davecote vs Arrow Equestrian vs Claire Lilley

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Cor

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Hi all,

I am planning to come to the UK for 5 days of intensive riding lessons, and after a thorough search and asking around, I ended up with these 4 schools. Considering that I am a novice rider, wanting to perfect my dressage seat, my sitting trot and canter (do not mind lunging lessons) but also experience riding higher level dressage horses that would allow me to learn higher level movements and the proper way to ask these movements, which of these 4 schools would you recommend? Ideally a sympathetic, friendly and willing to help instructor would be preferred to an instructor who would make me feel unease, ruin my confidence and spoil the whole experience. Remember , I will be coming from abroad so I will have to spend some money to go there...Thus, ideally I would like to actually gain sth from it.

Please feel free to share any positive/negative experiences if you have been to any of these places....

Thanks a lot
 
I've been to dovecote and would recommend BUT simply because you are presumably trying to fit in as much as you can during the time, I would suggest somewhere with indoor so the weather doesn't screw your plans up, plus somewhere with lots going on so you can use the time when you are not riding to learn by watching others.
 
I only have experience of Arrow, I have been umpteen times to watch Erik Herbermann, and I know plenty of people that go back again and again - for coaching from Sue, clinics with Erik and to watch the same. Can whole heartedly recommend.
 
I replied to one of your earlier posts, recommending Talland, which would suit you well whatever your level of ability. I don't think Claire Lilley would be ideal for you in this intance, purely because i *THINK* she only has a couple of schoolmasters. I can't be certain about that so you might need to check.

Talland certainly has a huge indoor school and most flat lessons are held in there so you are covered whatever the weather :)
 
I've only had experience of Arrow (and it was a good few years ago) but it was tremendous. Lovely horses and Sue was fantastic. If I had the time and the money I'd definitely go back there.
 
Many thanks to those of you who support Arrow. It is a small centre so there is not a "hive of activity" in the indoor school but the teaching is very personal and on a 1-to-1 basis. However, I would add that Arrow is not a competition centre but rather a centre that specialises in focussing on the riders influence on the horse
To quote my mentor Erik Herbermann:
"The horse already knows how to be a horse, the task of horsemanship lies entirely with the rider"

I hope this helps with choosing a centre that suits the purpose.
 
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