Choosing a Riding School

Choosing a riding school can be difficult, especially for the first time rider. There are two organisations here in the UK that set the standards for riding schools. They are the Association of British Riding Schools (ABRS) and the British Horse Society (BHS). Animal Friends Equine Insurance recommends that you choose a riding school that is approved by either of these organisations - that way you will be assured that the trainers are appropriately licensed and so is the school.

Most riding schools offer a variety of lessons including private, which is just you and the instructor. Semi-private instruction is where two or three people are taught at the same time. The prices vary and private lessons are generally more expensive than group ones. If you are a first time rider you might want to consider getting private lessons. This is because you may learn a lot more by being taught alone instead of in a group. Also look into getting rider insurance from a horse insurance specialist.

Riding school facilities also vary and you have a choice of indoor or outdoor riding schools. Which type you choose is up to you and it is always a good idea to check out a riding school in person before you start taking lessons. This way you will get a feel to what the school is going to be like. The place should be tidy and well organised at the very least.

One thing to remember is that you will probably be very sore after your first lesson. It is recommended that you keep your first lesson to half an hour at most. You will be using muscles you never even knew you had! Just be prepared for some aching for the first day or two. This will only last until you have had a few lessons and your muscles get used to being in the riding position.

Proper riding lessons with a qualified instructor are definately a good idea, especially if you are a first time rider. A school can teach you the proper way to mount, ride and dismount. You will get experience riding whilst having someone there to help if something goes wrong. Horses are large and powerful animals; even an experienced handler can sometimes get hurt. For this reason especially you should make sure that you have some form of equine insurance in place before starting to ride.

Do you have any advice for our readers on how to become a better horse rider? Perhaps you run a riding school and would like to be listed in our resources pages? Animal Friends Equine Insurance would love to hear what you have to say.