Horse Riding Schools: How to Choose

Not everybody who has a desire to learn to ride is lucky enough to have their own horse; a lot of riders learn to ride at a horse riding school. These days riding schools often provide lessons for practically everybody; from the young beginner on the lead rein to the accomplished rider who aspires to compete. Horse riding schools have had some bad press over the years, but thanks to systems such as the BHS 'Where to Ride' scheme, most offer excellent services and care well for their horses.

So what should you be looking for when comparing schools? The first thing to check is how are the horses. If the horses are not well cared for, you should call an animal welfare group such as the RSPCA. Secondly you should meet the instructors. Go to a few schools and watch a couple of lessons at each. Do you like how the instructor teaches, does it makes sense to you? Is the instructor patient when their pupils make mistakes or don't understand something? What kind of teaching style do they have and is it coherent with your learning style? Imagine that you were in the lesson, would you be enjoying it and learning something?

You should also check the facilities offered by the ones that you visit. Indoor schools are great in the winter, so that is always a bonus. The outdoor school should be well drained and well lit. The arenas themselves should be a good size. A 20x40 arena might be ok for a private yard, but if you have 10 people in a class it can become a bit of a squeeze! If you will be riding straight after or before work or school, you might want to consider if the horse riding schools you are looking at have changing rooms. Some also have shower facilities.

Once you have a shortlist of suitable places to ride you should then begin to compare things such as the prices, the distance from your home, their policies (such as cancellation policy, insurance etc), are they registered with any societies such as BHS or ABRS, what qualifications and experience do the staff have. If you still can't decide on one particular riding school, why not book a lesson at each of them? Some also offer a taster lesson for free or a reduced price.

If you decide on a horse riding school, and after a few lessons it turns out that you are not getting on as well as you hoped, perhaps try another of the riding schools that made your shortlist. Also remember, that your needs change as you become more accomplished, so the riding school that was perfect for you as a beginner, might not be great once you become more advanced. Don't feel you have to stay at one place out of loyalty, if you really don't feel you are progressing, you should find a new instructor who can help you.

More information about choosing a riding school can be found in another of my articles here