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Looking for a Riding School?
Becky Snarey

Although I am only a young rider, I know how tough it can be to find a good riding school. Unless we are lucky enough to know someone who can teach us to ride we all have to have lessons at some point or another. I have had riding lessons for four and a half years before I was allowed to have a pony.

If you have only limited knowledge of riding then it can be tricky to know what to look for in a riding school. I am going to try to help you begin to understand what to look for in a riding school.

Firstly you must try to speak to local horsy people, they often have a good knowledge of the schools in the area and will tell you which ones are good and which ones to avoid. Now that you have a few names of schools that are supposed to be good you can narrow the amount down by ringing them up and asking a few questions. Make sure they have qualified teachers and are up to date with their licence to run a riding school. Next ask about the lessons themselves, what they consist of and how long they are. You can find out if they have horses for you to ride so you don't have to bring one.

Once you've done this you will have a short list of probably 2 or 3 riding schools that may suit you and your needs. Your next step is to visit the schools, take a look around and watch a lesson with riders who are at the same level that you will be starting at.

When you get there, take a look at the horses, do they look well cared for, are the stables clean? Make sure the horse's coats are shiny and they are interested in what is going on around them. Check that the tack they use is clean and in good condition. Assess the yard itself, is it clean and tidy? If not it could be a sign or sloppiness or laziness, this may also then be the case in your lessons so it is possible that this school might not be for you.

After all this there isn't much else you can check apart from the lessons. First watch a novice lesson, see how the riders are treated by the instructor. Do all the riders look happy and confident? If so this is a sign of a good lesson and a good instructor. Next watch a lesson at a higher level, maybe a jumping lesson. Again look at the riders, are they happy, do they look as though they are being stretched to reach higher targets or do they look as though they have been doing the same thing for a while? You don't want to progress to a good level but then get stuck in a rut through lack of good teaching.

As you may spend quite some time at the school it may be worth looking to see what other facilities there are like toilets and changing area or refreshments.

It would also be worthwhile to enquire about visitors safety at the school. Are there adequate fire extinguishers?, are there adequate medical facilities?, is there a member of staff with appropriate First Aid knowledge, are they fully insured for third party liability?

By now you've probably decided which school is the best for you, all you can do now is take that first lesson and keep an eye on the way you and they horse your on are treated.

Have a great time at your riding school. I loved it and it is an experience that I feel every rider, no mater how good should have. There's always something else you can learn!

Becky is a regular Stabletalk visitor.

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