Why Should I Use a Riding School?
The Value of a Good Centre in Learning to Ride Horses
Oct 10, 2009
Some people may query the value of paying for lessons from a centre like this, which can look quite expensive. They may feel that they are better off being taught by a friend or relative on their horse for much less. This article explores the advantages of using a quality Riding School, and explains why this is likely to be the best possible way to start horse riding correctly.
Insurance
Riding is a high risk sport and a reputable school will have insurance to cover any serious accidents to its clientele. If you were to be hurt in an informal lesson, would the person teaching you have the insurance to cover a lengthy hospital stay and any enforced time off work? Worse still, what of a permanent injury like paralysis, or even death? The effects on your family could be devastating, and without comprehensive insurance, they could end up struggling to care for you, or themselves. Good Riding Centres will be fully insured for the worst, and offer you the most protection. It’s a grim point to consider, but vitally important.
A Horse Suitable for Beginners
Not every horse is well suited to being a beginner rider’s first mount, even if its owner thinks it is! A horse an experienced rider finds easy can be anything but for a learner. A sensitive horse will respond very badly to mixed signals and could even resort to bucking or shying to show his objections - dangerous when the rider is still getting his balance. A smart and lazy horse will take advantage quickly and make the whole experience an ordeal. When using a Riding School you will be assigned the ideal partner for your level of learning, a horse which is safe, tolerant and can give you confidence. And in terms of potential equine partners the Riding Centre has another big plus.
More Than One Horse to Partner
The vast majority of Riding Schools will have more than one horse which you can ride. This may not seem like a big deal to you right now, but if you only ever ride one horse, you will only learn how to ride that one horse. Like people, every horse is an individual, with its own quirks, weak areas and talents. You could find yourself really struggling if you only try to ride a different horse years later. What if the horse you are working with becomes sick or lame? This could result in an enforced gap of months in your riding lessons, which will put you back considerably. At a Riding School lessons would continue with another horse, helping you to carry on improving. Regular consistent sessions are vital when you start learning to ride.
Teaching Competence and Professionalism
Being able to ride does not automatically mean a person can teach someone else how to do it. The person offering to teach you could end up muttering incomprehensible statements at you, screaming in panic if something goes wrong or even losing his temper! It takes experience, training and confidence to be a good instructor. A good instructor can explain what he means or show you so you understand, be patient and be encouraging.
You are most likely to find a good instructor at a good Riding School. A professional instructor is there to do a job and you are less likely to take his criticism personally. Anyone who has taken driving lessons from a parent will tell you how difficult it is to take instruction but not take offense from a relative! The same can be true from a friendship, trying to take orders from a close pal can be very hard and can result in a falling out! There’s a lot to be said for learning from someone you meet only on a formal basis to teach you riding as opposed to learning from a family member or friend with whom you live and interact with outside of your lessons.
Facilities
Most Riding Schools have dedicated and specially designed arenas that will not deteriorate into heavy mud when the weather is wet and force lessons to be cancelled, as informal lessons conducted in fields can often be. As we have already stated, regular lessons are very important when you start out, and Riding School facilities will usually allow lessons to go on in all but the roughest of weather. In addition as you learn and turn your hand to such disciplines as dressage, show jumping and eventing, a Riding School will have the space and the equipment to give you suitable practice in these areas, where a single person offering lessons on his horse may not.
Despite the greater costs of lessons with Riding Schools, they have a great deal to offer the beginner rider, and are the ideal places to start learning the right way.
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