What to expect on your first lesson
Your first lesson can be quite daunting, but don’t worry your instructor will explain all you need to know and will go at a pace that suits you. Listen to your instructor and don’t be scared to ask any questions if you don’t understand anything.
Park in the car park on the left and walk in past the metal gate towards the office using the pedestrian access. A member of staff should greet you, however at busy times you may have to wait a few minutes. They will explain where you need to go and what to do.
Please arrive early for your first lesson so that Rider Registration forms can be filled in and we can get you kitted up in the right equipment. While we have Safety Hats and Boots available for hire, you can help us out by wearing the appropriate clothing. See our What to Wear page for more information.
Family and Friends are welcome to come and watch but also need to wear sensible footwear and clothing especially in wet and cold weather. They may be asked to take umbrellas down as they can scare the horses. Photographs can be taken but just check with the instructor on the day if its ok. Please keep children supervised at all times and don’t let them run around. The stables is a dangerous place!
While we appreciate your kindness, please don’t feed any of the horses or animals any food or treats including carrots or apples. Some of the horses have allergies and illnesses that don’t allow them certain foods, but it can also cause them to become over weight or start biting.
Read all signs and stay away from horses with red signs. Some horses do and will bite hard, but more often than not the signs are there if the horse is new or nervous, having medical treatment or we just need people to stay way from them for another reason.
Riding is a high risk sport, and while we use animals that have a calm and placid nature they can be unpredictable, and accidents can occur. All Instructors are First Aid trained and are qualified to deal with a range of emergencies. If such an accident does occur, spectators are not to enter the riding area unless the instructor says so, as this can only add to the problem and actually cause more of a dangerous situation.
While on your lesson, if you don’t understand something or want to go over some thing again then just let your instructor know and we’ll be happy to do so. Last of all, we want you to enjoy yourself and have lots of fun! Happy Riding