The Grove Riding School

Open Tuesday to Sunday all year round for both Adults and Children.

For all those new to riding this is a very helpful guide from the Association of British Riding Schools  ABRS Guide

Tots Trots

For the very young or those wanting a taste of riding we offer Tots Trots - a trip through fields and woods for 20 minutes on a pony with leaders and parents. 

We start 'formal' lessons from 6 years old on our half hour groups and they progress through the following stages:

Lead Rein

This is the first stage of learning to ride, we like to take our time over this one to make sure all the basic skills are in place before you move on but it should still be fun!

• Introducing the classical position
  
• Know how to ask the pony to walk on using the correct aids.
• Walk with a Leader
• Know how to ask your pony to halt using the correct aids
• Safely dismount
• Know parts of the saddle and bridle
• Mount correctly and safely
• Walk without a leader
• Know how to ask your pony to turn left and right
• Know the correct aids to ask your pony to trot
• Know the correct aids to ride from trot to walk
• Then to progress, as well as all the above you will need to:
• Be able to mount with only minimal assistance
• Be able to check your own girth and stirrups once mounted
• Ride on the track in walk without a leader
• Be balanced and secure in both sitting and rising trot
• Dismount and prepare your pony to be led
• Lead your pony back to bed

• Off Lead Rein

  This is the next bit, where you will concentrate on how to control your pony without help from a leader but with an experienced rider to follow.

  • Ride some simple school figures such as 20m circles and changes of rein
  • Ride rear file to lead file
  • Know how to shorten and lengthen the reins
  • Know about artificial aids and how to use them
  • Learn about trotting diagonals
  • More points of the saddle and bridle
  • Some points of the horse
  • Exercises for the rider to improve position
  • Ride in walk without stirrups
  • Then to progress you will need to be able to:
  • Start to show knowledge of some horsey terms e.g. fore and hind
  • Collect your pony from the stable safely and correctly
  • Check the stirrups and girth from the ground and adjust them yourself
  • Mount from the ground and from a mounting block
  • Maintain a safe distance from the pony in front at all times
  • As lead file ride a figure of eight in walk and trot
  • As lead file ride a change of rein in walk and trot
  • Recognise the correct trot diagonal
  • Prepare your pony to be led back to the stable
  • Return the pony to the stable ready to be untacked

   

  Open Order 

  Now it starts to get interesting! In this stage you will need to control your pony without following. Most of the exercises will be ones you already know except this time you will be on your own.

  • Learn about the tack and how it should fit
  • Be able to tack up in simple tack
  • Carry a short whip at all times
  • Ride more school figures including some more changes of rein
  • Start to think about the sequence of legs in walk and trot
  • Rules of the school
  • Untacking
  • Learn the reasons behind the exercises we do
  • To get to the next stage we need to:
  • Tack and untack correctly and safely
  • Ride without stirrups safely and in a balanced way in walk and trot through circles and turns
  • Ride consistently on the correct diagonal and change through changes of rein
  • Demonstrate good knowledge of the rules of riding in open order and be able to ride safely without disrupting the other riders
  • Know when to turn away
  • Know the school markers
  • Be able to change a short whip on each change of rein

   

   

  Learn to Canter 

  Learn to Canter - anyone  want to guess what you learn in this one? 

Building on the previous lessons we now move on to hour lessons

learn about warm up for horse and rider

introduce canter transitions

canter in a balanced seat with reins in both hands

learn more school figures

improve position and feel

start hacking

canter without stirrups

• To get to the next stage we need to:
• Canter 20m circles
• ride transitions trot - canter - trot without stirrups
• know canter leads
• begin lateral work

Advanced

Once the above have been mastered we have various stages of advanced lessons depending on ability and preference

This will include learning to jump SJ and XC but will also look to advance the riders skill on the flat

The aim is to be able to be competent enough to compete should you wish and to be able to own your own horse