Saddle Up In The London City Centre

Horses are beautiful creatures and many of us have always dreamed of owning our very own pony. What better way to make your childhood dreams come true than to enrol in horse riding classes?

The Full Package

The first thing that every budding riding enthusiast should know is that a horse is more than just a mode of transport – horses are sensitive creatures that should be treated with respect and cared for. The best horse riding classes include lessons on grooming, exercising, feeding and mucking out horses, because building a bond with your steed can be as rewarding as learning to ride like a pro.

Alternatively, if you’re interested in buying a horse but don’t know where you could keep such an animal in the city, it’s possible to house it at a livery stable instead of at your own house. Equestrian centres such as those at Mudchute Farm on the Isle of Dogs offer livery services on the condition that they can teach lessons with your horse for up to ten hours a week. This is a great cost effective way to own a horse in the city without travelling miles to see it or hiding it in your own back garden.

Specialty Classes

Once you’ve mastered the basics of riding, it’s possible to take advanced classes in a specialty area of equestrian sport. Basic riding lessons usually involve going out on hacks through the woods or the more rural areas of London, or take place within the confines of a school. However, it’s also possible to learn how to do show jumping or cross country if you’re interested in a more dramatic experience. Kingston Riding Centre is one of many equestrian centres that have specific cross country lessons that teach you how to jump with your horse and navigate rural terrain. Dressage is another option, which involves perfecting riding techniques to the point that you and your horse are working in complete harmony. Horses sense your movement in the saddle and react accordingly, which is how dressage champions can make their horses perform complex manoeuvres without seeming to move a muscle.

The Pony Club

If your little darlings are chanting the familiar ‘buy me a pony’ catch phrase, perhaps the easiest and most economic solution is to enrol them in one of the many Pony Clubs in London, held at various farms and stables. Once they’ve learnt the basics of equestrian etiquette, Pony Club events involve friendly competitions within the club and with other clubs, and foster a healthy competitive spirit in the children who ride in it. There’s such an enthusiastic team spirit at Pony Clubs that your kids are bound to make firm friends with other young riders – although that might mean that suddenly they’re talking about horses 24–7. But at least you’re not expected to wake up at 6am to muck out their beloved pony for them.

If you’re not sure whether riding will come naturally to you, try taking a non-member hack through the woodlands near Wimbledon village with Wimbledon Village Stables. They send you out with a trained riding instructor who will give you the courage you might need to take the first step into an enjoyable and rewarding hobby that you wouldn’t assume was possible in the centre of London!

Kingston Riding Centre has a website at: http://www.kingstonridingcentre.com/riding.html.

Find more information on Wimbledon Village Stables here: http://www.wvstables.com/index.htm, including prices and how to book non-member hacks.

Sam is a freelance article writer who lives and works in the UK and specialises in creative writing and fiction.