7 Ways to keep your Riding School clients coming back for more (and telling their friends!)

04 DEC 2025

What your customers want from your riding centre.

In a unique position to find out what really matters to Equestrian Centres’ clients, EC Pro ran a snapshot survey mid 2025 over a 3-day period to find out what makes people come back for more. A staggering 1,600 people took part. Our goal was simple: to help Equestrian Centres understand what really matters to their clients and the challenges they face. Use this jam-packed, informative blog to support your marketing goals for 2026 and beyond.

1. More than just a riding lesson

We discovered nearly 60% want new riding experiences. Branching out beyond a traditional riding lesson. Build loyalty and long-term engagement by offering more variety.

Our centres have embraced ideas like:

Test them out with a group of loyal clients and see what your alternative ‘thing’ could be.

2. Memberships

44% of people attend lessons weekly and 19% attend a couple times a month. What can you do to keep these participants coming back to you and more regularly?

Memberships create belonging, loyalty, the feeling of being part of something special. It is a chance to turn casual clients into loyal advocates who stay, spend, and spread the word.

84% said they would join a membership, whether this is for behind the scenes of the riding centre, extra training or even priority booking. Incentives like discounts, exclusive content or horse sponsorships could appeal.

With EC Pro you can create flexible membership models that fit your centre whether that’s:

Subscriptions can be taken automatically. Less time chasing payments and more time teaching.

3. What are your clients' goals?

Well, lots! And perhaps, not surprisingly, they told us they wanted to:

They aren’t just chasing ribbons, people want to feel capable, confident and supported. Showing clear progression, giving honest feedback as well as next steps will help you stand out.

One way EC Pro enables you to show your clients’ progression is with learning goals. As the instructor you can update ability and achievements and as a client, mounted or unmounted, you have visibility of your progress, see where you are heading and what you need to do, helping build confidence and the desire to keep going.

See how Learning Goals can help your participants track their progress- BOOK A DEMO

4. How do you keep your clients coming back?

They want to have:

Showing Loyalty works like a good partnership with a horse, it's built on trust, nurtured through care and attention, and strengthened every time you show up for each other.

Having the right team makes all the difference, staff who help your participants progress and feel confident while also prioritising your horse's care makes participants return. Great staff are your biggest asset and despite rising wages their value is clear to see.

5. Transparency

Horse welfare in the equestrian community is central to any discussion about Equestrian Centres and 68% of participants would be interested to see how their riding centre is run. Being open with this kind of transparency can build loyalty and trust and have a wider-reaching impact on the community. We recommend you try hosting Open days; behind-the-scenes tours or even allowing subscribing members exclusive access to digital and/or physical content showcasing animal care and routines. These all go a long way to build knowledge and show the real story at your centre.

6. Biggest Barriers participants face?

Cost - but only 66% saying this was their main challenge.

Work-life balance and time were close with 47% saying this had stopped them coming as much as they’d like.

Interesting too that 17% said it was their own confidence was preventing them. One to ponder.

How can a centre help clients overcome their barriers and keep coming back?

Options like multibuy will give participants discounts on lessons while providing centres with upfront payment. Use EC Pro’s demand calculator to highlight which lessons and times are most popular and adjust your schedule accordingly.

Running clinics on ‘confidence with horses’, both ridden and, on the ground, will encourage people to take part more frequently.

7. Clients know there are challenges you face

Rising costs and overheads - 86%
Finding and keeping good instructors - 51%
Lack of funding or support - 38%
Access to land and facilities - 36%

How can you help clients help you?

Your clients are recognising the challenges you have as they reflect their personal ones.

Centres that can reach out from within the community and keep it personal but easy to book, change, and offer a variety of options for all budgets. Don’t forget there are untapped grant resources in most counties. Apply for funding. EC Pro offers numerous reports to help with gaining grants and funding. Call us to discuss.

Increase your online presence, nearly half (47%) of those surveyed found their current centre online through Google searches and social media. Having an informative website and engaging social media will help you boost new and maintain current customers with 44% saying they enjoy following their centres through their socials.

When you have EC Pro you have a secure website, templated and tailored to your business with your logo and branding which is SEO optimised to ensure you are found on Google.

Why does this all matter?

If you want to maintain what you have, grow where you can or start a new venture, you need to know who your customers are and what they are looking for.

This research tells us what’s in the heart of the customer, what they need from their experience at a centre, what they are willing to pay for and what they are looking to gain from their partnership with you and your wonderful horses.

And with 91% saying that online booking is extremely helpful, allowing bookings to be made at times that suit clients it’s hard to ignore the vital role technology can play. That’s benefiting the horse, the client and sustaining your business.

Take Away’s to Implement Today: