Six of the best things about riding schools

Anyone who’s ever had a riding lesson will know that riding schools are magical places. They’re where most of us first fell in love with horses – and for that reason, they occupy a special place in our hearts. And for good reason, for riding schools have all THIS to offer…

1.    The atmosphere. 

The moment you set foot in the yard, you’re transported to a world far away from work or school. Listen to the sound of horses munching hay quietly in their stables, sniff that lovely smell of leather in the tackroom – and relax.

2.    The trainers. 

You’ve got to admire someone who actively *chooses* a job that mainly involves standing in a freezing cold arena shouting “MORE LEG.” And the weird thing is, even when rain is driving horizontally into their faces, they’re still smiling and encouraging you to keep riding forward. Absolute legends, the lot of them.

3.    Your mates. 

Your riding school pals are the ones you text last thing at night “fancy a hack tomorrow” and who will always be there for you to pull you out of the arena sand after yet another “rider error”! You know you’ve got a friend for life when they always make sure the riding school biscuit tin is stocked with HobNobs (see below) and you’ve laughed, cried and groomed with them – not to mention working as a tag team to catch stubborn ponies who really don’t want to come in from the field for a dressage lesson.

4.    Free workout. 

Who needs the gym when you’ve got horses to look after? By the time you’ve chased Snowy round the field, brought him in, groomed him and tacked up, you’re panting like Mo Farrah after the London Marathon – and frankly you know how he feels. And that’s before your hack’s even started – oh, and didn’t you offer to muck out afterwards, too? OK, so you might not get buns (or guns) of steel like Scarlett Johansson’s in the Avengers – but hey, yours are pretty impressive all the same!

5.    The biscuits.

The “petrol” that keeps any yard ticking over, you can tell the quality of a riding school by what’s in the yard biscuit tin. If you find the good stuff in there – chocolate HobNobs or even the Holy Grail of biscuits, the Oreo – then sign up for lifelong lessons immediately.

6.    The horses.

Ah, the horses – those wonderful, beautiful, mischievous creatures, without which our lives would be so much emptier. Riding school horses are saintly creatures that are capable of popping round an 80cm course with an experienced rider in the morning then plodding out on a hack with a nervous novice in the afternoon, all without batting a hairy eyelid. You’ll remember the names of the horses you learned to ride on – whether that’s Betty and Patch or Rocky and Rio – until the day that you die.