Join the Equestrian Club!

Hi everyone!

My name's Saskia and I'm currently Treasurer of Edinburgh University Equestrian Club. We've noticed that there's been some interest in the club on here; please check out all the information on our profile and feel free to ask any questions about horse riding at Edinburgh :-)

Reply 1

imamum

Hi! We do have a few questions : When are the lessons? How do you get to and from the club? Are the horses/ponies well behaved?

Reply 2

EdinEquestrian

OP

Original post by imamum

Hi! We do have a few questions : When are the lessons? How do you get to and from the club? Are the horses/ponies well behaved?

Lessons run on Wednesday afternoons and Thursday evenings, with the possibility of an extra lesson on Tuesday evening; our exact timetable will be confirmed by Freshers' Week.

Lesson groups meet outside the Informatics Building in George Square and someone in your lesson will drive you out to the stables.

As horses are obviously unpredictable animals, they're not going to be perfectly behaved but that's part of the fun and challenge of riding! However, everyone is thoroughly assessed to place them in the correct ability level as safety is of paramount importance. We make sure that suitable horses are used for each lesson level, and I can assure you that you won't be put on anything you can't handle! I can honestly say that Kingsbarn has some of the best horses I've ever come across, from the safe and steady novice ponies to the top level eventers. However, our beginner and pre-novice lessons are being moved to a new facility (tbc) for the coming year as Kingsbarn doesn't have that many ponies suitable for those levels. :smile:

Reply 3

imamum

Thanks alot. Where would that new facility be based?

Reply 4

EdinEquestrian

OP

Original post by imamum

Thanks alot. Where would that new facility be based?

No problem! We haven't quite decided yet, but our options are all in or near Edinburgh and accessible by bus as it can be a struggle to find drivers for those levels.

Reply 5

elebuughoti

Are there fees for doing the lessons? :smile:

Reply 6

linda helena

13

Hey, I've added the equestrian club on Facebook and enjoyed the many videos you guys upload on there! :biggrin:

Just one question, is there an emphasis on jumping lessons for the higher levels? I don't see much on the page about dressage lessons but surely you have those too?

Reply 7

EdinEquestrian

OP

Original post by elebuughoti

Are there fees for doing the lessons? :smile:

There are indeed. Membership is £30 for the year or £20 for a semester, which helps us offer lessons at a massive discount compared to if you were to go directly to the equestrian centre. Each lesson is £9 for a non-driver or £22 for a non-driver, which includes petrol money.

Reply 8

EdinEquestrian

OP

Original post by linda helena

Hey, I've added the equestrian club on Facebook and enjoyed the many videos you guys upload on there! :biggrin:

Just one question, is there an emphasis on jumping lessons for the higher levels? I don't see much on the page about dressage lessons but surely you have those too?

Excellent, there are some hilarious moments in those videos!

Lessons at every level alternate between dressage and jumping on a weekly basis. For example, Wednesday intermediate will be jumping while Thursday intermediate is dressage, then the next week it will swap round. However, there's no obligation to ride every week or even to always ride in the same lesson. Some people prefer to only book into jumping lessons, but may eventually be told by the instructor that they do need to do flatwork occasionally!

We've been running a very reduced timetable since the exam period because most people have gone home, so every lesson has been jumping because most people, including our instructor, find it more fun than dressage! Lessons will go back to their usual rotation during the academic year.

Reply 9

linda helena

13

Haha yeah the videos are brilliant! I have to say the horses look really nice, far better than the typical riding school horses. Glad to hear you run dressage lessons too as I know most people are more interested in doing jumping. Do you normally get enough people to run advanced dressage lessons every/every other week?

Original post by EdinEquestrian

Excellent, there are some hilarious moments in those videos!

Lessons at every level alternate between dressage and jumping on a weekly basis. For example, Wednesday intermediate will be jumping while Thursday intermediate is dressage, then the next week it will swap round. However, there's no obligation to ride every week or even to always ride in the same lesson. Some people prefer to only book into jumping lessons, but may eventually be told by the instructor that they do need to do flatwork occasionally!

We've been running a very reduced timetable since the exam period because most people have gone home, so every lesson has been jumping because most people, including our instructor, find it more fun than dressage! Lessons will go back to their usual rotation during the academic year.

Reply 10

koen09

Hi!

I would like to know do I have to buy all the equipment myself before joinning the club? How much is it going to be? I saw on your facebook page that sometimes the members of the club only wear a helmet for protection - is that enough? I am worried that I might get seriously injured if I fall off a horse... Thanks :smile:

Reply 11

EdinEquestrian

OP

Original post by linda helena

Haha yeah the videos are brilliant! I have to say the horses look really nice, far better than the typical riding school horses. Glad to hear you run dressage lessons too as I know most people are more interested in doing jumping. Do you normally get enough people to run advanced dressage lessons every/every other week?

They are fantastic horses; I've been to about eight riding schools and these are by far the best! There will definitely be at least one advanced lesson a week, hopefully two, so at least a fortnightly advanced dressage lesson. Everyone is assessed in both flatwork and jumping before being put into the appropriate level. Can I ask what your riding experience is? Have you done any competing? :smile:

Reply 12

EdinEquestrian

OP

Original post by koen09

Hi!

I would like to know do I have to buy all the equipment myself before joinning the club? How much is it going to be? I saw on your facebook page that sometimes the members of the club only wear a helmet for protection - is that enough? I am worried that I might get seriously injured if I fall off a horse... Thanks :smile:

Hi! You absolutely don't need to buy a lot of equipment. Most people have their own hat but you can borrow one for free from the riding school if you prefer. It's possible to buy one online for about £20, but make sure you go to a reputable retailer. Try www.robinsonsequestrian.com or www.rideaway.co.uk.

You do, however, need a pair of boots with a small heel (for safety), something like this: http://www.robinsonsequestrian.com/riding-apparel-1/footwear/jodhpur-boots/daily-jodhpur-boot.html. You might have something suitable already, but ideally you want support around your ankle. It's possible to get jodhpur boots for under £20.

Most people ride in jodhpurs (such as http://www.robinsonsequestrian.com/riding-apparel-1/everyday-riding/jodhpurs/robust-jodhpur.html) but you can wear tracksuit bottoms or similar soft trousers (not jeans!) to avoid chafing.

Gloves are also very useful, though many people prefer not to wear them. These would be perfectly adequate: http://www.robinsonsequestrian.com/riding-apparel-1/everyday-riding/gloves/cotton-grip-gloves.html.

Riding is a high risk sport and there's always a chance of injury, though of course all the necessary precautions are taken to minimise the risk. For extra safety, you can wear a body protector. I personally don't ride without mine, but a lot of people have never worn one or just wear one for jumping. These are quite expensive, starting at £80 (http://www.robinsonsequestrian.com/riding-apparel-1/safety/body-protectors/outlyne-body-protector.html). Can I assume that you haven't done much riding before? If you're just starting out, it'll be a while before you're jumping and riding more challenging horses, so on that basis I would say you don't absolutely need a body protector. However, it's what you're comfortable with that matters. As tempting as it is to go on a shopping spree, I'd recommend waiting to make sure that riding is definitely for you first :smile:

Reply 13

linda helena

13

That sounds great, thanks a lot! :smile:

I've been riding for over 20 years, have always had my own horses and used to compete in both dressage (equivalent to BD elementary level I think) and show jumping and I did a bit of eventing too when I was younger. I stopped competing about 13 years ago though and didn't ride at all for a few years, but picked it up again at uni a few years ago (I did my undergrad degree as a mature student and I'm going to Edinburgh for a Masters) and was on the York university equestrian team for a year. I'm not too keen on jumping though so think I'd like to stick to dressage lessons. :smile:

Original post by EdinEquestrian

They are fantastic horses; I've been to about eight riding schools and these are by far the best! There will definitely be at least one advanced lesson a week, hopefully two, so at least a fortnightly advanced dressage lesson. Everyone is assessed in both flatwork and jumping before being put into the appropriate level. Can I ask what your riding experience is? Have you done any competing? :smile:

Reply 14

EdinEquestrian

OP

Original post by linda helena

That sounds great, thanks a lot! :smile:

I've been riding for over 20 years, have always had my own horses and used to compete in both dressage (equivalent to BD elementary level I think) and show jumping and I did a bit of eventing too when I was younger. I stopped competing about 13 years ago though and didn't ride at all for a few years, but picked it up again at uni a few years ago (I did my undergrad degree as a mature student and I'm going to Edinburgh for a Masters) and was on the York university equestrian team for a year. I'm not too keen on jumping though so think I'd like to stick to dressage lessons. :smile:

Oh wow! I was hoping to persuade you to trial for teams... then I read the last sentence! Well, if you change your mind, let us know. If not, there are some great dressage horses at Kingsbarn for you to enjoy :smile:

Reply 15

arina162

11

Hey,

hopefully this thread is still open :smile:

I'd love to start riding again (have been riding as a child but that was by now 15 years ago :colondollar:

). Is it possible to take lessons or courses as a complete beginner? Essentially I am a completely new to it - have only been riding one day ever since...

Do you still have the same rates for 2013?

Thank you! :smile:

Reply 16