Has anyone done anintensive riding course?

M

Murphs

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Oct 22, 2000
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Pembrokeshire, West Wales
I've been thinking about this for sometime but "faking it" has inspired me todo something about it! Has anyone done an intensive course for the rider to learn & improve flatwork and jumping skills on schoolmaster horses- if so can you recommend anywhere?

Thanks
 
Hi Murphs

I did a 5 day intensive riding course a few years ago at The Equestrian Centre near Wrexham. I did the course with Yvonne Kerr who is a BHSI and I found out about her as she was doing a series of articles for one of the horse magazines as a top trainer so I decided to have a go. I've been riding for quite a few years and have owned my own horse now for over 13 years. She's my first horse and was 4ish when I bought her (with me being a very novice owner - I know - the blind leading the blind !):D :D

Anyhow, it was 3 hours of instruction a day - 2 hours of flatwork and then 1 of jumping in the afternoon. All I can say is that it was FANTASTIC!!! To anyone who owns their own horse, you get into a rut as you get used to your horse's problems and little ways, and your horse gets used to yours. I was a bit of a wimpy rider, always taking my time and not doing things because I didn't think I wanted to do them. You didn't have the choice with Yvonne! The place was great to stay. En-suite rooms, good food in the dining room and very friendly people on the course.

When I got back my Instructor really noticed the difference (and probably wishes I'd go there every year!) To ride different horses does give you much more confidence - also, I guess I hadn't really realised how much I'd improved anyway with having my own horse and I do have a good Instructor of my own who gets on with me and practically loves my horse as much as me!

Well, I guess all this boils down to is - GO FOR IT! I think doing an intensive course cannot help but improve you as instead of riding once a week for an hour (if you go to a riding school) or even riding your own horse, riding lots of different horses over a period of 5 days or so does really improve you. The prices at The Equestrian Centre are really reasonable too. I think they've got their own website as well. There are other places, like Talland, etc. but I think you'll be paying an awful lot more money. Of course, I did the NR seminar with Heather 2 years ago and that was just BRILL - but that's another story!

Judy
 
Judy thanks! I was looking at this place as they also now have Sarah Skelton as an instructor.I've had my own horse for two years and we mostly hack out - i want to jump and she doesn't want to, so i need to learn on a schoolmaster so i know what i'm doing and i can then encourage her. Presume Heathers course is ona different theme to this one(i'dl iketo know more - can you pm me?). Definitely sounds like i've found my christmas present!
 
Magnús Larasson is the chap I have done intensive courses with, 4 days of instruction all on the flat.

He specialises in gaited horses but does big "ordinary gaited" horses too. He holds clinics in Scotland and England ( Salisbury) twice a year.
 
Hi Murphs!

I too went on a few courses at the Equestrian Centre in Wrexham. They were fab. The accommodation and food are great and the instruction was first class.

I rode loads of different horses and my riding improved a lot. I haven't been back for many years but I'd love to save up and take me and Lizzie there!
 
thanksfor the replies- i've looked at various courses and content and think that wrexham looks ideal for me, so need to sweet talk hubby and hopefully get to go early next year!
 
I've been there twice this year and really enjoyed it both times!!!

The instructors are all really nice, and the horses are great! On the other hand the food is so good you could easily come home fatter than when you started:)!

They are really struggling at the moment, due to the WTC bombing (all the Americans are now too scared to fly), so they are even doing adults courses at the childrens rate for the rest of the year, and I think they are knocking 15 pound off a day during Feb/March......

I think you would find it hard to beat 295 for 5 days full board, riding 3 hours a day!

www.equestrian-centre.co.uk and click special offers.

Have fun
 
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Please advise where is Wrexham? Can't find it on a map of the U.K. and their web site assumes one knows where it is in order to drive there. The rates sound fabulous but I would be flying from New York so need to know the closest airport and such to see if this is feasable.
 
MSP & Judy - thanks for the info & link

I've been thinking for a while that I'd really like to do an intensive course to consolidate what I've done and push a bit further. The price reduction just makes that place even more tempting.

I've just had a look around the Equestrian Centre website and it does look very good; excellent value too (just that amount of riding time at Wellington would be 50 quid more and this place will feed me & give me somewhere to sleep too!)

I think I'll give them a call tomorrow and see about a 5 day course in March. Maybe I'd be ready for some beginner jumping by then ha ha :)

Paul
 
My wife and I did Wrexham last year. Excellent quality teaching (on the whole).

My wife did 7 days dressage and some SJ.

I did D, SJ, and lots of XC. The XC was particularly good, as they took us through how to jump each type of fence before getting us to put it all together at the end of the week.

Lots of fun and a real boost to your ability.
 
No hanging around here :D

Phoned Wrexham , talked things through with the chap there (Mike) about where I'm learning, what I've done so far and what I'd like to do during the week, and booked!

Yay - I'm off on March 17th for 5 days riding.

I also told him about NR too - he did ask where I first saw the place mentioned. I said he'd had some good reviews from people here. He hadn't been here before but said he'd have a look around.

Looking forward to it :D

Paul
 
Well done Paul. Talk about getting the bit between your teeth!! The fact that you ride lots of different horses and have between 2 - 3 hours of lessons a day really improves you and gives you lots of confidence. The only thing I did notice was towards the fifth day, after the first 2 hours of riding I really didn't want to do the last hour. Luckily for me one of the girls on my course had taken her own horse and she was tired by the end of the five days so I got off the school horse and she put her own horse back in the stable and rode my school horse for the last 20 - 30 minutes or so. I was perfectly happy :D

That's the great thing about the place, they are very friendly and you really can do what suits you. Over dinner, the talk really flows (about horses of course) and as the alcohol is very reasonable, you do tend to get to bed very late!

Have a great time and let us know how it went.

Judy
 
Wrexham - approx 20 miles South of Chester, which is about 45 miles West of Manchester. Now you are touching my neck of the woods! :D

I don't know much about that school myself, except for the fact that I've seen some of their adverts which keep boasting about winning some award for being the best school in Britain withing the past two years. Can't be too bad a choice then! :)
Although this may be unwarranted and unwholly inaccurate of the school itself, the Chester/ Cheshire (including the border areas) is well known for having a very strong posh snob culture.
As I said, there is a very good chance that you won't get any trouble and I'm sure you would have noticed any such arrogance if you were going to get any, when you spoke to him on the phone.
 
Originally posted by msp
it would be difficult to find someone more down to earth and less snobby than Mike (the owner)!
Click to expand...
I agree 100%. When I called I spoke to Mike for about 20 minutes - he's a very pleasant chap and seems really keen to make sure that people going there know exactly what they should expect, and that they get the absolute most out of it. I am so looking forward to it - it'll be my birthday present from me :D

Paul
 
Msp,

We actually found Mike to be a bit of a an odd chap and didn't really get along with him - but we got along with everyone else - and the local pubs turned into quite late social occasions. Some people were still sat in them...well...erm...beyond closing time.

Over dinner was where most conversation took place and everyone made an effort to talk to everyone else.
 
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