We had a look into how much it costs to learn to ride at a riding school. We carried some online research into fees for individual riding schools and combined this with a bit of know-how from our
horse insurance experts in the office to gather up some top tips for getting a great service and standard of lesson for a competitive price.
Riding lessons can be costly - a 45-minute-long private riding lesson can set you back up to £75 in parts of the South. As with many things, there does appear to be quite a regional difference with prices of around £45 for a 45-minute private lesson in the North of the country.
When looking at how much group riding lessons cost there is a big difference. In the South we found prices for an hour-long group lesson are often between £35 and £48. In the North, we found hour-long group lessons from just £21. Something to remember – unless you have your own approved, kite marked riding hat, many riding schools will charge you somewhere in the region of £2 - £5 to hire a hat for the lesson.
To keep riding lessons as cost effective as possible there are many things worth considering. It is always important to make sure that the riding school you are using is fully registered, approved and has the correct
riding school insurance. This ensures that the instructors are fully qualified and horses will be appropriately schooled.
Consider a group lesson – not only will this save money, you may make new friends and even improve your learning experience. Watching other riders and listening to the comments the instructor makes can be very beneficial. A good instructor will also encourage riders to reflect on the way they are doing things. In a group environment this can be useful to everyone and improve the standard of riding across the group.
Traditionally for younger riders, but now widely available for all ages are day courses – also sometimes known as pony days. These days allow for time spent both riding and looking after the pony or horse. Some riding schools take this idea even further and offer week long riding camps. Per hour of riding these can often work out to be very cost effective.
Are you keen to do all your riding in an arena? Some riding schools offer the chance to hack out in the countryside – and maybe even the beach if the riding school is near the sea - with a mounted instructor in charge. Often, riding schools will put on a two-hour hack for around the same price as an hour-long group lesson in an arena. Not only do you get twice as long in the saddle – there are some amazing views to be had from horseback!
About SEIB
SEIB have been providing
insurance for horses for over 50 years. This experience allows us to tailor policies to suit your circumstances and ensure that you and your horses are covered should the worst happen. If you’d like advice on your insurance please call us on 01708 850000.
