Image above: Lodge Zumba
the equine professionals of the future.
Young Equestrians at Merseysidebased Lodge Riding Centre swapped
their boots for trainers when they kicked
off their Young Equestrians group with
a high energy Zumba session led by
riding instructor and Zumba coach,
Jade Taylor. “They’re at that age when
everything’s changing. It’s important for
us to do things that are a bit different.”
commented Jade. “Zumba helps with
fitness and body awareness which they
need in their riding, but it’s also about
confidence which they need too.”
Image below: Park Lane Stables Mock Hunt
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Since the launch, the group have tried
a range of other new activities, including
hacking and taster sessions of vaulting,
racing and polocrosse; disciplines they
may not have had the opportunity to
explore had it not been for the Young
Equestrians scheme.
Rider fitness was also on the agenda
for the first session at Horseshoes Riding
School, Kent, where over 20 Young
Equestrians were treated to a Pilates
session. The group were shown exercises
to develop their suppleness, core
strength and balance to help improve
their riding position and make them
more stable in the saddle.
The Horseshoes group expressed a
wish to improve their riding through
Young Equestrians, so the first step along
this path was to invite local dressage and
event rider and trainer Alex Wyatt to
hold a session. Alex led an interesting
and inspiring lesson which introduced
the riders to the Scales of Training;
an internationally recognised method
of training horses by building on six
elements, ensuring that the first is in
place before the horse is ready to work
on the next.
Goal setting workshops, lessons with
guest instructors and a range of different
disciplines are next on the list for the
Young Equestrians at Horseshoes, where
Yard Manager Sophie Byfield feels the
scheme is a fantastic opportunity for
teenagers to explore the wide variety
of activities available to horse lovers.
Sophie said: “Young Equestrians will give
riders the opportunity to broaden their
knowledge and experiences outside of
their normal environment. The scheme
will help to highlight the positives in
choosing an equine career in the future.”
Young Equestrians at Park Lane
Stables, Teddington, meet once a
week for an hour of riding instruction
Everything Horse Magazine • Issue 26• November 2015