Affordable Horse riding hacks ?

[ILoveHumanity]

Hi,

Does anyone know a cheap way to ride a horse ? Muck out stables ? Befriend private owners and volunteer ? Sponsor a pony?

I’m useless, have ridden horses twice without training, used to live next to a stable when a child, but the horses were wild so I was screaming from fear of falling.

I want to be able to get familiar with a horse, and get my child familiar too.. and not necessarily ride for first few lessons. Just want to be able to develop a connection. Then I want to figure out a way to ride horses on a budget

Currently just making ends meet so can’t afford to pay a lot. But will do some saving in the near future if something affordable

Honestly, there isn't really a 'cheap' way to get into it. If a place is significantly cheaper than anywhere else, I'd be questioning it. Remembering it's a dangerous sport and with that comes cost.

Some pony mad kids find stables where they can help in return for rides but those generally expect you to have some basic knowledge since you're serving a function for them and you will do a lot of work for your time on the pony!

There are ways to ride cheaply once you're established, but it's not really for the beginner. When I was a teenager, I rode for a lady who bought and sold ponies - she bought ponies who needed some work to bring them on and then she'd sell them for a profit. I rode the ponies since she was too big. It cost me nothing but obviously that type of arrangement only works when you are an established rider. You sometimes get people looking for a sharer for their horse but again, you'd be struggling to find one looking for a beginner. It's a tough one. It's not a cheap hobby unfortunately. If I were you, I'd save up and go for a few group lessons. That is the cheapest lesson option you are going to get and it will give a decent grounding.

To be safe and know how to correctly control a horse you need some lessons.

Perhaps ask a horsey friend if you can help them muck out/feed/groom etc?

How about volunteering at a World Horse Welfare place or Riding for the Disabled (RDA) centre if you have one near you. They always need able bodied people to help out and it would be a way to get your horse fix without much actual investment. The RDA always have sensible animals who are used to beginners, so that might be place to start. (Alternatively, pop round to mine; you're welcome to muck out for me any time ... ).

Realistically, if you're going to ride, you need lessons on a sensible horse/pony so you're competent and safe. As pp said, it's not a cheap activity unfortunately.

Thanks everyone, so how many lessons on average do u think it takes to become more able to control a horse ( I know it’s different for each person but roughly). I want to be able to have a budget in mind for the lessons and then know tha afterwards I can ride without overly Exerting the budget.

I’m v passionate and eager, and I think I’m gonna start by going to farms and getting used to feeding horses and forging some type of connection for free.

Mrs Expo, I will look into the organisations you mentioned. You aren’t serious about your offer are you? I would happily do labour work to grow some kind of connection with a horse as it’s been a life dream so would happily take you on your offer if it’s real 😂. I promise I will get lessons before so that I can be trusted.

I heard there was a thing where u can sponsor a pony for like a hundred pounds a year and then get free rides every once in a while but that doesn’t seem to b true aside from word of mouth.

So I think my plan is as follows :

I build relationship with horses for free by going to farms and volunteering at events for free.

I save up for a block of lessons to be more in control of horses.

I muck up for someone and continue to ride so I develop further.

Lol.

How about if I get my own tutor for a cheaper price and muck up someone’s stable in exchange to ride their horse with my own instructor that way they can trust me? I saw some tutors are just 10 pounds an hour.

Riding in exchange for work doesn't really happen these days, and until you're competent people won't let you handle their horses, too much can go wrong!

You need to start with lessons, then it depends on what you want to do as to where you go next.

Budget for at least weekly lessons, individual half hour on lunge for first 6 weeks, group lessons if you prefer after that, for st least 12 months, then you should be at the level of an 8 year old who's ridden since a small child.

You can then think about what you want to do it's not cheap and there aren't short cuts

What area are you in OP?

My son rides at an RDA place. They are always looking for volunteers (full training given). They offer free lessons/rides to the volunteers.

Dusky oh that’s amazing to know ! Will sign up ASAP.

Joe I’m in central London but happy to commute for a riding session.

Fucksgiven thanks for the breakdown. Ouch so after all that it will just be the level of an 8 year old ! So for 12 months you mean weekly lessons ?

OP, you sound so enthusiastic and so naive - please don't let your enthusiasm get in the way of sense.

Volunteering with the RDA as a helper is a great idea, as is saving up for lessons. Please don't just pitch up at random farms/fields to feed the horses - you have no idea what dietary restrictions or bad habits any particular horse may have.

Think of learning to ride in the same terms as learning to drive. You can learn how to stop, start and steer fairly quickly, then you can begin to learn how to go through the gear changes safely while being aware of what is going on around you. You don't really learn how to drive though, until after you have passed your test and get out on the roads unaccompanied. It's similar with horses - you don't really learn how to ride until you experience riding in a less controlled environment, with the added fun of every horse/rider partnership being different due to horses not being machines and having their own very definite ideas at times. Learning the basics should take around a year of weekly lessons. A good riding school will get you used to riding horses with different character traits, and ideally give you lessons on a lunge line initially, at least.

i hope you achieve your dreams safely . Wishing you the very best.

I agree with t3rr up to a point. Yes, the first stage of riding is like learning to drive, as in you are learning the aids and developing a secure seat.

But the next stage is all about being able to feel exactly what is going on with the horse underneath you: if you're struggling with a circle is he falling out through the shoulder? Is he tracking up in the trot? Is he relaxed along his back or stiffer on one side? And if so, how do you need to ride differently to get them working correctly? For me, being able to improve the horse you're sitting on, even just a lesson horse, should be the aim before aiming to ride anyone else's on the cheap, sorry.

Saving up for riding lessons and volunteering with the RDA sound like good ideas. Have you also considered a horse rescue, such as Redwings? Good luck though OP, I can't afford my own horse (but do have lessons), so I do understand the horsey need!

If you were near me then you could come play with mine as often as you liked. They are the kindest horses you could wish to meet.

Get familiar with them on the ground first. Learn how they think and how they react then when you start to ride you will be aware.

You will need lessons to ride and these vary greatly in content and in effectiveness. I am (was) an instructress but what I teach today is a million miles from the way I was taught; it has evolved for the welfare of both horse and rider. I now feel physically sick when I hear the Pony Club instructors shouting 'Kick on' and 'Use you whip' No need at all.

Ok, so first of all it will cost thousands of pounds.

An average 1 hour group session will be about £30 per person per lesson.

A year would get you to a very very basic level - riding a riding school pony is a totally different kettle of fish to being considered a competent rider able to befriend someone and work for rides.

Anyone who is willing to let you loose on their horse please PLEASE avoid - someone who would do that has ZERO knowledge themselves and you WILL end up getting hurt.

Literally no decent horse owner would let a complete novice have lessons on their horse with a cheap budget price instructor (which at £10 an hour is what they will be - unqualified and uninsured).

Horses are dangerous and people (in general) are stupid - decent horse owners love their animals and are very aware of the risks.

I'd be happy to let someone very keen and a total novice come to my home and help with my horses - but under no circumstances would they EVER be left unsupervised.

Riding is a tiny tiny part of horses. And the mechanics of controlling the horse are a minute parting of actually riding.

When my husband showed an interest in taking it up i gave him lessons - and he spent 3 months just in walk learning about what riders call "feel". This is the subtle interactions between horse and rider and how you can influence the horse using body weight and positioning.

Unfortunately riding schools are about getting you going as quickly as possible, so the basics are missed out and people just learn to kick and steer. Very dedicated people can turn into reasonable riders after 5 years of riding school lessons - but invariably get a massive shock when they then ride a non-riding school horse as they are a totally different kettle of fish.

Volunteering at an RDA centre, with World Horse Welfare, Redwings, Bransby, Horse Trust etc are all good starting points - be prepared to shovel shit, fill haynets, sweep (a lot), poo-pick fields... then you might be allowed to lead the horses out to fields, change rugs, groom them. Ask questions. Read stuff on line.

Once you have some basic horse handling and care knowledge then start lessons - research the riding school - the cheapest one is unlikely to be much good - you will get far more out of quality tuition in small groups that costs £30/hour than a disinterested instructor teaching 15 people that costs £10/hour.

Enquire about local riding clubs - join as a non-mounted member and volunteer at competitions and training nights. You'll learn a lot watching people and what's going on. Make friends, ask questions.

If you are lucky, you will then find a caring and conscientious owner that is willing to exchange knowledge / the chance to interact with their horses in return for help with chores.

Read stuff on-line and/or read horsey books or magazines. They won't teach you how to ride but will help you understand the language and get your head around what's going on in horse world. E.g. it's mucking out not mucking up.

Once you've saved up, if you have the option of half hour individual lessons go for that, even if it's the same price as one hour group. You'll get so much more out of the individual lesson in half the time.

How long it takes to be capable does slightly depend what kind of riding you want to do. Get on the Tack Room forum.

I'm living your dream as I have a friend who has a very sweet, calm horse that she hasn't the time to ride as often as necessary, so she's keen for people she trusts to ride her horse. BUT my friend knows me and my riding well enough to trust me with her horse, I have taken out rider insurance for myself, I'll be paying for an instructor to do 1:1 lessons on my friend's horse for some time to come. As someone said previously, riding independently is another skill and I'm not ready for it yet.