Ravenroyd Equestrian

At Ravenroyd we teach complete beginners who have never ridden before to more experienced Riders who tend to feel there is 'something missing' from their riding and training. Our minimum age is 4 years. Liana will also travel to clients yards to teach using Philippe karls method of legerete (Liana is a student of Philippe Karl).

Our Teaching
Learning to ride is not simply learning to stay on a horse, it is about learning to create a partnership with the horse. As a rider you need to develop 'feel' and understanding for your horse in order to keep him a happy participant. What people usually don't realise is that to ride a horse you need to develop a greater awareness of your own body, if you can't balance yourself your going to be making the job very hard for your horse when he has to balance himself as well as you! At Ravenroyd we work on teaching riders not only to 'stay on a horse' but also to understand about the horses both mentally and physically. Learning to ride with true 'lightness' which assures instant obedience of the horse on the slightest aids from the rider.

Dressage/ Flatwork
We are specialists in Dressage and Flatwork lessons, however we do not teach in the conventional 'leg to hand' manner. Our principles are based on centuries old calssical methods that have been lost through time to the modern competitve dressage scene. Our training methods are based on consistency and fairness to the horse, working with his natural instincts. The first element of your training at Ravenroyd though, will be your seat and positition as without a good postition and independent seat you are unable to improve the horses way of going. We therefore recomend regular lessons on 'Magic' our riding simulator.

Jumping
We teach jumping lessons in our large outdoor arena.

Childrens private beginner lessons/walk-abouts
As an introduction to riding for younger children we offer short 20 minute lessons with one of our trainee instructors. These sessions are short enough to keep the childrens’ interest but give young riders an understanding of riding position and basic aids, preparing them for joining a small group lesson or to move onto longer private sessions with Liana or Tracy. These sessions are very reasonably priced.

Hacking
We take small group hacks out for leisurely hacks around the local St. Ives Estate this enables us to avoid riding on the roads. Our horses are not Trekking Centre 'follow my leader' horses, therefore riders need to be able to walk, trot and canter in balance and control before being able to hack. New clients will need to book a half hour assessment lesson prior to booking a hack.