Riding Lessons
Terrey Hills Riding School caters for all rider experience levels in an encouraging and positive environment. We offer group lessons and holiday programs on kind, willing, experienced horses.
We also offer a strictly limited number of beginner horsemanship and experienced -adult private lessons on Saturdays.
We offer a safe, social and friendly environment, where you learn and improve your riding skills, and also spend the time getting to know horses on the ground by grooming, saddling, and handling horses safely and effectively.
We provide general riding instruction, dressage, and show jumping lessons; trail rides are available as part of our regular lesson program - but not as casual one-off trail ride bookings (trail rides are conducted as part of our normal lesson program, based on group consensus and weather conditions).
Our lessons are aimed at teaching and improving riders’ understanding and techniques to be able to communicate effectively and empathetically with the horses they ride. By improving the understanding and ability to communicate with the horse, both the horse and rider enjoy a positive experience.
What to Expect
Sessions are two hours, and include catching, grooming, feeding, rugging and tacking up the horse as well as riding. While the emphasis is on the mounted instruction, the rest is equally important, and gives the client an opportunity to better get to know and appreciate the individual horses.
A mixture of disciplines are offered, and ages 9+ are catered for on a variety of well trained horses. After meeting at our stables and getting the horses ready, lessons are conducted primarily at the Duffys Forest Anembo Road public arena. We mount at our stables and ride down the road and through a short trail to get to the arena to start the formal mounted lesson.
Adult Group Riding Lessons
Adult group lessons are available on a casual booking basis, Tuesday to Saturday - but not Thursdays.
Group lessons commence at 9:30am Tuesday and Friday, and 10:30 on Wednesdays.
Group lessons start at $160 per 2-hour session (weekdays). Each 2 hour session includes 1 hour riding time.
We also offer Saturday group lessons at 10am and 12pm for $170.
Saturday private lessons are available to existing clients only once they know their way around our property and can identify each horse, and saddle up fully unsupervised. Private lessons are $190. Payment is required upfront and in full to make a booking.
Popular sessions fill early and get waitlisted; early bookings are recommended to avoid disappointment.
Weight restrictions apply; please note our maximum weight is 75 kgs.
Adult horsemanship lessons
By popular request, horsemanship lessons are also available. Horsemanship sessions are in-depth semi-private sessions, 2 hours in duration, aimed at spending more time understanding horse behaviour and communication. These lessons do not involve riding, but include a more detailed approach to reading the horse’s body language, how to handle and interact safely around the horse, how to understand what the horse is thinking, and how the horse is responding to your presence and energy. These sessions are highly recommended for everyone wanting to know more about how to interact effectively with horses from the ground, and are immensely valuable to those that may have had a previous bad experience and lost confidence as a result.
Horsemanship lessons are $125 for 2 hours, with 2-3 participants to one instructor, or available one on one for $190. These sessions are available by advance booking only (5 days minimum notice required).
Individuals looking for a private lesson environment to get started can begin with our horsemanship sessions, then join our group lessons. Lessons are available by advanced booking, and subject to limited availability.
After School Groups (ages 9 - 16)
After-school lessons for ages 9-16 years run as a 2-hour program, Tuesday through to Friday. Sessions run weekly and fortnightly during each school term. Students sign up for the school term.
Parents have the option of dropping off and leaving, or staying to watch the lesson.
Arriving at 3:30 -4pm, the students participate in grooming and tacking the horse in preparation for the mounted lesson.
If arriving after school isn’t possible until after 4pm, we will get the horse ready so your child can join in the mounted lesson as soon as he/she arrives.
Sessions finish around 6 pm in summer. In winter, our times run half hour earlier due to dwindling daylight, and sessions run 3:30 - 5:30.
Lessons start at $160 each (includes GST). Payment is due upfront before the start of term.
For our cancellation policy, please see our Terms & Conditions page.
Holiday Programs (ages 9 – 15)
During some of the school holidays, a 3-hour holiday program is offered. Sessions can be signed up on a casual basis as a one-off, or multiple day/full week schedules also available.
Half-day programs run from 2:30pm – 5:30pm.
Programs include horse management, grooming, and tacking, as well as ridden instruction and trail riding. We also cover an array of other more in-depth topics to suit the age, experience and rider level; topics may include feeding, lungeing, bareback riding, cross country riding, competition preparation (plaiting, washing, bandaging, transporting), and equine dentistry, farriery, and first aid.
Holiday programs start at $195. No previous experience is required. Payment is due in advance to book each session. Bookings can be made directly via the website on the “holiday programs” page.
Holiday program dates are generally confirmed and listed online 2-3 weeks prior to the school holidays. Please check back regularly if dates are not yet listed.
