Hi Everyone! JR here! The pic of my big beautiful head above was taken whilst I was doing my training for using the hydraulic mounting platform that the Hippotherapy group have had installed. I am a very versatile chap – whilst I do mainstream riding lessons, I also do therapy sessions and hippotherapy sessions so I needed training in how to use the mounting platform so that I was all practiced and ready before riders mounted me from it. I was excellent at the training (I had to have two sessions which Sally said was because I can be a bit daft, but I’m thinking it was because I was SOOOO good!).
STABLE MANAGEMENT
We have now opened bookings for the stable management in the October holidays – we are running a beginner course from Monday 14th October to Thursday 17th October inclusive and a novice course from Monday 21st October – Thursday 24th October. Both courses cost £165.00 and include a riding lesson each day (1 hour) a stable management lecture (1 hour) and supervised grooming the rest of the time. The beginner course is great for riders who are just starting stable management training and getting their confidence, whilst the novice one is good for those who have already completed their beginner stable management and are starting to canter in their riding lessons. If you would like to book a space on our stable management, then please visit or call reception – we take a £50 deposit on booking and you just need to let us know which horse or pony you want and we’ll check if it is still available.
COACHING AFTERNOON / EVENING
We are doing a coaching demonstration on Sunday 29th September from 4.30p.m – 7.30p.m. Whilst it’s called a coaching session, its designed for any standard or age of rider too. The idea is that we will have quite a lot of demo riders (both riding school and livery) and we will go through what improvements we would try to make to their position, how we would go about it and what exercises we would use, so it’s a great way to learn and see a bit more about improving your riding with riders in front of you demonstrating. It will also be a really useful session for anyone with an interest in coaching in the future, those who are preparing for BHS coaching assessments and people who are currently coaching but want fresh ideas. If you would like to attend, the cost is £15 per person and you book in by giving your name to Ali in reception.
CHALLENGE AWARDS
The challenge awards are proving popular with over 20 of our members now signed up to take part in them. We are running an adult session (focusing on the bronze award initially) on Saturday at 8.15a.m and a Monday session for juniors at 4.30p.m with Laura. Both sessions are for one hour and are £15 per person initially (although we may be able to reduce this as more people sign up).
The awards are designed for recreational riders (not just liveries – its great for riding school members too ) and there are riding and stable management awards. We are only covering the stable management topics in the sessions as we can sign off your riding awards in your regular lessons. It’s a really good way of getting bite sized sessions of stable management and the Challenge awards training will count towards your stable management quota for your internal assessments with us.
WELL DONE STAFF!
We have had a great year for staff results in assessments – culminating in Laura doing very well in her Stage 2 coach assessment which she sat a couple of weeks ago and passed with flying colours! Ellis has also now passed her Ridesafe assessment (along with everyone else we trained for it) so it has been an absolute 100% strike rate for all our staff (and everyone who has trained with us) this year! Staff have achieved:
Liam (Stage 1 and Stage 2 complete)
Ellis (Stage 1 riding and Ridesafe)
Laura (Stage 2 Coach)
A big well done to all our hard working staff – we are very proud of them! Also a big thank you to our members – it is your membership and continued custom that allows us to keep investing in our staff and training them and funding their further qualifications – which means you get the best qualified and trained coaches and yard staff!
THERAPY VOLUNTEERS
We are still running therapy riding sessions on a Tuesday afternoon and are always on the lookout for more helpers for them – each rider often needs two sidewalkers and one leader as well as the coach, so the more the merrier! If you would like to help out, you need to be free on a Tuesday afternoon between 1p.m and 3p.m – we run half hour sessions for each child. If you are available to help, just let Ali know at reception.
If you would like to help, but can’t manage on a Tuesday, the Hippotherapy group are always looking for volunteers for their sessions on a Friday morning too – if you would like to help with that then you are best to contact the group directly through their Facebook page – ARC Hippotherapy – a member group of RDA.
You don’t need to be particularly “horsey” to be able to help with these sessions – just be willing to learn and get involved!
TRUSTEE SALLY
Some of you may have noticed that Sally was elected as a trustee of the British Horse Society in June. The BHS is a charity, so is governed by a board of trustees with a variety of skills and experience and Sally has been elected to the board for a three-year period of volunteering. It doesn’t mean anything changes for ARC – just that Sally will be away for a couple of days every 2 months and that Helen or Martin will be covering her lessons when she is away. It’s a good thing for ARC – Sally is “home grown” at ARC and did all her training and professional qualifications through the club, so it’s a nice reflection on the club that a member of staff has the skillset and experience to help in such a role.