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Every horse has a right to good training!

We offer riding lessons for all riders. It doesn’t matter what level you ride on.
If you have never ridden before, want to take it up again after a break, or are an experienced rider.

It also does not matter what kind of horse (or pony) you have. If it is young or old, expensive or cheap, has some ‘issues’ or is an expensive well-trained sport horse.
As far as we are concerned, every horse has a right to good training!

 

Our teaching philosophy: the educated rider

In an ideal world, you would have a trainer to help you every time you ride. But that’s not always possible ‘in real life’.

Our goal is to educate the rider. And to help the rider to develop ‘feel’.
So you get continuous feedback from your horse on what is going well, and what needs more work.
This is something we work with a lot.

You could even say that we train our students to not need us anymore!

We want to develop independent riders.
Riders who can ‘take home’ what they have learned in a lesson. And continue practicing, learning and training their horse in a good way. Also when they are on their own.

 

Frequently asked questions about our riding lessons

 

Q: What ‘kind’ of training do you do?
A: Our lessons are based on the traditional German riding and training system. This system has produced many of the best riders in the world for the last 100 years or so!

It’s based on true horsemanship and love of the horse. (And no, it has nothing to do with the horrible riding you see in many competitions today…)

Both the horse and the rider are educated step-by-step.
Riders learn how to use their bodies, and their minds, to really communicate with the horse.
And the training of the horse is structured in such a way that the horse can reach its full potential – and live a long, healthy and happy life.

 

Q: For which riders are your lessons useful?
A: Any rider! It does not matter how old or young you are. Or if you are in great shape or have some issues. Such as health challenges or being afraid.

Everybody learns in their own way and at their own speed. We’ll find a way to work around it, and keep you safe and comfortable. (See also below, ‘What can I expect?’)

 

Q: I am a jumping rider/eventer/recreational rider. Will these lessons be of any use to me?
A: Yes, they will! Our lessons focus on the correct development of the horse, both mental and physical. And how the rider can use her body and mind to make this happen.

That is essentiel knowledge for any rider – whatever they use their horse for.
You owe it to your horse to be the best rider you can be!

 

Q: Can I use a young horse? Or an older horse, with some health issues?
A: Yes. We have a lot of experience with horses that need rehabilitation. Both physical and mental. So we welcome any rider who wants to learn more about this.

The lesson can be adapted to horses with health issues such as stiffness. For example, with a longer warm-up period.

Young horses are also welcome. They often work best in short sessions, with regular breaks. And lots of pats and rewards!
Of course, if the horse is very ‘green’, most of the lesson can be just getting it to relax and pay a bit of attention. Just that in itself can be a very useful lesson, too.

Note: We want our lessons to be a positive experience – not just for the rider, but also for the horse.
If we see that a horse is in pain, has severe soundness issues or is very stressed/afraid, we will stop the lesson. If the cause cannot be ‘fixed’ at that moment, we reserve the right to cancel the lesson.

 

Q: What can I expect in a first lesson?
A: It would be foolish to build a house on a shoddy fundament. You don’t want your house to collapse the first time it rains.
The same is valid for horse riding. It’s no use to go full steam ahead with a difficult lesson, only to find out that the saddle slides off!

We usually start a first lesson with a short chat with the rider. About her experience, goals and any specific challenges.
Of course we want to have the same information about the horse, too.

Part of this might be a quick tack check. Placement of the saddle, how tight the girth is, if the bridle fits – and maybe how long the stirrups are, too.

In a first lesson, we will probably be spending quite some time going over the basics.
Such as the seat of the rider. And how precisely to use your body to give signals to the horse.

We want this to be totally clear for the rider. So we can refer to it in the following lessons.

 

Q: What does a lesson cost?
A: For information on prices, please go to our Pricing Page.

 

Q: Where do you teach?
A: We are based in Hobøl. This is a small place, about 45 minutes south of Oslo.
If it’s only a single lesson, we try to keep within approximately an hour’s drive from our farm.

If you live much further away, the best way is to get a group of students together. Enough for a half day or a day, for example.

Other options can be to come for our farm for a lesson.
Or we can look into the possibilities to do it as a live video lesson.

 

Q: Can I come to your place for a lesson? With my own horse? Or can I use one of your horses?
A: Yes, yes and yes – with a few small ‘but’s’….
At Raaken Farm we currently only have an outdoor arena. Depending on the weather, it might be better to have a lesson at another location. For example, a nearby indoor riding arena.

Our horses are very different in size and temperament.
But our adult horses all have one thing in common: their former owners did not want them anymore. Because of health issues, or because they were ‘difficult’. Or both.

Most of them have improved a lot after coming here. And even though they are not Grand Prix horses, they can teach you a lot about how to ride!

 

Note: Our way of teaching is based on respect for horse and rider – and respect for the instructor, too.
We expect riders who come for lessons to follow our directions. This is also a safety issue. If a rider refuses to follow directions, we reserve the right to cancel the lesson.

Short questions are fine, of course. For example, if you don’t understand what is asked.
But a riding lesson is not the place for lenghty discussions. We are very happy to give more in-detail explanations after the lesson.

 

Do you have more questions? Or do you just want to start riding? Feel free to drop us a line!