Horse Riding for Adults

Adult horse riders of all levels can benefit from Lunge Lessons at Stag Lodge Stables, but for the beginner it is the natural progression from one of our popular 60-minute one-to-one Ride & Lead lessons (also known as a Lead-Rein).

Our Lunge Lessons take place in one of the seven arenas we have at Stag Lodge 2, where we offer a safe and enjoyable way to introduce the beginner to the discipline of horse riding. Lunge Lessons help to improve posture, balance and rhythm and will highlight problem areas and points of weakness. Even our most experienced horse riders occasionally use lunge lessons as a way to perfect their skills since they can be tremendously beneficial for all levels of rider.

A Lunge Lesson is one-to-one, with the Instructor in the Arena holding the lunge line and in control of the horse while the rider performs a variety of exercises. Lunge Lessons run over a number of days or weeks. Typically, most novice riders will need anywhere from five to 10 Lunge Lessons at Stag Lodge Stables before they are ready to be ‘unclipped’ and go solo.

Lunge Lessons will help you:

• Learn to balance and follow your horse’s movement in walk, sitting and rising trot.
• Learn to maintain ‘position right’ and ‘position left’, in order to remain upright and straight on the circle.
• Learn to develop feel for the horse swinging through his back correctly.
• Learn to feel the horse’s rhythm and how to use your momentum to maintain regularity in the rhythm.
• Learn how to use your body to ride resistant-free transitions.
• Learn how to regulate your breathing to promote relaxation in your horse and to maintain your ‘down connection’.

The Instructor maintains contact and control of the horse via a lunge line at all times. Confident rising and sitting trot must be reached before you can ride independently, off the lunge.

The next progression would be to move to arena-based Private Lessons also at our Stag Lodge 2 site.