French girl looking for english riding holidays
 

Hello ! :-)
My name is Loïs, I'm 15 and I live in France. I ride for 9 years and do show jumping, cross country and dressage. For this summer, I want to go in England or in Ireland to ride and speak English. So I'm looking for a horse riding school which do riding holidays. I don't want a long hacking. Can you help me ? Do you know some riding school like that ?
I'm sorry if there are some mistakes in my messages ... Of course you can correct me ! :wink:
Thanks you very much :-)
lolope

Hopefully Barry Godden will be along shortly to help.

This place in Ireland has 300 cross-country jumps! It looks expensive though.

Improve your English horse riding holiday
 

Hi Lois

Have you looked at place in South Africa to do a working riding holiday and improve your English?

Julie-Anne
Wild Coast Horseback Adventures
South Africa

mildot => I'm sorry but I don't understand ...

ponybot => Yes, it's looks great ! But it's a little too expensive ... Thank you for your answer ! :)

Wildcoasthorses => The working riding holidays looks really good ! But, i'm 15 ... Do they accept teenagers ?

Barry is in England and may be helpful in your search. Good luck and welcome to the forum.

I just PMed him to look in.

Oh ! It's a person ! Thank you very much ! ^^

Horse Riding holiday - improve your English
 

Yes we accept teenagers - especially if you come with a friend - it makes it so much more fun!
Have you been onto out web site?

Julie-Anne
Wild Coast Horseback Adventures

Yes, but I did'nt really understand : what have we to do ? It's a "working" holiday but I didn't understand what is the work ...

Lois, When you state your age at 15, you add a complication in that for me to recommend a horse riding establishment I would have to feel confident that as a young person you would be safe and well looked after. Unless I know the owners personally I would be reluctant to give an organisation any such reference. Sadly I can think of noone in England or Wales who might suit exactly your wishes.
I have no contacts at all in Ireland or Scotland.

However:
Transwales Trails in Pengennfford in Wales (just north of Abergavenny) take on staff to help in their business of long distance trail riding - they don't jump or do dressage but the riding and the horses are superb. And they are a trustworthy family. They are on the internet. The owners are: ‘The Turner family’ -
Send an email to Mr Paul Turner. www.transwales.demon.co.uk
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Llanthony Riding in the Brecon Beacons - also have need for help in the Summer months. Their business is pony trekking in the Brecon Beacons. www.llanthony.co.uk/

Again, their business is not jumping or dressage,
They too are a nice family and the scenery is superb.
The owners are 'the Passmore family'. Send Email: Mrs Cordelia Passmore
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In Andalucia by Gibraltar there is a holiday riding centre called Los Alamos which is owned and run by a ‘Welsh family named Williams‘. Nearly all of their clients are British and they speak English in house rather than Spanish. Again they are a trail riding centre not a dressage or jumping centre. They are a nice trustworthy family. Email to Rhiannon @ www.losalamosriding.co.uk
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Dear Lois
From your description what you might seek is a rider training centre but the problem is that you are young and not British Horse Society qualified . Such a centre would find you plenty of work with a shovel but maybe not enough work on horseback. You will also need accommodation.

Be aware that most BHS accredited riding centres seek qualified staff in order to be in compliance with their business licence and the insurance requirements.


Perhaps it would be worthwhile to send an email to the British Horse Society www.bhs.org.uk in Leamington Spa. Nearly all riding centres in the UK are members of the BHS. But you ask a lot for them to give a specific recommendation - all they might offer to do is to put a notice on their web site.

David Broome’s riding centre near Chepstow may have vacancies for part time help and it might be worth sending an email to them - Their web site is www.theshowground.com. James Broome is the manager.
The other thing for you to do is to look on the Horse & Hound web site - you might find an advert in situations vacant but the risk is that the advertisers treat you as unpaid help.

Lois, I suggest you make up a CV - a curriculum vitae describing your knowledge and ability
Be honest about your ability.
Be plain about what you seek
Send a photo - preferably of you sitting on a horse.

And be cautious.

Having written this in reply to help you in your quest, I realise that as a father, I would be hesitant to send my horse, let alone my 15 year old daughter, to a riding centre in England or Wales unless I knew the owners personally.

Barry G