My First Horse Riding as an Adult Beginner
Last weekend, I took my first EVER horse riding class. I’ve read about adults ‘going back to horse riding’ but not much about adults just starting horse riding journey without any childhood experience. This inspired me to keep track of my progress and publish my stories, so other adults who are afraid to start their equestrian journey can find someone like them.
To be nice to you, I reveal the juicy information right here before you get tired of reading this lengthy story: google beforehand so you know commonly used horse-related words. I paid £45 for an hour long group lesson. There was another complete beginner adult in the beginner class. It was all girls and women. I didn’t get seriously injured, although I got a bruise and back pain the next day.
Searching for lessons: location and price
Horses need space. Naturally, riding schools are likely to be located away from other things. Without a private car, accessing a stable can be difficult. I was lucky because my city has a stable within it, reachable by bus from where I live. But if I don’t like this riding school, things will be very difficult. There are a few others that are a train ride and a bus ride away, but that isn’t really convenient enough for weekly/fortnightly visits.
In 2026, a 45 - 60 minute group lesson costs something like £45 from a school that is licensed, ensured and approved by multiple institutions. Free rental of safety gears is included. I suspect it could be slightly cheaper if I get away from a major city.
Pre-lesson dread
I’d been thinking about taking horse riding lessons for two years before I actually took the first step. I am just that kind of person who doesn’t move until they have ample information to predict how things will go.
I wasn’t particularly worried about actual horse riding part. I was professionally trained in animal training after all, and I assumed it would be like riding a taller bicycle.
I was concerned with people side of things. I worried that all my classmates would be tiny girls. I worried that people might be from very different background than mine. I worried that the environment would be overwhelmingly white, which I am not. In short, I was worried to stand out or feel uninvited.
Calling to see if the stables have availability for me was difficult. I procrastinated for months and I ended up booking through an online system. But eventually, I had to show up and meet the people on my first lesson day. People didn’t give any attention to me. They are preoccupied with their own progress and how cute ponies/horses are.
There are some hobbies where people chat more like dancing, acting, and crafting together. There are others where people tend to keep to themselves even though they are physically together, like yoga. So far, my impression is that horse riding is the latter.
Group hobby sociability ranked by me
Top is the most social, bottom is the least social
- Language practice group
- Swing dance
- Salsa dance
- Adults’ ballet class
- Choir
- Hip hop dance class (or any solo dance)
- Musical instrument group
- Reading group
- Hiking group
- Language class
- Crafting group
- Cycling group
- Yoga class
- Horse riding class
- Chess
- Gym
Arriving at the stable
I caught my bus on a beautiful Saturday afternoon. After 30 or so minutes, I got off and walked to the stable. I passed the gate area and walked across the car park, admiring faraway grazing horses in the background. I headed to the office to find out it was completely empty. I read some stuff on the board about how the sport comes with risk of injury. I wandered around trying to figure something out. I saw a group of girls who were busy preparing the horses. I wasn’t sure if it was okay for me to talk to those girls - I had very little experience with young people.
Eventually, a slightly older girl, probably around 12 or 13 came to me to tell me I shouldn’t be there. She told me to go to the arena (wherever that is) and pick out appropriate safety gears and wait for the instructor. I thanked the girl and went to the ‘arena,’ a big rectangular indoor space with a fenced viewing gallery and a getting ready area. The earlier class was still going on.
Getting ready
I had left home wearing my intended riding outfit: a thin moisture-wicking t-shirt with a very light jumper over it, multi-sport leggings, hiking socks, and cheap ankle length riding boots. I also brought a pair of outdoor gloves that I use for hiking and camping.
In the getting ready area, I picked up a medium helmet. I imagined everything would be too small as I assumed they were for children, but medium helmets were quite big. I think I should go for a small next time. I tried like 10 helmets until I settled with the first one I picked up.
While I was fussing over the helmets, a 4-year-old came in with her parents right after a slightly bigger girl showed up with her mum. Two mums started talking to each other. I wasn’t sure if I should say hi to the girls or the mums, so I didn’t. Then an adult woman walked in with awkward beginner energy that I must have been carrying too.
Comforted by each others company, we chatted lightly. It was her first ever lesson, too. There were two total beginner adults; It might not be such an uncommon thing to start horse riding as a grown woman. I think men might need a little more courage because my six? classmates were all girls and women. There were a couple teen boys in the viewing gallery who seemed like higher level pupils and one father.
Meeting the horse and the helper
Eventually, the previous lesson ended. The old horses left and the new horses entered the arena lead by the ‘helpers.’
I thought I researched a lot before I attended my first class, but I didn’t know about these helpers. To non-equestrians, they just look like little pupils but they are actually trained to do the helping. My helper was small, probably nine or something. She was well mannered, confident, friendly, helpful and very encouraging. She explained how to do stuff, told me stories about my horse of the day, and complimented me when I did something correctly. I appreciated her help very much. If I understood correctly, ‘helper’ is an unpaid internship position for passionate and ambitious children.
The horses were amazingly various. For the 4-year-old pupil, a very tiny mule was provided. The biggest horse that was paired with the other beginner adult was like 16hh-tall light grey cool guy.
I approached my horse nervously and tried to scratch the side of his face / shoulder. The horse didn’t appreciate it. Later, while being handled by someone else, the horse nipped and bruised my forearm. I learned not to stand too closely to a horse’s face when I am new to it.
An instructor came over and guided me to mount the horse and adjusted the stirrup length to my legs.
The first riding lesson
The verbal instructions were pretty minimal and simple - this was to be understood by 4-year-old. This kind of less-theory-more-practice approach might not be enough for some adults (like myself) so I recommend studying theory before and after the first few lessons.
I looked up videos and blogs to learn basic lingo and basic principles of horse riding before I arrived at the first class and I was glad that I did. Because they just speak in horse terms without explaining the meanings to you.
At least, make sure you know what these words mean: bridle, reins, bit, saddle, stirrup, girth, withers, mane, forelock, crest, trot, canter, gallop, halt, contact, aid, grooming, dressage, eventing
In class, the riders and the horses walked in circle over and over. The instructor asked us to do various things. Take your feet off the stirrups, put your hands on your head, put your feet back in the stirrups, do this and that with your posture…, which were all very doable. Sitting on the horse felt pretty natural. It wasn’t scary or precarious.
It felt similar to something that I’ve done before but I couldn’t think of exactly what. Now I think it was similar to balancing on a motorbike taxi in Thailand.
After one horse poo and one pony pee, we moved on to trot. The helpers had to run with the horses so it was a big effort for them. I didn’t grasp the posture and staying up was very difficult for me. But I am optimistic. I’ll get it eventually.
After my first horse riding class
I dismounted and looked back at my horse of the day while walking away. The horse also looked at me or he didn’t (because a horse is not looking at the direction that I think it is looking at!) but I waved at it twice anyway. He didn’t like working with me but did it anyway. I was very grateful.
I stepped outside into the sun. Horse hair everywhere! My black leggings were covered with dust and hair. My gloves, too, became very dusty; I was glad that I had them. I needed to spend some time outside brushing the hair off my leggings so I could ride bus home without shedding. I think I’ll bring spare clothes next time.
The next day, I had lower back pain. I think I arched my lower back to achieve an illusion of straight posture in overcompensation for my pathetic core strength. I struggle with my core because I have no muscle there and my posture and alignment are terrible. Unless I get stronger through riding very soon, I will have to endure the boredom and torture of weight training.
My plan from now on is to take a lesson fortnightly. Weekly would be wonderful but my finance will be in danger if I did that. I do hope to go for a slow paced hack before the winter, unless something else fascinates me and grab my attention!