How old does my child need to be to ride with you?
Due to our insurance constraints, children need to be 4 years old to begin formal riding lessons at Sunshine Riding. We do have Taster Sessions and Pony Playtime available for 3 year olds as these fall outside of the definition of a formal lesson.
What do your lessons cost?
Our Price list is updated annually in March. We take Debit Cards, Visa, MasterCard and Cash. Currently our prices are as follows:
- Child Lead Rein/Beginners £32.00
- Adult Lead Rein/Beginners £32.00
- Adult Beginners (1 hour) £36.00
- Child Advanced Beginners £36.00
- Adult Advanced Beginners £39.00
- Child Novice £39.00
- Adult Novice £42.00
- Child Intermediate £42.00
- Adult Private Half Hour £42.00
- Child Private £39.00
- Adult Private 1 Hour/Hack £50.00
If you have never ridden or only rode a donkey on the beach, then you are in a Lead Rein class. If you can walk a horse independently but don’t feel confident trotting, then you are a Beginner. Advanced Beginners are learning to canter and Novices are learning to Jump.
How long are your lessons?
As Sunshine’s lessons are all skill based, the lesson time develops as the rider’s skills grow.
- Child Lead Rein & Beginners 30 Minutes
- Child Advanced Beginners 45 Minutes
- Adult Advanced Beginners 1 Hour
- Child Novice/Intermediate 1 Hour
- Adult Novice 1 Hour
- Child Private 30 Minutes
- Our Special Programmes and Rides will run as per the advertising.
What do I need to wear?
Horse riding, and Sunshine in particular, requires a natural environment. So you or your child must wear boots (wellie boots are fine), long trousers or leggings, and please dress for the weather. In the hot summer, please make sure that you are wearing a top/shirt that covers the shoulder and upper arm. Vest tops, shorts, trainers, and sandals are not appropriate and we will not let you ride for health and safety reasons.
How long does it take to learn to ride a horse?
This is the magic question. Honestly, your entire life. But for our purposes here, it really does depend on the rider. We would hope that a new Lead Rein rider would be out of that class by their 6th or 7th lesson and walking their horse on their own. We would also hope a Beginner rider would be able to walk and trot independently within 3 months on coming into the class. An Advanced Beginner who is learning to canter would take about the same amount of time. All this being said, it does depend on the rider and their drive, interest, and age. Nothing is set in stone. We move people into the correct lesson group as soon as they are able to safely and confidently show that they have the required skill for that level learned. We will always communicate with you regarding progress so that you are not in the dark about what is happening and what does need to be done next.
Do I ride the same horse every week?
We change your horse regularly if we can. The reason for this is because you are learning to ride horses, not just a certain horse. Horses are like people and each one is different and has their own personality and quirks. We can offer you a safe way to experience different horses so that you will have the confidence to go on and ride whenever and wherever you can.
What are your office hours?
We are closed on Mondays. Starting on Tuesday the office is open between 9am and 5pm. Our Office Manager is happy to help you with bookings and information. If you need to speak to our General Manager, Kimberly, please leave your name, number and brief a message and Kimberly will get back to you when she has a free moment.
How do I get to you?
We are just off Warden Hill Road, situated between Cardinal Newman High School and the South Beds Golf Club. Our Post Code is LU2 7AE. We have on-site parking and do ask that you park nose in to our bays so that we can get everyone in.
What happens when the weather is bad?
Sunshine Riding will not have lessons in the following weather:
- Driving Rain
- High, 40+mph Wind
- Snow
- Thunder & Lightning Storms
- Hail
- Ice
- Temperatures above 30℃ and Below 0℃
We do ride in light rain, blustery breezes and, when it appears, sunshine.
What if I am unhappy about my lesson?
We all want great lessons but we all know that sometimes things fall short of the mark. If you are unhappy with your lesson it is vital that you speak with the teacher. If you are not happy with the teacher’s response or you feel you really can’t talk to them, then you must speak with Kimberly. Kimberly does want to know what happened and why you are unhappy. We want all our lessons to be of the best quality and all feed back and complaints are dealt with immediately. Kimberly has no problem pulling a member of staff aside and getting an explanation then a plan for correction. Sunshine has always held the ideal that the riding lesson is about what the rider needs, not what the teacher needs. Never feel you can’t talk to us. We are here for you!
Who is my teacher?
All our teachers are qualified or working on their qualifications as full riding instructors. They are also all competitors so they are putting their knowledge to work in a real pressure situation.
Lead Rein/ Beginners: Maisie Fleckney & Huw-Andrew McGuinness
Advanced Beginners: Huw-Andrew McGuinness, Beowulf McGuinness
Novice , Intermediate, Advanced: Fiona Iszchak, Beowulf McGuinness, Kimberly McGuinness
Private lessons are taught by the teacher of your choice. Please note that Kimberly’s lessons are limited.