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With all the countryside and open spaces in Staffordshire, horse riding is one of the most popular hobbies in the county. If you want to try it for yourself the first thing to do is to get some lessons.

There are two organisations that set standards for riding schools: the British Horse Society (BHS) and the Association of British Riding Schools (ABRS). Any school approved by these organisations meet the required national training standards, and are inspected every year.

The BHS and the ABRS also both set riding exams that you can take. Riding schools offer a variety of lessons from private one-to-one tuition, to larger groups of people being taught in the same lesson.

Riding School Facilities

The facilities at riding schools across Staffordshire will vary, with some having outdoor schools, others with indoor facilities or some with both.

There are pros and cons to all schools - indoor ones are of course warmer in the winter, but can become hot and dusty in the summer. With outdoor lessons you're always battling against the weather!

ÌýIt is always a good idea to visit a riding school before booking any lessons to give yourself an idea to whether you'll like it or not, and some even offer free taster sessions.

Here's a list of some riding schools in Staffordshire - you'll find links to their web-sites on the right hand side of this page:

• Middleton Equestrian Centre, Tamworth, B78 2AT. Tel: 0121 311 1601
• Horse Power Equestrian Centre, Lichfield,WS13 8RJ‎. Tel: 01543 418417‎
• Cannock Chase Trekking Centre, Penkridge, ST19 5RP
• Courses for Horses, Brown Edge, ST6 8TF
• Beaver Hall Equestrian Centre, Bradnop, ST13 7EZ
  

Horse riding dangers

Even with an approved school and a well qualified instructor horse riding can be dangerous due to the unpredictable nature of horses and ponies. Instructors at approved clubs will all be trained in first aid just in case those skills are needed.

Horse riding also uses the muscles you never knew you had! Therefore it is best not to be over-ambitious and just to book a half-hour lesson for the first time. Be prepared for some aching in the day or two to follow until you've had a couple of lessons and your muscles have got used to it.

Equipment

You see professional equestrian riders wearing a lot of specialist equipment while riding, including hats, jackets, chaps, jodhpurs and breeches. The clothing is designed to offer safety, and comfort to the rider. If you're starting out though, you won't need to buy a full set of riding kit, because the riding school can lend you some. They'll have hats of varying sizes, which is the single most important item of equestrian clothing for safety.

Once you're a fully fledged rider you can try your hand at different disciplines - Trekking, Show-jumping, Point-to-Point, or Dressage, like Staffordshire paralympian Lee Pearson....

Lee Pearson

Staffordshire horse rider Lee Pearson MBE won 3 horse riding golds in Sydney and then went on to become the first Paralympic rider to win an able-bodied title at the National Dressage Championships. Find out more about the local dressage hero, and listen to an interview - through the links on the right hand side of this page.