LC Riding School / Ry Skool

23/08/2026

Sometimes horses can learn you so much more than any book or person can learn you..

This is something riders who have been riding for a long time will get.

Patience, timing, feel. Horses teach you things that coaches try to tell us, but ultimately, it's a horse-human thing.

Tom Dorrance spent a lifetime listening to horses. And it does truly take a lifetime.

How far along are you in your journey? 🐴

22/08/2026

🐴 Finding Your Confidence Again After a Fall ❤️

Sometimes the hardest part of getting back on a horse isn't the fall… it's the fear that comes afterwards.

A child can walk away from a fall physically okay, but inside, something may have changed.

Suddenly, the horse that they loved riding feels a little bigger.
The things they used to do without thinking might feel scary.
They may hesitate before getting back in the saddle.

And that's okay. ❤️

After a fall, we don't need to rush a child to “get over it.”

We need to help them build their confidence back — one small step at a time.

🐴 Start with simply spending time with the horse again.
🐴 Grooming, talking to them and building that connection.
🐴 Doing some gentle groundwork.
🐴 Walking beside the horse.
🐴 Sitting on the horse when they're ready.
🐴 Taking a few calm steps.
🐴 Celebrating every little achievement.

Because confidence isn't about never being afraid.

Confidence is being afraid and slowly learning, “I can do this.” 💕

And sometimes the biggest victory isn't riding faster, jumping higher or doing something difficult.

Sometimes it's simply...

“I got back on.” 🥹❤️

At LC Horse Riding School, we believe that every child deserves to learn at their own pace, with patience, encouragement and a horse they can learn to trust.

Because one fall doesn't define a young rider.

Getting back up does. 🐴❤️

22/08/2026

QUESTION: A true horseman finds joy in progress, not just perfection. So have we becom etoo focused on winning and money, and lost our focus on our horse's health?

📚 Visit our bookshop: www.elaineheneybooks.com 🐴 Documentary: www.listeningtothehorse.com AD

22/08/2026

💜

22/08/2026

A lot of what we learn about a rider happens before we ever say, “Go ahead and mount”.

Experienced instructors are constantly gathering information, often without consciously thinking about it.

We notice how a student approaches the horse. Do they walk straight up without paying attention to the horse's body language, or do they actually look at the horse before entering their space?

We notice how they lead. Are they dragging the horse behind them? Being dragged themselves? Holding the lead rope in a death grip? Or quietly walking together like two individuals who understand where they are going?

We notice what happens when something doesn't go perfectly. The horse moves at the mounting block. The girth needs another hole. The reins are twisted. Another rider gets in their way.

Those tiny moments tell us an enormous amount about how that student handles frustration, pressure and problem solving.

We notice whether they listen when they aren't the one being taught. In a group lesson especially, the rider walking on the rail while someone else receives instruction may be learning just as much as the person being corrected... or absolutely nothing.

We notice whether they blame the horse. “The horse won't turn.” “He's being lazy.” “She isn't listening.” Those statements give us useful information because one of our jobs is eventually teaching riders to ask a much better question of “What am I doing that might be contributing to this?”

We notice how quickly they recover from mistakes. The strongest riders aren't necessarily the ones who make the fewest mistakes. They're often the ones who can make a mistake, recognize it, make an adjustment and keep riding without mentally unraveling over it.

We notice how they treat the horse when nobody is praising them for it. Loosening the girth after their ride. Giving the horse a moment to stand. Fixing a twisted strap. Noticing a fly bothering them. Putting equipment away correctly. Those little things matter but of course, none of this means we're sitting there secretly judging every student.

We're observing because good instruction isn't simply correcting heels, hands and diagonals. It's figuring out how this particular rider thinks, reacts, learns, communicates and problem solves, and then teaching the person standing in front of us accordingly.

What is something you find yourself noticing about a rider before the lesson has really even started?

21/08/2026

❤️

21/08/2026

Unmounted lessons shouldn't feel like something you use just to fill time.

Some of the most useful things we can teach our students happen when they are not in the saddle.

Whether it’s on camp days, rainy days, horse downtime, extra barn time, dedicated horsemanship lessons, or horsemanship carved into riding lesson times, it all give us a chance to teach the things riders often miss when every lesson is focused only on riding.

Horse care.

Safety.

Tack.

Stable management.

Anatomy.

Basic horsemanship.

The practical knowledge that helps turn someone who takes riding lessons into someone who actually understands horses.

That was another reason I wanted to create more than just mounted lesson plans. The Lesson Plan online library resources also include unmounted curriculum that can be used for camps, unmounted lessons, rainy day activities, or whenever you want to add more horsemanship education to your program.

Just like the mounted lessons, the goal was never to create busywork. I wanted activities instructors could actually use to teach something meaningful while still keeping students interested and involved.

Sometimes it is the perfect opportunity to teach the knowledge we never seem to have enough time for during a riding lesson.

If you run camps, offer unmounted lessons, or simply want more ways to teach complete horsemanship alongside your mounted program, I'll put the 🔗 to the curriculum in the comments.

20/08/2026

🐴 BEFORE WE TEACH THEM TO RIDE, WE TEACH THEM TO CONNECT. ❤️

When a child meets a horse for the first time, the lesson doesn't always begin in the saddle.

Sometimes, it begins with a gentle touch.
With learning how to groom.
With walking beside the horse.
With learning to lead, listen and communicate.
With understanding that a horse has feelings, boundaries and a personality of its own. 🐴

This is where the magic of groundwork begins. ✨

Groundwork teaches children that trust isn't something you demand — it's something you build.

It teaches patience when the horse doesn't respond immediately.
It teaches responsibility through caring for another living being.
It teaches children to pay attention to body language and communication.
And most importantly, it helps them develop a relationship with their horse based on trust, respect and understanding. ❤️

And then something beautiful happens...

The child becomes more confident.
The horse becomes more relaxed.
And together, they begin to understand each other.

Because riding isn't just about sitting on a horse.

It's about building a partnership. 🐎❤️

At LC Horse Riding School, we believe that every child's journey with horses should start with connection, confidence and trust — one step, one lesson and one beautiful moment at a time.

🌿 Riding lessons & groundwork lessons
🐴 Ages 5 years and up
📍 Kathu Equestrian Club
📞 Lucinda – 076 606 1463

Sometimes the greatest lessons happen before we ever get in the saddle. ❤️🐴

19/08/2026

🤍

19/08/2026

If we slow down , take a breath then we will realise how much our horses can teach us that is so valuable ❤️

Let the horse teach you as much as you teach the horse. 📚 Visit our bookshop: www.elaineheneybooks.com 🐴 Documentary: www.listeningtothehorse.com AD