Side Saddle Area 1

Last weekend saw me heading for the first time to Side Saddle Association Area 1 up in Northern Scotland. Geographically, Area 1 has always been a challenging area to get events going, due to the remote nature of the area, so it was really rewarding to have 20 lessons across two days of clinics, with a lot of riders new to side-saddle wanting to give it a go.

Day One was held at Lady Luck Equestrian Centre, Insch, Aberdeenshire and it provided an excellent indoor arena, with a good viewing area for the spectators- there was quite a gathering of individuals keen to learn from the ground more about riding side-saddle. I had a couple of familiar faces having lessons who have attended clinics in neighbouring Area 9, though most of the riders were unknown to me before the day, with quite a number being brand new to side-saddle. When I have new clients, I always like to start off by finding out a little about horse and rider, which gives me a good idea of their capabilities. I like to establish whether the horse has any quirks or bad habits, how old the horse is, whether horse and rider compete together and if so, in which discipline. I will then assess the horse’s confirmation and build so that I can select a suitable saddle for horse and rider if they don’t have their own saddle. If they do have their own saddle, I will always check that for fit and safety before getting underway with the lesson.

We had a really fabulous day- the enthusiasm and camaraderie was infectious, and we had great results with some very impressive newbies and more established riders getting themselves set up and prepared for the forthcoming show season.

I couldn’t help wondering if Day Two would live up to the same levels as day One but I needn’t have worried. We were at Shoemakers Stables near Peterhead for Day Two and it was also a really beautiful venue, with a huge, light, airy indoor school. We were very glad to be indoors as it was very stormy outside, though this didn’t deter any of the riders from attending. In the same way as yesterday, all riders immersed themselves in the experience and it was another very successful day with all riders from both days really keen to keep the momentum up and keep going with learning and progressing more. It was particularly encouraging to have a few children taking part, often making it all look very easy.

I’m excited to be back up in Area 1 again on 31st March.

Penny