Lessons

Debbie regularly teaches at selected Equestrian Centres in the Edinburgh / Glasgow / Stirling area and also offers private lessons for people at their own home or yard.

Debbie is a BHS qualified Riding Instructor, Ride Safe Trainer and Accredited Professional Coach www.bhs.org.uk. She makes safety and welfare her priorities, building confidence with progressive sessions allowing riders to work at their own pace. Clients are also protected by MDM Equestrian’s full third party and public liability insurance as well as professional indemnity insurance for advice given. She trains horses and riders at all levels - from those recovering from major set backs, starting out again and needing confidence restored to return to being ‘happy hackers’ - to those keen to iron out the subtle performance glitches that are holding them back from greater competition success.

Lesson Prices

Individual Private Lesson* at own yard or home - £65 within 15 miles of Biggar

Individual Private Lesson* at own yard or home - £65 plus 45p per mile other areas

Series of Private Lessons* at one yard or home - £25 - £45 per person depending on numbers + share mileage

Clinic and Group Lessons* fee depends on location and numbers and duration.

Payment - cash or cheque at the end of the lesson - cancellation fee applies.

* Available regularly in Scotland 'central belt' area eg. around Edinburgh, Biggar, Peebles, West Linton, Lothians and Borders, Fife, Clackmannanshire, Lanarkshire, Peebleshire, around Stirling, Stirlingshire etc. Other areas possible by special arrangement

Debbie says;

“Every horse and rider is an individual and each partnership unique. I have a naturally sympathetic and understanding approach and use only positive coaching techniques. In my experience consistent and lasting improvements are best achieved by encouraging horses and riders to progress at their own pace, depending on their initial level of skill, ability and fitness and the time they have to ride or work together each week.

There are many different ways of communicating with your horse and great variety in the aids which can be applied to request every movement. I aim to find the aids which best suit each partnership and teach riders how to apply these in the most efficient manner at the right time.

Every horse (and every rider!) has his or her own ‘bad habits’ or foibles and ways of avoiding the physical demands of ‘correct’ movement. I teach riders how to become aware of and correct these in themselves and their horse and how to encourage their horse to move freely forward, maintain straightness, bend, rhythm and outline with active hindquarters and supple soft shoulders, relaxing the ‘topline’ and using his or her back and legs properly, building stronger and more evenly toned muscles.”

I have not yet met the person or horse who cannot improve, however slightly, from lesson to lesson. Everyone gets ‘homework’ exercises to do and we aim to build up to perfection in an infinite series of ‘baby steps’!

I never forget that riding should be enjoyable for all concerned. Are you fed up riding aimlessly around the arena at home hoping no-one is watching when things go wrong? Do you have a ‘great trot’ but ‘disastrous canter’? Do you have difficulty ‘getting or maintaining an outline’? Are your transitions a bit bumpy? Do you fancy having a go at dressage or dressage to music but not sure how to start? Would you like to try a bit of jumping? Are you already competing, but want to move up a level? Are you getting stuck, feel you are in a rut or no longer having all the fun and pleasure from your horse that you used to have or hoped for when you bought him/her?

Whatever your level, if you want to ride with more confidence; improve your skills or your horse's performance – give me a call and let’s see what we can do!”