Young Equestrians kicked off at Follifoot Park this Easter with 16 riders taking part in an afternoon packed full of activities!

To start, the group had a go at some Zumba routines. Zumba combines aerobic cardiovascular exercise with upbeat latin music, making it a fun total body work out for everyone to try. Some of the YEs hadn’t tried Zumba before, including Hayley:

 “I really enjoyed the friendly buzz in the air and having a laugh when playing games and doing Zumba was a great idea”

The sun was shining but took a turn for the worst with some heavy showers but everyone remained dry in the arena and the stables for the ridden and stable management sessions.

The stable management focussed on practising pulling manes and trimming feathers. There were some very woolly ponies shedding their winter coat and the girls made great use of the rubber curry comb to get them looking spic and span!

The ridden group were nice and dry in the indoor arena, they had to cheer extra loud during the ridden pony games to drown out the noise of the rain on the roof. The girls worked really well together to help their team to win the races.

After riding the group discussed ideas for future YE activities, this included fundraising for local charities, cross country sessions, vaulting and TREC demonstrations (with a have a go sessions afterwards), plus Pilates sessions and clipping clinics – giving them lots to cover over the next few months! A few members of the group are considering going to equine colleges so would be keen to develop their equine knowledge and skills through YELA, ABRS tests and EQL qualifications.

“I had lots of fun doing Zumba, it was something new and fun! I can’t wait to learn new skills and spend time with all the horses!” Steph, 16

The afternoon was a huge success despite the wet weather; we caught up with Julie Pedley, proprietor, to get her take on the session:

“We are very excited about Young Equestrians. It is great to start a new project and our riders are very enthusiastic – as are the staff team! There has always been a drop off with teenage riders and I think a fresh approach will help keep interest. It has really made us consider new activities and ideas. We are looking forward to our group developing and seeing our Young Equestrians learn whilst having fun!”

We look forward to hearing more from Follifoot Park’s YE group in the coming months!