Sanctuary for horse and rider

By Carol Saffer

The Ballan and District Adult Riders Club has launched a unique way of encouraging new and novice riders back into horse riding while supporting a worthy charity close to their hearts.

The local horse-riding group, which typically meets one Saturday a month for riding lessons and socialising, decided a monthly mid-week clinic might appeal to riders with limited weekend availability.

Horse Shepherd Equine Sanctuary at Gordon, is the clinic’s venue.

Maxine Wilkinson, organiser and coordinator of the Working Equitation Clinics, said, “by hosting our clinics at Horse Shepherd Equine Sanctuary, we enjoy their wonderful horse-riding facilities and support a charity that means a lot to our club.”

“Horse Shepherd Equine Sanctuary rescues unwanted horses and ponies, rehabilitates them and offers adoption of suitable steads to loving homes,” she said.

“All riders attending our Working Equitation clinics pay a facility fee to support the Sanctuary.”

The new endeavour has been so successful that most months, the clinics are booked out.

The clinics explore a riding style called Working Equitation, a fun way to train horses, focusing on classical dressage around obstacles seriously.

Horses are ridden through, around and over barriers whilst maintaining a calm and balanced relationship.

Margaret Anderson, a high-level dressage and Working Equitation instructor conducts the clinics

She has extensive experience and helps encourage and support riders and horses of all levels, from novice to advanced,

“Regardless of horse riding style, whether you’re a show jumper, dressage rider, barrel racer or trail rider, you need to have your horse’s trust; and you need to be able to trust your horse,” Ms Anderson said.

“These are skills Margaret can help you develop during our Working Equitation Clinics,” Ms Wilkinson said.

“I have a young horse at the start of his ridden career and I will take him to a lesson with Margaret, and she will instruct me on how to ride and control my horse around other horses and also the many obstacles of the Equitation course.”

Ms Wilkinson said it is wonderful when your young horse accepts you and trusts you to walk over a bridge or through a barricade.

“Having a horse’s trust is enlightening; I think only other horse people would truly understand.”

For more details about the Ballan and District Adult Riders Club or the Working Equitation Clinics, see Ballan and District Adult Riders Club Facebook page.