HORSE RIDING DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME
A structured equestrian training programme for teenage riders who want more than lessons — access to multiple horses, real responsibility, and a clear pathway from riding to producing and competing. No horse ownership required.
What this programme is
Serious equestrian training for serious teenage riders.
One of the biggest barriers for teenage riders who want to progress is not ability — it is access. Access to the right horses. Access to time on the yard. Access to coaches who actually know them and have a plan for where they are going.
Our Horse Riding Development Programme at Minninnooka is built around that access. Based at our riding school in Surrey, it gives teen riders a structured, consistent monthly programme — riding multiple horses, developing real horsemanship skills, and working toward producing and competing a horse of their own.
This is a different offer from a weekly riding lesson. It is a proper equestrian training programme: a plan, a pathway, a community and a set of horses matched carefully to where each rider is and where they are going.
"The riders who develop the fastest are the ones who take genuine responsibility for a horse. That partnership changes everything."
Horse riding without owning a horse
You do not need to own a horse to ride seriously and develop quickly. Riders on our programme have access to a string of well-matched horses at Minninnooka — developing feel, adaptability and real horsemanship in a way that only comes from riding multiple horses with purpose and guidance. We provide the horses. You bring the commitment.
The rider's journey
From riding lessons to producing and competing
Every rider on the programme follows the same arc — at their own pace, with coaching at every step. There is no rush to the next stage, and no moving on before the foundation is solid.
What riders develop
More than riding skills
The programme develops the whole rider — technique, horsemanship, responsibility and real confidence.
The rider develops
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Riding technique — position, balance and feel across multiple horses
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The ability to assess a horse and understand what it needs
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Schooling and flatwork to develop softness and responsiveness
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Horse management — fitness, welfare and preparation
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Problem-solving, patience and independence
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A genuine partnership built through time and consistency
Our coaches provide
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Careful matching of horse to rider at each stage
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A clear production plan built around horse and rider together
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Guided sessions with direct coaching throughout
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Honest feedback on progress — horse and rider
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Support through challenges, behavioural or technical
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Competition preparation and guidance when the time comes
Areas of learning — 14 & over
A full programme, not just lessons
Six areas that together build a genuinely complete young horsewoman or horseman.
Young Horses
Working alongside horses in early training — handling, ground work and introduction to being ridden. Develops patience, feel and genuine horsemanship.
Riding & Flatwork
Position, balance, collection and feel developed progressively across a variety of horses and different schooling challenges.
Horsemanship
Horse care, management and welfare developed through real daily yard involvement and genuine responsibility.
Retraining
Understanding how to reshape a horse's responses and rebuild its confidence. Develops the ability to read behaviour and communicate clearly with sensitive or complex animals.
Fitness
Understanding the physical demands of riding — core strength, balance, stamina — and how to develop them as part of the programme.
Competition
Preparation, match-day management and learning to get the best from a horse and from yourself when it counts.
Monthly packages
Choose your commitment
Two options for riders aged 11 and over, both giving consistent access to coaching, horses and the yard.
Part Time Squad Member
£400
PER MONTH
Regular, structured development
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One coached session per week
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Access to a larger selection of horses
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Full weekend yard access when coach is present
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Riding and horsemanship development
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Individual progression plan
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Guided horse time beyond formal sessions
Includes off-site competitions at own cost
Full Squad Member
£550
PER MONTH
Maximum development and immersion
Two coached sessions per week
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Access to a larger selection of horses
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Full yard access when coach is present
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Full range of learning areas including young horse and retraining work
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Individual progression plan reviewed monthly
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Involvement in horse production from early stages to competition
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Includes all at-home lessons and sessions
Excludes off-site competitions
Who this is for
You don't need to own a horse.
You do need to be committed.
This programme is for teenage riders who want more than a weekly lesson — who want structured development, real responsibility and genuine progress with a plan. Entry is assessed individually.
"We are not looking for the most experienced rider. We are looking for the rider who is ready to take responsibility seriously and put in the work that real development requires."
Places are offered on a rider-by-rider basis. We look for a positive attitude, consistent attendance and a genuine willingness to learn — both in the saddle and on the yard.
Minninnooka is a riding school in Surrey offering a structured Horse Riding Development Programme for teenage riders aged 11 and over. Our equestrian training programme provides horse riding lessons for teenagers alongside genuine horsemanship development and competition preparation — without the need to own a horse. Based in Chobham, Surrey, we are one of the few riding academies in the region to offer teen riders consistent, coached access to a string of horses as part of a structured monthly programme. Whether your child is a developing rider looking for their next step or simply passionate about horses and ready to go further, our teen rider development programme gives them the access, the coaching and the community to make real progress.