Equestrian

Welcome to the Equestrian Club!

We have opportunities suitable for everyone whether you're an expierienced rider or have no experience but just want to spend some time with animals and get out of the city! Our main regular sessions are riding lessons and RDA volunteering. We also offer hacks in the beautiful Pentland hills, and have a range of socials including regular meet ups at Pilgrim Bar who are sponsoring us this year. Read on to find out more about what we have on offer!

1. Riding Lessons

We offer regular lessons with Lasswade Riding Centre. There's two groups and we'll split riders based on ability so you can get the most out of your lessons and ride with students of similar abilities. Lasswade have amazing horses and ponies, and do flatwork lessons, jumping lessons and occasional hacks too.

2. Volunteering with Riding for the Disabled Association

Looking to learn about horses but not sure about riding yet? Want to get some volunteering experience with animals and people? RDA is great for any level of experience and they offer training to allow you to gain more confidence and knowledge about horse care and management. You'll learn new skills, make a difference, meet new people, be part of a team, enjoy the outdoors, and have a great addition to your CV!

(Taken from Volunteer - Riding for the Disabled Association (RDA))

"…Volunteering for RDA has given me a purpose and a new direction in life. I can honestly say it is the best thing I have ever done…" - RDA Volunteer

You'll pick a day and time slot which you'll ideally go every week or two (e.g. Sunday afternoons). There's different things going on each day so speak to us if you have something you particularly want to get out of the sessions - weekday evenings are great if you want to get more experience with handling horses and working with customers of the riding lessons, Saturday mornings involve this plus more horse care, whilst Sunday evenings are relatively quiet and more about the stable and field maintenance. There's no limit to how many sessions you can attend, so if you want to go to multiple then that's all the more experience for you, and RDA will welcome you and value any amount of help you can offer. This is our most accessible option for anyone wanting to get involved with the club.

3. Polo lessons

In the past, we've also organised polo lessons! This is an exhilerating team sport that will really test your team work, and give you a whole lot of new abilities and confidence with your riding. It is something you should have definitely tried once (and you will probably find yourself coming back again and again).

4. Hacks

Is there any better way to spend a weekend than trekking up at the Pentlands with a group of fellow riders? (Of course not!) We offer hacking as and when you want it with, usually with the Exmoor Trekking Centre. These are split into shorter walks which are perfect for the beginner or anyone wanting a more relaxed and sociable ride, or they can offer longer faster rides too. They offer a student discount too.

Check out their website for more information about the hacks at the Edinburgh University Exmoor Pony Trekking

5. Socials

We're sponsored by Pilgrim bar this year, and we have a calendar of regular social events with them including pub quizzes and DJs, there have also been occasional days out to the races, just like simple well being hikes through the Pentlands. Keep an eye out on our social media to see what's happening!

6. More socials and fundraising for charity

We also also had other events such as hikes and BBQs in the past, and we try to include as much as we can so we're always open to suggestions for more! We'd love to do more fundraising for horsey charities such as World Horse Welfare and the BROOKE, not only because it's a great experience but it gives you a chance to make connections in the horsey world and learn about the value of horses for reasons such as sustainability, gender equality and food security. If you'd like to learn more about this, head over to their websites to find out why horses and donkeys are so vital and get in touch with us to register interest in planning a fundraiser. We can offer guidance or help put together a team of like-minded people to help you out with a challenge event, fundraiser event within the club, or even fundraiser involving the whole university or beyond!

Our members have even worked with these charities for their honours dissertation, so keep an open mind with all the possibilities that can come from joining this club!

If you're interested in joining, or want to find out more, send us and email or get in touch with our Instagram page where we also post more regular updates on what we have on offer. We'll see you sooon! :)

Accessibility Information

Equestrian Accessibility