"It delights me to say that I have now passed all of the required exams to achieve the BHSAI qualification.
I could not have done it without the help and support from the team at Kingston Riding Centre. When I started working at Kingston Riding Centre, the riding exam seemed a distant dream, having once been told that I would never reach the required level! Within 9 months of being at Kingston Riding Centre, I passed my preliminary teaching test (PTT), stage 3 care, both taken in April 2014 and my stage 3 riding.
Thank you to the Kingston Riding Centre team for helping me to achieve this qualification which I started training towards 10 years ago!"
- Kelly Lessel BHSAI (British Horse Society Assistant Instructor)
"Dear all at KRC,
My daughter has been riding for nearly 2 years now and it's only since she has been attending classes at KRC that she has really excelled. She wanted to become a competent rider and learn how to care for horses and in just a few short months, thanks to the informative and proficient teachers, she has developed a broad range od skills and has become a much more confident rider.
Cilla and the rest of the staff always takes a very hands on approach and have created a helpful and friendly enviroment in which my daughter has not only been able to learn but also have a lot of fun.
Thanks to all the staff!!"
- Rosina and Katrina Endfield
"Dear Nicky and all at Kingston Riding Centre,
Thank you so much for all my recent riding lessons! You have taken an absolute beginner, who would recoil if a horse turned it's head towards him, and turned him into a real horse lover who, on a good day at least, can canter!
Quite an achievement considering the total novice you had to deal with, and the fact that it all happened within a month. I am grateful for all your patience and great tuition. I didn't know what to expect, but from my first lesson with Sarah I loved the whole experience. The Horse and Hound feature was meant to be about whether or not men are somehow excluded in the riding school world. I have to say I never felt this and only felt very welcome and encouraged by everyone.
I hope I've done justice in the feature. If it doesn't come out as you imagined you can give me a hard time when I come back for more lessons and hacks in the future!
It was a great month and the start of a lifetime of riding. Thank you very much"
- Rob
"I really love my lessons at KRC. The teachers are always looking to push me on and develop my riding. After every half hour I walk away having learnt or done something new. I am a relatively competent rider and it is great to find teachers wantiong to challenge me."
- Sarah Chadwick
"After being introduced to Kingston Riding Centre by my partner, I quickly began to take riding lessons. My first 'go' was with Anna and on 'the lunge', after which i was hooked!
Jodie McKay became my teacher as I progressed through a number of school horses. By now my confidence and abilities got me thinking about owning my own horse. I can not praise KRC enough as through then I have been able to realise a passion that I was unaware I had. Joe Mastrianno got to hear that I was looking for a suitable horse and shortly introduced me to 'Silver', a 16.6hh Irish Draught Horse. It was with the constant help and advice of KRC that I decided to purchase 'Silver' and I could not be happier. Being lucky enough to keep 'Silver' at Kingston Riding Centre was a huge consideration at the time of purchase.
After 18 months of riding I am still a relative 'beginner' and having all the help and advice that has been constantly available has proved to be invaluable. I am a very happy hacker."
- Gary Davis
"Dear Lynne and Joe,
For some time I have been meaning to write and tell you how much and for how long I have valued your wonderful riding centre.
I began having lessons with you more than 20 years ago, "just to brush up my technique"!
I soon realised how little I knew and how much your expert staff could teach me. My regular weekly lessons are still the highlight of my week and I am always given a lovely horse. Although there are a number of stables much nearer to my home none of them match up to the standards you have set and I hope to be riding with you for many more years.
With thanks"
- Janey Sharratt
"Dear all at KRC,
After 7 and a half years riding at KRC Jane and I are moving on to pastures new. Next week we are leaving the smoke and going to Devon. Before we came to KRC we'd never been on a horse before. Over the years with your coaching and support we've become both confident and fans of horse riding (despite the odd spill). We will now be able to reap the rewards of our effort on the hills of Exmoor.
We'd like the thank everyone at KRC, particularly Cillah and Keith for all their encouragment and help over the years and of course we'll miss the horses.
Best wishes for the future."
- Jane and Melvyn
