On Thursday 18 January I was lucky enough to be able to take a group of Year Six pupils from Hugh Gaitskell Primary School on a horse riding experience to Back Lane Stables in Farnley.
First of all, the children had a tour of the stables and met some of the larger horses. Then it was time for them to partner up and meet the pony that had been allocated to them. As you can see from the photographs, the children led their own ponies to the arena and this was their first taste of success.
After reaching the arena, one from each pair mounted the pony (with support from the amazing staff at the stables) and the other from the pair led the pony around. Everyone who attended learnt how to make their pony walk and stop and had a turn at trotting too.
Only one of the children had ever ridden a horse before and, as you can imagine, many of them were very nervous and even a bit frightened. I am proud to say that every child overcame their fears and embraced this new experience. They not only learnt about ponies and horses and how to ride but also learnt a valuable lesson in how to overcome their own nerves and fears and embrace new experiences. The children were true ‘brave hearts’ and are a credit to the school and their parents and families.
This post was written by Jacquie Padgett, Deputy Headteacher, using our Create an article for South Leeds Life page.
