Due to the worsening weather conditions, we understand that some competitors may not be able to travel, therefore we will move the Eventers challenge to the following week, Sunday 12th February 2012. We will carry all entries forward to this date.

However the the Eventers challenge course is set up in the Olympic arena and will be available for hire on Sunday 5th February, for those who are able to travel and would like the chance to practice over the course. This will be at a discounted rate of £20 for 30 mins. Please ring to book Telephone: 01452 720288 - Show Day Telephone: 01452 726633

On Wednesday mornings from the beginning of January there has been a group of friends that have started riding together at Summerhouse. They are all wives of Forces personnel from ARRC based in Innsworth, near Gloucester. They are all from various countries across the world but all share the love of trying something new and having fun as a group. Most of them had never ridden before but they all come away with a sense of achievement and are enjoying their new hobby. There was even a husband riding in place of his wife who could not ride one week and he seemed to enjoy the lesson as much as the wives.

If you would like to start a group lesson with your friends or work colleagues or join an existing group then please contact Reception on (01452) 720288

Summerhouse has just completed its first Ladies riding morning session. The morning began with the ladies booking in at Reception and then being introduced to their horses and led into the arena. After an enjoyable first lesson they were treated to fresh coffee and cakes and a chance for the ladies to relax and meet their fellow riders in a friendly environment. All of the group were either new to riding or returning to riding after a few years. Feedback has been very positive and all the ladies enjoyed their lesson and were impressed with their instructor’s teaching style. Whether you are young or more life experienced, new to riding or a keen rider already then Summerhouse have the right horse and the right group for you.

It is has proved a very successful first morning we are looking forward to many more and other ladies joining the Ladies Morning sessions on a Tuesday morning. For more details please contact Reception on 01452 720288.

Would you like to train to become a riding instructor?

On the 8th March 2012 we are offering a great opportunity for you to learn the skills and techniques to be able to teach and to gain experience and confidence.

Click here for full details

In early November 2011, Kingsway Primary School brought 20 children, 8- 10 years of age, to start riding lessons for the very first time. They arrived full of excitement as to what lay ahead of them. Many of them had never been near a horse let alone ridden one, their excitement was infectious. After being allocated and fitted with riding hats, they were then introduced to their ponies.

The children were divided into 4 groups consisting of a 20 minutes stable management lesson followed by a 20 minute riding lesson. The 20 minute riding lesson is a good introduction to riding and fits in well with the school timetable, as part of the children’s “golden” time.

The riding lesson was a complete success and many of the children were very excited about their next lesson, the following week.

This new initiative was created through Summerhouse and it’s support for local schools and community groups and the Head of Kingsway, Mrs Paula Needham, a keen rider herself who wanted her pupils to experience riding but also how to care for animals.

Dean Close and Wycliffe College students have also begun riding with us this term on a weekly basis and we now have over 30 students from beginners to advanced riders having weekly lessons from both schools. Dean Close is keen to include their students in our new stable management programme which they will be working towards next term and gaining Summerhouse certificates as they progress.

All the students from the 3 schools have been working through criteria for achievement award certificates, which are awarded on completion of their certificate and presented twice a term. These awards are based on criteria from the Pony Club and tests their riding ability and horsemanship.

We also welcome students from Gloucester, Bristol and Bath Universities to come and learn to ride or improve on already existing skills. We recently held an Inter University Riding Event here at Summerhouse where the students competed in Show Jumping and Dressage against other Universities using our school horses.

For more information on how to involve your school with Summerhouse please contact us on 01452 720288.

Dear Summerhouse,

I would like to put into writing, my enormous gratitude for the work you have done with our pupils through the ‘Do Something Different’ funding. As an avid horse rider myself, I only wish this had been available when I was young!

Horse riding is, for most children, simply a dream they do not believe they can ever achieve and yet this project enabled 15 of our pupils to achieve their dreams and get involved in the wonderful world of horses. Many are now committed to continuing and while they may not be able to afford weekly lessons, they have spoken of a love of horses and riding and of their achievements.

One example is a young girl who hated exercise in any form at all. Her parents struggled with motivating her to get out and about and as a consequence, she was unfit and overweight at 6 years old. She rarely spoke, made little eye contact and was not happy in school with poor achievement. What a difference you have made… or should I say the horses made? She now comes and tells me about her riding, is bubbly and enthusiastic and is a successful learner. This family could never have afforded riding and did not even consider it an option but with your help, we got her involved in something she could do thus building her self-esteem and motivation.

I am 100% behind your bid for capital funding with the British Equestrian Federation and can clearly demonstrate how this investment will contribute to equine sport participation enormously. This little girl is only one of my 15 ‘success’ stories and if I could send every child to you I would. Good luck!

Yours faithfully

Headteacher

Summerhouse has got together with Groupon to offer customers the chance to try riding for the first time or to take it up after a break! The offer has included 1 hour and half experience of stable management and a riding lesson for beginners and a longer lesson for the more experienced rider.

The riders are put into groups according to their riding ability and where relevant their age. We have had a fair number of groups with sibling groups and mother/daughter, father/son groups which has made the experience more special for the customers. There have been a fair number of people who have purchased their voucher for a Christmas present or as an alternative gift for their friends or family.

This unique offer has bee taken by more than 250 people to date and we have had some very positive feedback and some new regular riders as a result of the offer. Please see some of our feedback below:

Quotes from Groupon customers

“Our instructor Suzy was very encouraging. The class she held was fun and informative”

“2 weeks later Ferris is still talking about it”

“I rode Shani a lovely comfy confidence giving horse, perfect for first lesson in a while, I really enjoyed the experience and would love to come for some more lessons could you please let me know the name of the instructor from the evening and advise when you do lessons that would suit my ability thank you.”

“I had wanted to get back in the saddle for a long time & the Groupon offer provided the ideal opportunity”

“Excellent - Suzy was friendly and very informative so it was the perfect introduction to my riding lesson – Suzy was great, tailoring the lesson perfectly to my abilities”

“Summerhouse is one of the most impressive stable yards I have visited. So friendly too – I am looking forward to my next lesson.”

“Excellent – I was so surprised you had so much to offer, I didn’t realise it was such a big place! ”

“Thank you for the great experience, I have never been to such a friendly and welcoming riding stables. The ladies working on reception were also fantastic”

“It was more than I had expected. Many thanks for getting me over my fear of horses”

On the 2nd November Summerhouse attended the “Have a go” event at Gloucester Rugby Club. The event was attended by different companies offering varying activities to enable local school pupils to “have a go” at different things. Around 500 School Children attended and most of them were eager to get up close and hands on with our ponies; Toby and Clio. The ponies were well behaved and thoroughly enjoyed all the fuss and grooming, and they were the talk of the day - even the guys on the sports stand next to us couldn’t resist coming over and learning how to groom them! Our visitors were treated to varying different activities and had the opportunity to not only handle and groom the ponies but also hear “first hand” from our Apprentices what it is like to work on a busy yard and how you can gain the different qualifications that we offer.

We certainly enjoyed meeting everyone and teaching them how to handle the ponies and we hope that everyone enjoyed spending time with the ponies and hope to see them as visitors or potential Apprentices at Summerhouse soon.

Friday 25th November
Fred has represented Sweden and has been on the gold medal winning team. He is an accredited trainer and works with many top riders in show jumping and eventing. He was also one of the trainers on the television series ‘Only Fools on Horses’! Fred has developed a modern, systematic approach which includes a clear understanding between pupil and trainer. His enthusiasm and technical clarity help riders to move on and achieve their ambitions.

Each training session will last 1 ½ hours. During this clinic you will work on Show Jump course riding, by practising a variety of exercises, this will help any horse and rider partnership to gain confidence and skills. The clinics will be split up into groups which are matched on rider ability and the height at which they are jumping.

Click here to download full details...

The Andrews Bowen arena size will be reduced from 60m to 47m as a temporary measure from 12/10/11 to 14/11/11 due to the upgrade of the 2nd indoor arena to have a new Andrews Bowen pro wax surface, new eco friendly kickboards and wall to wall mirrors on the A line.

This exciting project is yet another significant upgrade to our show centre for the benefit of our clients and we thank BEF for their contribution towards this investment.

We are pleased to announce we now have FREE WiFi available for competitors at all our shows!

Congratulations to Tom Buckland and Summerhouse Santano for 5th Place in the 4yr old SHEARWATER YOUNG DRESSAGE HORSE CHAMPIONSHIP 2011 at Hartpury Festival of Dressage on Saturday 16th July 2011 Thank you to Sara Gallop and Tom Buckland for producing Santa to such a high standard. Also to Bryony for his excellent care and presentation. Sara and Tom have worked well with Ali and Roland Fernyhough and Carl Hester to produce this exciting prospect for the future

We wish them the best of luck for the Badminton Young Horse Final on Tues 19th July 2011 and The Shearwater Potential International Dressage Horse 4 year old Final at DRESSAGE DELUXE NATIONAL DRESSAGE CHAMPIONSHIPS 17th September 2011

Summerhouse Santano is a 4yr old German Warmblood (s. Sandro Hit, d. Brentano). Sara Gallop found Santa as a 2yr old with Ali Fernyhough and has produced him at Summerhouse with help from Tom, Roland and Carl

Congratulations to Bryony Morris and Summerhouse Wilane for their success at Hand Equestrian Centre 2nd July 2011

Summerhouse Wilane is an 8yr old Dutch mare owned and ridden last year by Helen Gallop and ridden this year by Bryony whilst Helen expands the Summerhouse Training Group and its delivery of work based learning and Apprenticeships to employers throughout England