Our Philosophy

Because of their highly intuitive nature, horses are amazing teachers for people on so many levels. Both adults and children seem to benefit from the connection and ‘grounding’ they get when being around horses.

Over the years, parents and educators have noticed the change in their children/students and have reached out to ask about the source. Since 1985, it has been a question that we have taken quite seriously.

As always, our answer is that much of the credit goes to the horse.

Many years ago, Alois Podhajsky (Olympic medalist and Chief Rider at the Spanish Riding School in Vienna from 1939-1965) once said:

Equestrian art, perhaps more than any other, is closely related to the wisdom of life. Many of the same principles may be applied as a line of conduct to follow. The horse teaches us self-control, constancy and the ability to understand what goes on in the mind and the feelings of another creature, qualities that are important throughout our lives. 

We couldn’t agree more. People who come to this sport already love horses and so developing the attributes that the horse appreciates is easy for them. This is not to suggest that it is impossible for people to acquire these behaviors in other ways but in our experience, learning this from the horse can be the quickest and a lot of fun.

The program at Harrogate is an in-depth, hands-on experience that gives riders the opportunity to understand how the horse experiences the world, and to learn about his welfare.

Through their riding lessons, students become skilled equestrians, ready to enjoy the rewards of striving for excellence. While there is no requirement, students have the opportunity to compete at horse shows and attend various clinics to continue building on their knowledge.

Since 1985, Harrogate Hills has been dedicated to improving the welfare of horses through enriching the education and character development of our students.

Our philosophy has always been that the kindest treatment of the horse is gained through knowledge, which is reflected in all our programs.

We hope you’ll join us.