Mark your space
Mark it once. Every card in equestrian starts from this space and adds what it needs.
The space
At home a stool or a rolled mat for the off-pony body exercises and floor space for the cone games. A small dressage arena is 20 m by 40 m with letter markers, at a riding school or club.
Where it fits: indoor room (knowledge and body exercises), riding school.
Kit
A helmet that meets a current safety standard, fitted and fastened, for every activity; boots with a solid raised heel and a smooth sole so the foot cannot slide through the stirrup; full-length trousers; a sleeved shirt; a body protector where relevant; gloves.
No jewellery or lanyards.
Stable kit stays at the yard.
Safety
Never walk behind an unaware pony; approach calmly and speaking, from the side the instructor shows; an adult goes with children into any horse enclosure; a coach holds the pony for the first lessons; a horse matched to the rider; tack checked for cracks and worn stitching, and stirrups that release; the girth checked before mounting and again about 15 minutes later; mount and dismount in a safe area with the horse untied; never wrap the rope or reins round the hand; keep a safe distance between horses; avoid roads, and where you must, follow the road rules with no more than two riders side by side; never ride out alone; wash hands after handling horses.
awiseathlete.com/sports/equestrian/setup