School Riding Expeditions

School Riding Expeditions

There really is something about the outside of a horse that is good for the inside of a man (apologies to Sir Winston Churchill for the misquote).

At first glance Venture Co’s mounted expeditions progress through three phases, described here as GB1, GB2 and the expedition itself. But there’s really more to it than that: completing an expedition takes a rider on a personal journey where they are part of a team, with a shared objective; they put themselves a long way out of their comfort zone and challenge themselves by riding unfamiliar horses, in unfamiliar habitats using unfamiliar tack (note the plural: Dartmoor (GB2) is ‘foreign’ to many riders, and always an interesting place to ride. Over the last twenty years Venture Co has gathered together a unique group of overseas partners; the people who own the horses and employ the wranglers who you will meet, and this is perhaps the most subtle aspect of the expedition: rubbing shoulders with local countrymen who love their horses, love their wilderness and like nothing more than sharing it with small groups of visiting riders. These guys ride working horses every day of their lives; the way they tack up, groom and even tie a knot is different from how we do it in the UK. Not better or worse; not right or wrong, just different. This is an example of the cultural exchange that flows horseman to horseman.

The very nature of the expedition means it ties in with the geography syllabus and history syllabus; there’s usually a foreign language aspect and the entire subject of ‘personal development’ is a major aspect. There are so many parts of a riding expedition, but I think the real pleasure is in the detail.

Venture Co has been organising riding expeditions for the British Horse Society (BHS) since 2001 pioneering a new style of expedition travel. The BHS are an exacting partner and require horse welfare to be of the highest standard, route planning must be faultless and delivery utterly professional. If Venture Co brings all these ingredients to the table, add in properly-prepared young riders and the alchemy that follows is nothing short of astonishing. Young people blossom and develop into confident expedition members and you will see that joining a mounted expedition is life-enhancing: a grand claim but just ask any of our past participants.

No two expeditions are the same: each school has its priorities, aims and objectives. Every aspect of what we do is controlled in-house, so we are entirely flexible. Below you’ll find three examples of mounted expeditions. Do please open a dialogue and discover what we can provide for you.