Before you ride

Pegasus Riding Academy takes 7 year old and up for Group Lessons, and usually 5 years old and above for Private Lessons. Our youngest rider on record started riding at 4 years and 3 months old, and our most senior rider is 72 years old. It's never too early or too late to make a start!

Safety: Even though we love what we do and our classes are fun, it's important to make sure that all riders listen to staff, and coaches at all times and not just when riding, but all times when on the grounds of the academy.Riding equipment: A yellow-taggable riding helmet, a body protector and appropriate riding boots are essential whenever riding at Pegasus. Pegasus supplies riding gear for the trial, with suitable equipment and fit checked before your visit. Ongoing riders need their own required gear; please discuss equipment and fit with us before you come.What to wear: Riders are outdoors for lessons so need to be prepared for the weather and stay warm and dry. We ask all riders to wear tight, long pants, warm top, and any jackets that are no longer than hip length. We ride in light rain as well so sometimes a dry change of clothes may be a clever idea to bring along for after the lesson concludes.Footwear: All riders are required to wear riding boots without exception. Horses move about so the right footwear is important for safety.Parents/Guardians: Parents and/or guardians are expected to remain whilst minors are riding for safety precautions. In the event of injury or sudden illness of a child, parents should be on hand. We take every precaution to ensure our classes are safe and fun, however we are with animals that have minds and actions of their own at times.

No, you don't need to buy your own horse to begin with. We have extremely well-trained school ponies that we take immense care to match with their riders.

When you have reached a higher level, it's best that you consistently work with one horse and start some form of competition which Pegasus Riding Academy will support you with.

Pegasus supplies riding gear for the trial, with suitable equipment and fit checked before you visit. For ongoing lessons, riders need their own required gear. A yellow-taggable riding helmet, body protector and appropriate riding boots are essential. Please discuss equipment and fit with us before buying or coming to ride.

A new-rider trial assessment is $88 for 45 minutes, available once per rider. The current ordinary private single-lesson rate is $199. Ordinary term enrolments below ten lessons use the applicable single rate; ten or more may use the applicable package for the format and frequency. Ask us for the current price list and a quote for your booking, including group or semi-private single lessons.

Pegasus Riding's horses are selected by professionals and finely tuned by our coaching team to ensure that the horses have the highest training quality and safety. However, the equestrian sport has its own inherent risks and depends on the co-operation between the rider and the horse, so there is no guarantee that you will not fall off your horse. We do have a very high standard of health and safety and with high quality, protective equipment and practices in place, we take every step that we can to protect our riders and staff from serious injury.

For riders with weekday flexibility, the Off-Peak Private 10 Pack is $1,190 for fixed weekday lesson times before 3:45 pm, excluding school holidays. Missed lessons cannot be rescheduled or made up, and the pack does not qualify for the Perfect Attendance Award. Please ask us to confirm the applicable package terms and a suitable time.

Please tell us the rider’s height, weight and riding experience when you enquire. A suitable match depends on the individual rider and the horses or ponies available. Elise makes horse and pony allocation decisions. Please contact us to discuss the rider’s requirements before a lesson is confirmed.

Please contact us if you are unsure whether your confirmed lesson is going ahead. We check the current lesson arrangements and any school or coach decision. Where a forecast check is needed, we use MetService’s hourly forecast for Dairy Flat during the actual lesson hours: rain must be strictly below 2.5 mm per hour and wind gusts strictly below 40 km/h, both together. At or above either threshold, or if the information is missing or unclear, the responsible coach or school reviews the lesson; this does not automatically mean cancellation. Current on-site safety concerns and a confirmed school decision take priority. A school cancellation does not use an ordinary term rider’s cancellation allowance. Please speak with us about trial weather concerns.

For ordinary term lessons, each rider has one eligible cancellation or reschedule per term. Give notice before 5 pm on the preceding business day: Monday–Friday, excluding New Zealand public holidays. Tuesday counts even though the school is normally closed that day.For a second or later cancellation, a medical certificate is required to retain the lesson credit; otherwise it is forfeited unless a specific exception is agreed. A relevant certificate received before the lesson starts can preserve credit even for late notice; this does not cover a no-show. School cancellations do not use the rider allowance. Trials, Own a Pony Day, holiday products, Off-Peak packs and make-ups have their own applicable rules—please ask us about your booking.

Lessons need to start promptly and sharply at the time they are set. If the rider arrives late, the class will still finish at the time it was set for due to other lessons commencing immediately after. For efficiency and fairness to all our coaches, staff and other riders, we keep our schedules set for this reason and do not under any circumstances extend classes to make up for a late arrival.

The $88 trial assessment is 45 minutes, available once to each new rider and normally one-to-one. Please arrive 15 minutes before the riding start for a briefing. Your coach assesses your starting level and recommends suitable next steps. Pegasus supplies trial riding gear, with fit checked before you visit. Group placement and future times depend on assessment and availability.

Contact us with the rider’s details and preferred days and times. We will check a suitable lesson and provide the applicable price and payment information. An agreed provisional hold is separate from a confirmed booking; new bookings are confirmed after verified prepayment or a specific agreed funded arrangement. Please follow the exact arena and entrance directions in your confirmation, arrive at the advised time and visit by appointment. The property is a working farm, so no walk-ins.