In our latest blog post, Charley Camp, Head Riding Coach at Bryanston Prep, explores the importance of equine therapy and pony care and discusses how horse riding helps children’s personal growth, resilience, physical strength and also their wellbeing…
Riding and horses are an integral part of school life at Bryanston Prep and has been since the school was founded in the 1950s. With an on-site Equestrian Centre, home to 13 ponies, there is a unique opportunity offered to pupils, with teaching from highly qualified riding instructors.
Let’s start with congratulating you on taking over the role of Head Riding Coach at Bryanston Prep. When and why did you start riding?
To be honest, I can’t really remember starting, because it all felt so natural. I think I was interested from a really young age because my mum was a coach and groom at a high level, so I was surrounded by horses right from the start. I have always loved riding, but I don’t think I really knew I wanted to develop a career in equestrianism until much later on. I went to University to study Maths, but quickly realised that sitting at a laptop and being in a classroom or lecture theatre, wasn’t quite for me! I moved to doing an apprenticeship in horse care and management and everything evolved naturally from there.
Can you tell us a little bit about your career to date and what brought you to Bryanston?
My apprenticeship at Wellington Riding led to a job at Berkshire Riding Centre, where I progressed from Junior Instructor to Chief Instructor over the course of three years. The role involved me running the Yard, the training, the pony care, and overseeing the lessons. I have also done some freelancing in coaching and riding. I am currently doing my Level 4 and Master’s in ‘Professional Practice in Sports Coaching’ alongside Sophie Starr, Bryanston’s Director of Riding.
Can you describe a day in the life in your role and talk us through what a typical day looks like?
Every day is completely different, and we must be reactive to what’s going on around us.
A typical morning often starts with the horses getting fed and poo picking in the Yard – which is exactly how it sounds! As Head Coach I tend to have various meetings, for example at the moment I am focusing on looking at developing our SEN support programme and the various performance pathways through riding – so meetings are focused on this development. At breaktime, all pupils can come and groom the ponies and plait, whilst under the care of a member of the team. Reception children have a weekly pony care lesson, and Upper and Lower Prep enjoy breaktime grooming sessions.
Horses have a remarkable role to play in developing character and key life skills in young people. This is why we are an approved ‘Changing Lives through Horses’ centre and run our programme alongside the curriculum. We currently have several pupils taking this course, which helps develop important life skills.
Children from Reception through to Year 8 can have riding lessons and we offer riding as a weekly extra. Local hacks alternate with lessons on the all-weather surface arena and when ground conditions are suitable, the show jumping field.
How does Bryanston help support the riders at Bryanston Prep and further into the senior school?
Riding is very much focused on pupil experience and priority is given not only to the quality of coaching and rider development but also to the personal growth and wellbeing that a relationship with a horse enables. We believe that our riding opportunities enable pupils not only to become better riders and horsemen and women, but also teach valuable life skills.
We regularly take prep school pupils to the senior school to spend time at the Equestrian Centre there and with the older pupils. We want to do everything we can to encourage younger and older pupils to learn together, and to help the transition from prep to senior feel more natural.
Polo is an optional extra for our pupils and takes place at the esteemed Dorset Polo Club.
How do you encourage and support pupils of all ages and abilities to learn?
All our riding sessions are determined according to ability within year groups. Our approach is really individualised; we adapt our coaching method to best suit the pupil. There is also the option for private lessons at weekends.
There’s a strong tradition for horse riding at the prep school. How many pupils currently take lessons?
About 45 currently take lessons and there has been a strong uptake recently in pre-prep.
Thinking about the importance of nature and outdoor learning, what would you say are the physical benefits of horse riding for our pupils, as well as considering the mental and emotional benefits?
Horse riding is proven to help build resilience and studies have shown that horses offer a calming impact to people. When you combine this with learning, horse riding and wider pony care can offer children a respite from the classroom, especially those with special educational needs, who can just really benefit from half an hour away from the classroom and taking a breath outdoors with the ponies.
In terms of physicality, horse riding is great for strength… You can work muscles that you didn’t even know you had!
What impact do animals have on children’s learning?
Working with and spending time with animals can help children develop empathy and be kind to each other.
Spending time with our horses helps them to understand other beings, think about how they feel and learn how to express themselves if they can’t use words.
I think horses are truly soulful beings. They can see through us and empathise with us, and children can learn from this.
Equine therapy is often talked about as an increasingly effective method for helping both children and adults. Why would you say there is so much media attention on ponies being good for children?
Working with horses helps children read emotions, understand animals and empathise with them. Lessons can teach how to ride, how to groom the ponies, as well as learning more about poisonous plants and other things that should be kept an eye on in the Yard, and other important stable management activities. Pupils learn about the names of the horses’ bones in their bodies, how to use the different brushes to look after the horses, about their digestive system – and so much more! There is such a wide variety to what they learn here.
Can you describe Bryanston Prep’s Equestrian Centre in three words?
Calming, caring, community.
