Goldstar, Burbank

Traditional Equitation School's experienced trainers introduce bipeds to equine-style movement with a teaching method approved by the prestigious British Horse Society. The team guides students toward saddled proficiency with three riding programs that include jumping, dressage, and Western riding styles. Private and semiprivate classes allow budding equestrians to experience one-on-one instruction, and group classes let them constructively critique the way other students ride into the sunset. Instructors also focus on younger riders with toddler classes and day camps, where they illuminate horse breeds and general horse handling.

Lessons take place at a 72-acre equestrian show-and-boarding facility, stretched across small and large grass fields surrounded by oaks and pines. Riders rest on an outdoor patio, practice skills on weather-resistant footing, and ride late into the evening under powerful floodlights. In order to mount one of the school’s horses, students must be in good health, don a helmet, riding boots, and jeans or breeches, and resist the temptation to wear a horse costume and befriend the steeds. While the school strives to accommodate riders of all experience levels, its facilities are not equipped to accommodate riders with physical, sensory, or cognitive disabilities.