Fun School Holiday Activities for Children

In conjunction with the NSW Department of Sport & Recreation, Tassiriki Ranch now offers accredited sessions during the school holidays for school children aged 10-16 years. These sessions offer a fun safe opportunity for kids to learn about horses.

Each session lasts around 3 hours and touches on horse safety, horse behaviour, methods of grooming and saddling, basic riding instruction, and culminates with a fun one hour group trail ride to the beach and back.

On arrival the children are fitted with safety helmets and riding boots then move into a fenced area to begin the class. They spend around an hour learning about horses, horse safety, horse behaviour, and watch a demonstation on grooming, saddling, mounting, and riding a horse.

The saddles are then individually adjusted for each child's safety and comfort and the children mount their horses one at a time and receive further one-on-one tuition from a certified instructor. The children then have a short practice riding session and when everyone is feeling comfortable it's off to the beach for the trail ride.

The ride leaves directly from the Ranch proceeding in single file at the walk through the cane fields and bush reserve and down onto the beach. On the beach the children are encouraged to spread out and ride their horses into and out of the ocean. Depending upon the experience of the group there may be an opportunity to trot and canter the horses. The ride proceeds north along South Ballina Beach for 15 minutes or so. The group then returns back to the Ranch at the walk via the same route.

After the ride the children are invited to enjoy a cold soft drink and some nibbles to celebrate their achievement.

Sessions are coordinated by the NSW Department of Sport & Recreation each school holiday season. Contact your local DS&R office for details of upcoming activity schedules.

A group of children watch a riding demonstration

Riding through the cane fields to the beach

The session culminates in a group trail ride on beautiful
South Ballina Beach.