about Terrey Hills Riding School
More than riding. A genuine understanding of horses.

For us, horses have always been at the heart of what we do.
At Terrey Hills Riding School, we believe that learning to ride is only one part of learning about horses. Our aim is to help riders become confident, capable and empathetic horse people — developing not only their riding skills, but also their understanding of horse behaviour, communication, care and handling.
We want our students to learn how to listen to their horse, recognise what the horse is communicating and understand how their own actions and body language affect the horse. We believe that when horse and rider understand each other, riding becomes a much more rewarding experience for both.
Our horses are an integral part of this approach. Each has their own personality, strengths and quirks, and we encourage our students to get to know them as individuals rather than simply viewing them as horses to ride.

About Lauren
Terrey Hills Riding School has been part of the local community for many years, and Lauren Seeley has been at the helm since 2017.
Lauren grew up in Canada and moved to Australia in 2004. With a background in science, she spent more than a decade working as an IVF genetic scientist while pursuing her passion for horses outside of work.
In 2017, Lauren made the decision to leave her career in science and devote herself to horses full-time. Since then, she has worked as a riding coach and instructor while continuing to ride, train and compete her own and client horses.
Her experience spans a broad range of riding and training, including eventing, dressage and show jumping. While competition has been an important part of her own riding journey, Lauren’s greatest passion is helping other people develop a better understanding of horses and become more confident and effective riders.
After years of riding and training horses herself, Lauren brings a practical, thoughtful approach to teaching. Her focus is not simply on producing technically better riders, but on helping riders understand why the horse responds the way it does and how to communicate more clearly and empathetically.
For Lauren, one of the greatest rewards of working with horses full-time is being able to share that connection with people who love horses as much as she does.

Our History
Terrey Hills Riding School was established in 1986 by Jill Severn, who ran the school for more than 30 years.
Originally from England, Jill had spent many years riding and training horses and had previously operated a riding school in the United States. After moving to the Terrey Hills area, she established the riding school and developed a reputation for working with riders of all ages and abilities, particularly novice women and children.
Jill’s greatest strength was her understanding of horses and her commitment to keeping them healthy, happy and sound so that they could be enjoyed by generations of riders.
In 2017, after more than three decades running the school, Jill returned to Devon in England and passed the riding school on to Lauren.
Nine years later, Terrey Hills Riding School continues to build on that long history while developing its own approach — one centred on horsemanship, empathy, understanding and creating positive experiences for both horse and rider.
Our Approach
We believe that a good riding school should teach more than what to do when you’re sitting on a horse.
Learning to catch, groom, tack up, handle and care for a horse teaches riders to become observant and responsible. Learning to recognise body language and understand behaviour helps them communicate more effectively. And learning to ride with empathy creates a partnership rather than simply directing the horse.
Our lessons therefore include both horsemanship and riding, because we believe the two belong together.
Whether a student is sitting on a horse for the first time or has been riding for years, our goal is to help them become more knowledgeable, confident and thoughtful around horses.
We don’t just teach people to ride horses.
We teach people to understand them.