On the surface, London might not strike you as the best place for a horse enthusiast to go looking for a ride. But we shouldn’t forget that there are around 3,000 parks in the capital, covering nearly a fifth (18%) of the city.
So, whether you live in London or just happen to be visiting, you’ll have no trouble getting a leg-up if you want to get some riding in.
As much as anything else, there’s no better way to see the capital’s parks than on horseback. As you hack around your chosen London park, ensure you have horse rider insurance. Whether you ride regularly or just occasionally, Equesure’s team of equine insurance specialists can help find you a great deal on horse rider insurance.
If you’re going to take risks in riding a horse, you’ve got to make sure you’ve got some personal accident cover, at the very least.
Horses can easily get spooked and behave in a way that you’re not used to. Controlling them in an unfamiliar place might be difficult and they could cause injury to both the rider or passers by. A horse’s powerful kick could damage vehicles, too, so it’s always best to have financial protection in place.
Those are the sorts of questions you need to ask when contemplating whether you need horse rider insurance. For a fairly modest sum each year, you could get comprehensive insurance cover you up to £20,000.
So, what are your options if you want to get in the saddle in London? Here are five stables that won’t disappoint.
Richmond Park is well serviced with horse stables, so you won’t have to look very hard for signs of equine life. The pick of the stables is Stag Lodge, which houses more than 70 well-trained horse and ponies – you can just turn up and enjoy a horse riding experience.
Lessons and courses are available to both adults and children – so if you have little ones who enjoy being on horseback as much as you do, you can bring them along, too, no matter what their ability.
Whether you fancy a hack around Richmond Park, taking your kids on a gentle amble on a Shetland pony or enrolling on a course that will take you to competition standard, Stag Lodge Stables can make it happen.
Ross Nye Stables claims to be the long-established riding school in Central London, having been in the business of offering riding lessons in Hyde Park since 1965.
With a Pony Club for younger horse enthusiasts – where they will get an education in how to care for a horse as well as riding lessons – and a Riding Club for adults, all ages and abilities are catered for.
Ross Nye Stables also has a base in the country at Longfrey Farm, near Guildford, where they run residential camps for children during Easter and the summer holiday season. So, if your little ones love being outside riding, they’ll enjoy nothing more than hacking through the woods in Surrey Hills.
The stables at Vauxhall City Farm are fairly modest compared to Ross Nye and Stag Lodge, with just four horses and ponies on site. But the equines are all able to take part in jumping, flat work, riding for the disabled lessons, or beginner adult and children lessons, so there’s still plenty of opportunity to catch a ride.
If you have a child that adores horses, consider booking a pony party at the farm to make it a birthday to remember for them. The knowledgeable team are also on hand to give them advice about grooming, healthcare and more if you’re thinking about getting a pony of your own.
Please note: There’s currently a waiting list for new riders of around two to three months due to high demand on lessons.
Wimbledon Village Stables claims to be a multi-award winning riding centre – why see what all the fuss is about?
On paper at least, the stables’ credentials are impressive: well-schooled horses, an expert team of fully qualified and professional instructors.
The setting isn’t too shabby either. As you gallop along on horseback, you can take in the stunning countryside and wildlife of Wimbledon Common and Richmond Park. Keep your eyes peeled for the wild deer among the ancient trees!
Pick from a range horse riding courses, with all levels of rider catered for. You could even take an evening course in horse care and stable management.
What sets Wimbledon Villages Stables aside from the rest, however, is the EQUICISE offering, dubbed “the only combination of equestrian fitness and technical development of its kind”. Intrigued? Check out the website for more information.
Benefiting from 32 acres on the Isle of Dogs, the Mudchute Park & Farm has stabling for 25 horses and ponies. All well-schooled, they are suitable for both adults and children.
During the school holidays, the centre runs full-day programs for children, which include two riding sessions and stable management lectures. Your little ones will learn tasks such as grooming, mucking out, tacking up, parts and colours of the horses and feeding.
What’s great about this equestrian centre is that it’s part of a farm with other animals. In fact, there are over 100 animals and fowl on our farm including llamas and donkeys! A trip to Mudchute Park & Farm is a proper day out for the whole family.
The best horse rider insurance is the one that suits your individual needs and provides comprehensive cover. So, if anything was to go wrong whilst out hacking, your injuries (or those of your horse) wouldn’t be compounded by the thought of being out of pocket.
Working with a varied and trusted panel of insurers, Equesure offer clients a bespoke horse insurance policy with various options of cover to ensure the policy is right for you.
Get a no-obligation horse rider insurance quote today.
Once again I threw Arlo in at the deep end, affiliating him purely for the Arena UK second round show, and once again he pulled it out the bag. How lucky am I to have such a wonderful little horse? We haven’t really competed this year. I don’t really compete over the winter, and also my horsebox was away for repairs up until the beginning of June, so I had no transport even if I’d wanted to.
With the dry ground we don’t seem to be having much luck with shoes, as little madam managed to pull both her front shoes off within 12 hours the other day! We entered the arena with two shoes on for a schooling session and left it with one missing (took about an hour to find it). Then that afternoon, as I went to put some hoof ointment on, I looked down and had to double take, thinking I was looking at the wrong hoof. But, no, the other shoe was missing too.
After having a long wait and some lunch at the onsite café, it was time to get ready for the Joan Wolfe Overall Supreme Shetland Pony Championship. I got changed out of my usual showing outfit into black trousers and a maroon top with white spots, as you are expected to be a bit more “bling” in the evening.
We were all set to go for our next outing, and were super excited. That was until I heard the dreaded clunk of a loose shoe! I checked it over, praying it wasn’t too loose, but, nope, it was going to need a refit.