Here's where to go horse riding in London
Horseback riding is a beloved activity for kids and adults alike. Here's the best places for horse riding in London
Kentish Town City Farm
Kentish Town City Farm offers riding opportunities for younger kids: children four and up can enjoy their first pony ride (£2), while two-year-olds can get a donkey ride. Horse-mad Camden-based school kids can apply to the local Pony Club to learn about horse care and ride Kentish Town City Farm's gorgeous horses, Champion, Jester and Murphy, every week. A riding therapy programme is also available for young people with disabilities.
Read more ...Wimbledon Village Stables
If trotting a horse through glorious Richmond Park or Wimbledon Common is your idea of bliss, then you'll love the award-winning Wimbledon Village Stables, which caters to equestrians of all skill levels and ages. There's a horse-riding simulator on site to practice on so you can gain confidence before mounting an actual horse, as well as lessons for kids seven and up (for children of members). Membership isn't required, but Silver/Gold members do get a range of perks included, like weekly one-hour rides, members-only competitions, strolls around the Common with The Fantastic Mr. Fudge, a Shetland miniature pony, and workshops on topics like stable management.
Read more ...Mudchute Park & Farm, East London
This Isle of Dogs city farm also houses a British Horse Society approved riding school on site, with 25 ponies and horses and show jumps and cross-country fences for experienced riders to enjoy. Lessons are available for adults and kids aged seven and up, and there's even a camp for kids during the school holidays, where they can spend a day learning about stable management - mucking out, grooming, feeding - as well as enjoying riding sessions (boots are included in the £70 per child charge; hat hire is £1.50).
Read more ...Riding Club London
For riders who want their equestrian life at the centre of their social calendars - and who are passionate about horses - Riding Club London is a membership club that has it all: weekend and evening hacks (with pub stops), beach rides, riding holidays to exciting destinations like Argentina, as well as racing and polo days out (in fact, you can opt for a social-only membership just to access the fun opportunities). As for the riding, it doesn't get any better than this: flatwork sessions with the King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery at Woolwich Barracks or on the Queen's steeds with The Household Cavalry at Knightsbridge Barracks, as well as jumping lessons at Chessington Equestrian Centre. Membership is £240 a year, with a £50 joining fee.
Read more ...Ross Nye Stables
These Hyde Park stables offer hacking and lessons for riders of all ages and stages, along Hyde Park's sand tracks like Rotten Row - where you might bump into the Household Cavalry horses doing their morning drills - and the park's outdoor arenas. Equine-loving kids should consider joining the Hyde Park branch of the London Pony Club to spend their weekends mucking out stables and riding ponies - membership also entitles you to purchase lessons at discounted prices.
Read more ...Vauxhall City Farm
Vauxhall City Farm offers kids plenty of opportunities to get up close and personal with their horses and Shetland ponies. You can adopt one of the animals to visit every time you pop in, and the farm also hosts Own A Pony days (£80) during half-terms and holidays: kids can spend the day learning about horse care, grooming, mucking out, tacking up and preparing feed, as well as riding, of course.