Hello and riding in London

j1ffy

j1ffy

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Hi all
I'm new to the forum having just joined last week and I'm already slightly addicted! I thought I'd be bold and put up a new post with a plea for info...

These days I'm a weekly riding school rider as I live in central London and keeping a horse is impractical and ridiculously expensive (over £700 a month for livery?!), but I'm missing riding quality horses! Some of the horses at one of the stables I go to are great, as are the instructors, but it's never quite the same as riding non-school horses.

I just came across the website for the London Riding Club (www.ridinglondon.com). It looks interesting but maybe a little snobby, does anyone have any experience of it? Apologies if anyone out there is a member and is offended, please correct me if I'm wrong!!
 
Doesn't it?!

The riding clubs look great but the only clubs within an hour's scooter ride (the quickest way to get round London, though I do get funny looks riding it with a schooling whip!) are the BBC and Civil Service ones. Maybe I need to change my career or speed up the move to commuter belt.
 

Where abouts in London are you? I'm a member of North Harrow and District RC (or will be if I get my behind into gear and renew membership!!) Its a lovely laid back little club and very friendly more fun than competitive. There is a mix of liveries and RS riders All comps are done on riding school horses for those without their own horse.

There are a few clubs in and around London that cater for people without their own horse but tend to be attached to an associated equestrian centre so again all school horses.

If you want some more info on the club/type of competitions that go on etc please do PM me!
 
I'm in Brixton, so getting to Essex or North London is tricky. I've been to Trent Park before, but started going to Lee Valley instead. Still go there regularly (great place) and sometimes Dulwich Riding School too as it's fairly close to me.

Maybe I'll just have to bite the bullet and accept that a long journey is necessary!
 
If you are looking to ride a more exciting horse why not contact sister Mary Joy at the Worwood Scrubbs Pony Centre. They have some pretty challenging horses there!

(They have a large indoor arena).
 
I am afraid I only know north london too - but if you are only wanting to ride once a week it might be worth making the journey.

My instructor is a member of Harrow RC and it seems really friendly and people hire the school horses and take them to competitions, they also do long all day pub rides as do Trent Park.

LEC in Mill Hill is also accessible by tube but again North London. They have some good instruction and run adult horse days and people can hire school horses and join the jumping clinics and shows. There is also Frith Manor a big livery yard next door and people there are sometimes looking for sharers.

There are quite a few livery yards within commuting distance of London and not all of them have very expensive livery and people are often looking for sharers. I shared for years before I got my pony, I keep him in South Bucks at a yard that is accessible by tube but it is a long commute from work.
 
Look for a share horse who's owner is willing for you to have lessons on it as well. I went from owning to having to go to riding schools and hated it! i liked the freedom of my own horse and the fact that I didn't even get to groom or tack up at the RS was such a shame as I enjoy the looking after as much as the riding!
 
[ QUOTE ]
I'm in Brixton, so getting to Essex or North London is tricky. I've been to Trent Park before, but started going to Lee Valley instead. Still go there regularly (great place) and sometimes Dulwich Riding School too as it's fairly close to me.

Maybe I'll just have to bite the bullet and accept that a long journey is necessary!

[/ QUOTE ]

Hi there; I actually had a small livery yard in Brixton about 17 years ago. I know that someone else kept horses there after I moved, might be worth a wander to see if they're still there? PM me for the address if you want!
 
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