Newbee here! Hoping for London riding school advice...

[Broodle]

Hello all!

I am new to the forum today - be gentle! Have been a 'viewer' for a few days but feel like a voyeur so want to join in...

If there are any London peeps out there, I could really do with picking your brains. I have recently moved here and would like to book some lessons (on a riding school horse - don't have my own sadly) for the new year, but have no idea where is good...

I am a fairly recent returner to horses - although I spent practically all my formative years on the back of a pony, I had a ten year break before sharing a horse for the last year. Now I'm in London and horse-less I would like to devote some time to going back to basics and improving my seat etc. Turns out that all those years of mounted games, show jumping, rounding up the farmers' sheep etc. on naughty little ponies have given me incredible stickability but very little style!

So... any advice out there? Was thinking of trying Mudchute Farm (on the Isle of Dogs) as this is near me - anyone have any experience of it?

Many thanks in advance!

xx

 

[Molineux]

Hello and welcome to the forum!

Sorry I do not know London very well (Apart from shops

!)

 

[icestationzebra]

Mudchute from my limited knowledge of it has very few facilities i.e don't think they have a school. Why not look at Lea Valley - bit further out of town and much better riding although I don't know anything about their reputation. Epping Fores would have places with better hacking.....

 

[Broodle]

Thanks for the suggestions icestationzebra - will do some research. Still a stranger in this town so have no idea where anything is (my Mum tells me to flag down a policeman if I'm lost and tell him that I'm from the country!). Pretty sure that Mudchute has a school, but perhaps this is a recent addition.

 

[teapot]

Welcome to the forum

 

[sloulou]

I would recommend Lea Valley - I've been there a few times. Not tried Mudchute though...

There are lots more places towards epping forest - especially if you want to go hacking. I can suggest a few around there - but not sure how near that is for you?

Also would recommend Trent Park (which is North London - Oakwood tube stn.) They have nice horses there and I used to have good lessons but not been for a few years.

I've just started going for the occasional lesson at a really nice place in Bexley - which is also prob a bit far for you. But I've just moved from East London to SE...

Hope that helps!

 

[Broodle]

Many thanks for your help sloulou - actually I'm in SE London too (Greenwich) so Bexley would actually be quite convenient... Any chance you could let me know the details please?

 

[teapot]

Is Wimbledon Village Stables too far for you?

Have heard good things about them, and their hacking is in Richmond Park

 

[sloulou]

It is called Mount Mascal Stables - only been there 4 times - but have had really good private lessons with and instructor called Wills - would really recommend him.

he really helps with getting back to basics - I had so many bad habits from being a happy hacker for years an never having any lessons!

they have a website here: www.mountmascalstables.com

Have not tried any other instructors or a group lesson yet - so not sure what they are like.

 

[Broodle]

sloulou - thanks again for the tip. Sounds ideal, and I will definitely give them a try

teapot - the thought of riding in Richmond Park is really very tempting - think I may be able to stretch to the long journey for the odd weekend ride! Thanks for the suggestion.

 

[Weezy]

WImbledon Village Stables is excellent but they DONT ride in Richmond park on hour hacks - for that you want Stag Lodge Stables - neither are cheap but the horses are lovely

I did work experience at Bexley Village Stables 13 years ago (OMG!) It was not too shoddy!

 

[JadeWisc]

I am of no help either, but would like to say welcome

~Jade~

 

[madgirl]

welsome im not to good on riding stable in london

 

[weevil]

Hello, have just escaped from london, but I used to ride at trent park. It was a bit of a trek for me (from tooting!) but I really liked it, they have lots of good horses and also have good hacking.

 

[katelarge]

HIYA! Lived in London for eleven years - not on purpose as I only came for a weekend. Anyway, I rode for some time at Wimbledon Village Stables, they have some very nice horses and you can choose to do a lesson in the sand ring or a hack. However even a leson requires a hack to get to the ring.

Be prepared to shell out! Wimbledon Village operates like a gym, with a joining fee and monthly charge - gold membership was £120 a month when I left some years back, But this lets you ride at weekends, If you can get free time to ride during the week, the membership will be cheaper. their website is at www.wvstables.com.

Having visted the Mount Mascal website, I have to say that place seems more rural, the horses get turnout, etc, which might be nice. At Wimbledon, it is literally a yard behind a pub, it's really nice but will be totally different to any yard you have seen before.

I've not been to Lea Valley myself but I interviewed them for a feature for HORSE I did a few months ago. The management seem really nice, there is some turnout and hacking too. A big possible plus of that yard is that most of the liveries have one or more sharers for their horse. So if you progressed and wanted to get more involved, you might get into a share, which is how I ended up a few years later owning one of my own!

Anyway, let us know how you get on, feel free to ask us anything else, and enjoy your riding!

 

[CSYMolly]

Hello there I had lessons at mudchute a few years back (about 5 I think) and actually it was one of the better places. They do have a school and most horses are on working livery and rather nice. Easy to get to on the tube too.
Shared a horse at Lee Valley not sure what the riding school is like but seemed quite well run.
Also rode at Aldborough Hall a few times, nice enough but most of the horses I was put on were about 90 years old and quite fed up with life!

 

[Theresa_F]

I have heard good things about Lea Valley - not that far from me and I did once consider stabling my horses there.

There is also High Beach Riding school if you want to hack in Epping Forest. Years ago I had some lessons there and was given a suitable horse and enjoyed myself. Hacking in the forest is lovely - I used to ride there lots until I moved a little further out.

 

[ladylisa]

Hello and welcome to the forum

 

[Twiglet]

Hola and welcome to the forum!

As other people have said, for a hack Epping Forest is worth the trek outside into Footballer's Wives territory. The forest is beautiful and there's a number of riding schools in the area.

Have similarly heard good things about Wimbledon Village, although they are so dear!

Some friends have had lessons at Mount Mascalls - it seemed a nice place, I just didn't like the way they packed so many lessons into the one school, it didn't leave for much room. This may have just been the case on the day I visited though.

 

[sloulou]

Actually there were lots of lessons in at the same time when I went to Mount Mascal - would be far nicer if there weren't..

 

[katiejaye]

Hiya and welcome I live in London but towards the NW end. I know some lovely yards in North London but it depends really on how far you want to go?

 

[viola]

hello and try www.wvstables.com - I worked at stables in London and as far as I can tell this one has the best horses...might be wrong of course. They are all privetely owned and on working livery.
The one that made a good impression on me too is Lee Valley Riding Centre.
Good luck

 

[OWLIE185]

There is also the Worwood Scrubbs Pony Centre behind Worwood Scrubbs Prison with the huge indoor arena built by the Ask Anika programme. They do lessons in the evenings and weekends.

 

[Broodle]

Wow - thank you all so much for your welcomes and excellent advice! On the basis of the many recommendations I think I may have to try out a few places before settling where I'm happiest.

Thank you all for being so friendly!

 

[giggles mum]

Stag Lodge Stables in Richmond Park - v nice hacking. At the yard there is a small arena, or you can go on a 10 min hack to a bigger one, or book 2 hourse so you can have a half hour hack to another arena, an hour's lesson and a half hour hack home again. Try and come on a weekday if at all possible - it's cheaper than at weekends, and weekends are MAD!

PM me if you want any more info!

 

[gally]

hi, i live in the centre of london and can definatly recommend wimbledon village stables, i worked there for 5 years, superb horses and great staff. They also hold their own show in the summer and a sponsored ride in the winter (and will hire horses out for them). Lots of fab hacking and 2 schools for lessons.

Any more info and the owners niece comes on here, her name is Ella